Torn Apart: Joy Division and the death of Ian Curtis
Dave Simpson, Uncut, December 1997
Joy Division were the most crucial of all the post-punk bands. But, on the eve of their first US tour, lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide. Within a year, they regrouped as New Order to become one of the key acts of the Eighties. Now, two decades on from their live debut, Joy Division release a definitive box set, and original members Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner talk about the rise and demise of Manchester's greatest export before Oasis.
Total word count of piece: 7111