New Order - Live in California - 1989

Tonight's first show comes from California in 1989.  Shortly after the release of Technique (NO's best album), this would have been the tour to see.  At the time, the closest city that they came to from me would have been more than 600 miles.  Being a teen, I had no way to make that trek.

The recording is a soundboard recording, but is spotty in a couple of places.  Barney's voice misses it a couple times, but he holds it together rather well.  You can tell during the show that there are obvious strains on the relationships within the band, as both Barney and Hooky try to be frontman.  There's a constant one-up-manship going on, it seems, and sometimes repeating of what the other has said.  To be honest, I really think that Hooky needed to step back.  He's a good musician, but Barney will always be the "voice" of New Order in my book.

This was NO's last great tour, before they split into their sub-groups.  Every other tour after this one pales in comparison.  They were never the same again, in my eyes...

New Order - Live in California - 1989