Review: New Order & The Whip at Ibiza Rocks

One year ago New Order reunited with the addition of bassist Tom Chapman from Bad Lieutenant (formed by Bernard Sumner after their break up in 2007) instead of Peter Hook. Six months later it was announced they would be playing at Ibiza Rocks this year and since that moment it became the gig of the summer, the one nobody wanted to miss (a good example of this were the long queues outside a few minutes before they came out at 10.25pm). With the highest percentage of locals in attendance I can remember and the VIP busier than ever before (the VVIP was sold out a good few days ago!), we knew this was going to be a night to remember...

Having seen The Whip live several times now (the last one opening for Madness last year), they continue getting better and better and it's about time they get the recognition they deserve!

Their time on stage passed in a blur and they only had time to play a few of their many great songs from X Marks Destination and the more recent Wired Together. "Trash" obviously got the most cheers but the rest was equally good... I love them so what else can I say?! Well yes, that I missed "Divebomb" and "Muzzle #1" and "Shake" and "Riot" and...

Part of New Order's album Technique (the first to reach number one in the UK charts) was recorded during summer 1988 at the disappeared Ibiza Mediterraneo Studios in San Lorenzo but, surprisingly enough, this was actually their first ever live performance on the island. The fact this band, that had a major influence on the dance scene, never played here before is quite unbelievable!

Only "Round & round" was played from that album but they have such a vast back catalogue. The 95-minute concert started with Ennio Morricone's "The ecstasy of gold" as the intro and included expected classics like "Crystal", "Regret", "True faith", the immortal "Blue monday" or "Temptation" but what I was wondering was how many Joy Division songs we would hear and the answer was four... not one or two but four: "Ceremony", "Isolation", "Transmission" and of course "Love will tear us apart" (named last june as NME's greatest track of the last 60 years), the last two in the encore. All the songs were accompanied by video backdrops, which added them a new dimension. Memorable!

Needless to say, there was a wee after party too...

More of McRackin's pics here.