Out of the drizzle and industrial gloom of 1970s Manchester came one of
Britain's most influential bands, drawing on kraut-rock, punk and the general
sourness of the times to define a new post-punk aesthetic. Formed after the Sex
Pistols' legendary Lesser Free Trade Hall gig in 1976, Joy Division were
initially called Warsaw, driven along by Peter Hook's pulsating bass lines and
Ian Curtis' frenetic, eerie performances. The band's reputation grew with
acclaimed sessions for John Peel's Radio 1 show before they were snapped up by
charismatic Factory Records' boss Tony Wilson, who ...