The Cure’s iconic frontman Robert Smith has long had an acidic tongue, with his putdowns becoming the stuff of music legend . Yet he’s also an emphatic advocate for music that touches his soul, sparking a topsy-turvy relationship with Joy Division and New Order . The musicians all emerged from the post-punk milieu, with Joy Division actually supporting The Cure at a show in London.
The gig took place in 1980, with Robert Smith having been invited to piece together the perfect supporting cast. The frontman told Radio Urbana in 2013 : “In 1980 we did a thing in London at the Marquee Club..
.we picked the four bands we wanted to play with us, and Joy Division were one of those bands..
.I heard ‘Unknown Pleasures’ on the radio on John Peel, and they were just fantastic.” Elsewhere in the interview, The Cure frontman also described them as “the best thing I’d seen,” although “not ever”, because – after all – he had seen “Bowie and the Stones”.
The performance left a massive impact, with The Cure later covering Joy Division’s epic single ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ – in part, as a salute to the late Ian Curtis. — — Joy Division evolved into New Order, becoming giants in British music. Helping to advance culture, the Manchester band built a singular catalogue, merging club tropes with downcast pop sensibilities.
Curiously, former New Order bass player Peter Hook chose to criticise The Cure in his memoir Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division , w.
