NO: 09 AUG 1985 Warner Theater, Washington D.C.

 

Fractured/Image playlist

Setlist

Elegia, ICB, Hurt, Leave Me Alone, Confusion, This Time Of Night, Subculture, The Village, The Perfect Kiss, Ceremony, Blue Monday, Age Of Consent, Temptation

WBL provides a review summary:

J.D. Considine / August 10, 1985; Page D4 / Section: Style; Performing Arts / Word Count: 197
The dance music dispensed by New Order is so austere and unrelenting that it hardly came as a surprise last night at the Warner Theatre to find that most of the groove was ground out by drum machines and sequencers. Not that the automation made the music stiff or mechanical, for from the poppish exuberance of "The Perfect Kiss" to the ecstatic drive of "Blue Monday," New Order's performance was decidedly physical.True, the gadgetry did generate its share of...

Transcription:

Sound quality is extremely good, although there's a pronounced hum throughout. GaoBest says "D5/NAK 300. 2 SONGS HAVE MIC PROBLEMS, ELSE GREAT!!". I can't tell wrt the taping equipment, obviously, but I don't note any mic problems beyond that.

First, a comment from a reader:

From: "W.B. Lyttle"
Subject: New Order - Warner Theater - DC August 85

Don't have a copy of the tape, but I was in the audience for this show. One bit of conversation that isn't mentioned in the summary was an audience member yelling at Peter Hook during a quiet moment: "Nice of you to show up, Hooky" in reference to the prior show at the Ontario Theater the year before.

I think the audience member was referring to the '83 performance where Hooky was wasted, and didn't show up on stage until after the first song.

New Order take the stage, and strum a bit of Let's Go before getting into the first song.

BS: "Thank you very much. Thank you."

Elegia

BS: "This song's called Elegia."

Partway during the song, you can hear the following annoying conversation near the recording mic:

Lady: "Do you mind if I sit on the aisle?"

Guy: (can't make out)

Lady repeats her question, with apparantly fruitless results.

Lady: I'm sorry, I'll just stay there."

BS: "Thanks very much."

ICB

Second to last time New Order ever play this song.

BS: "We're gonna have you jumping up and down with a very old song called ICB"

Nice rendition of _Hurt_, one of the best I've ever heard. Spotted is the following lyric:

BS: "I'm quite determined that that there will be no mistakes, like the last time we played in Chicago."

(the gig prior to this one)

Leave Me Alone is "dedicated" to somebody in the crowd. (thanks go to Reg Bumswizle, er, Tim, for supplying the correction)

BS: "Thank you very much. I'll say that you've got a lot of spunk for coming into town tonight. Hopefully, you'll have a lot more for everybody after the show."

PH: "Okay Bill, if you're out there, this is a request by Jennifer from Akron. She says she's gonna marry ya...I doubt it very much, let's go."

Bernard starts to improvise lyrics, which I can't be bothered at this time to try and decipher.

BS: "Thank you very much."

Confusion

Has the "W..W R L sample."

Also features feedback squalls and more choice lyrics:

lyric: "You're hiding for feelings, you're searching for pussy."

and

lyric: "My penis is big, I saw your twat, you know that I'd never come back."

This Time Of Night

(at end)

BS: "Thank you very much."

Subculture

Niiice lyric: "I like fucking in my sleep. When willies grow so hard..."

The song ends a capella.

BS: "Thank you very much, thank you very much indeed, I mean it from the bottom of our hearts...my heart, I should say, because I'm the only one in the group that's got one."

The Village follows.

The Perfect Kiss

(at end)

BS: "Thanks very much. We were a lot wilder than the last time we came here."

(they apparently viewed the '83 gig in DC as a disaster)

The song is split by the end of side A on my tape.

Ceremony

BS: "Thanks very much, thank you. You probably want something... value for money, yet..."

Somebody yells out "Warsaw", really loudly, before NO get into Ceremony.

Blue Monday

(you can hear a punter yelp for 'She's Lost Control')

BS: "Thanks very much, say no more..."

lyric: "If it wasn't for your big willy, I'd be a heavenly person today."

Lots of shooting sounds near the end.

(first encore)

Age _Of _Consent

BS: "Thanks very much. I don't know what to say. Thanks very much, very kind of you. Only thing really [can't make out 2-3 words]...the encore."

Barney says something after the first chorus, can't make it out, alas, something directed to Steve.

Which segues into Temptation.

BS: "Thanks very much, good night."

Versions

'redman'	AUD #1	Sony TC-D5 or WM-D6c	NAK 300	ANA0	'redman' (DIME)	Seeded to DIME in late May 2006. Bernard's vocals are more distant here than in the DR version, but on the more positive side, it's missing the static hum that version has. Same recording equipment as the DR version. TPK start has a "woo".
DR	AUD #2	Sony TC-D5	NAK 300	ANA1	GB	He received this from DR, who has the master (and is most likely the taper). TPK start has nothing distinguishable except an A/B flip.
	AUD #3				TJ	Have a variant of *only* TPK, where it starts out with a shout of "Anderson!". Obtained in April 2023.
MR	AUD				GB	GB: "totally shoddy equipment"