New Order members Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris will be hosting a 40th anniversary tribute to their late bandmate Ian Curtis, the former frontman of Joy Division. This tribute is titled Moving Through the Silence: Celebrating The Life and Legacy of Ian Curtis, and will be live streamed on May 18th from 3-5 p.m. ET. This event will be streamedvia United We Stream, which raises money for Manchester COVID-19 relief.

This event will host performances from Elbow, LoneLady, The Lottery Winners and Kodaline, along with several speaking engagements. Sumner and Morris will be holding a discussion alongside DJ and writer Dave Haslam, while Killers frontman Brandon Flowers will discuss Joy Division’s influence on his band. Actress/musician Maxine Peake and Mark Reeder, a friend of Curtis will also hold tributes.

Curtis served as the primary lyricist for Joy Division, a pioneering post-punk outfit who achieved major posthumous successes with their albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer. Curtis committed suicide in 1980, prior to the band’s first North American tour and the release of their final studio album Closer.

The remaining members of Joy Division, which included Sumner and Morris, would go on to form New Order, a pioneering new wave outfit known for their blend of dance music and rock. The group’s sophomore album Power, Corruption & Lies paved the way for their success, spearheaded by their legendary single “Blue Monday” which is the largest selling 12-inch single of all time.

New Order was set to tour with Pet Shop Boys this fall, although it is uncertain if it will kick off  due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo Credit: Marv Watson