It appears that we don't hold up lighters at concerts anymore, now we hold up clamshell camera phones.

Alright, so the Manchester Lads didn't play "Warsaw" at the Hammerstein last night, but they did play Joy Division songs including "Transmission", "She's Lost Control" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart". They opened up with "Love Vigilantes", which was cool. Unfortunately they only played a few tracks from the new album. I was really looking forward to hearing more of the new stuff live, especially "Guilt Is a Useless Emotion", which I think is the best DJ track -- I would get the vinyl for extended versions if it ever is released. "Krafty" and "Waiting for the Siren's Call" were excellent.

Most surprising thing to me was that they closed with Blue Monday, which I thought was a crowd pleaser, but I have to admit is probably my least favorite of their songs because it is so played. The bridge & tunnel boppers around me seemed to love that one. But they also played "BLT" and "True Faith" which are really popular, and I was happy to hear them.

It's interesting when you hear the songs played together. The early JD/no is so much darker than the stuff that's come out in the last 10 years as they moved more and more into fusing their music with electronic gear. I have to admit that I listen less and less to the darker music in my collection -- Siouxsie, Joy Division, early Cure -- these days. I left a lot of the angst back in high school with the Heathers.

[See other people's neworder photos on flickr.]

I saw them in 1993 with PiL and Sugarcubes at the massive Brendan Byrne Arena. That was the Technique tour when they closed by leaving the stage as the machines played the songs out. The Hammerstein was much better -- smaller and more intimate. I'm glad the big stadium shows aren't happening so much anymore. I'm becoming an old fogey at 34. I really prefer the even smaller spots around the city than the Hammerstein.

It's funny how all these bands who have survived the last 20 years are coming around. You can see it in the ages in the crowd. Joy Division started playing around 1978 (when I was a mere 7 years old). So there were a lot of people older than me out there last night, unlike the crowd at the Pixies show. Because it was New Order, you get this strange mix of New Wave pogo types, Asians, Alt Rockers and Goths from the JD and early New Order era.

Now I want to rip all my old New Order and Joy Division vinyl.