rock

1980
Joy Division were scheduled to commence their first US/Canada tour in

Joy Division were scheduled to commence their first US/Canada tour in May 1980. Curtis had expressed enthusiasm about the tour, but his relationship with his wife, Deborah, was under strain; Deborah was excluded from the band’s inner circle and objected to Curtis being close to Belgian journalist and music promoter…
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INXS released first single

INXS released their first single, ” Simple Simon “/” We Are the Vegetables “, in Australia and France in May 1980.

The Police released Six Pack

In May 1980, A&M in the UK released Six Pack , a package containing the five A&M singles (not including “Fall Out”) in their original sleeves plus a mono alternate take of the album track ” The Bed’s Too Big Without You ” backed with a live version of “Truth…
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Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell was released

Heaven and Hell was released on 25 April 1980, to critical acclaim.

Black Sabbath first live appearance

making their first live appearance with Dio in Germany on 17 April 1980.

Joy Division A lack of sleep and long hours destabilised Curtis’s epilepsy, and

A lack of sleep and long hours destabilised Curtis’s epilepsy, and his seizures became almost uncontrollable. He often had seizures during performances, which some audience members believed were part of the performance. The seizures left him feeling ashamed and depressed, and the band became increasingly worried about Curtis’s condition. On…
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Midnight Oil Andrew James left

In April 1980 founding bass guitarist Andrew James left because of ill-health and was replaced by Peter Gifford (ex-Huntress, Ross Ryan Band).

AC/DC officially announced

Johnson was officially announced as the lead singer of AC/DC on 1 April. With Johnson, the group completed the songwriting previously begun with Scott for Back in Black . Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas a few months after Scott’s death. Produced by Lange and recorded…
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Genesis (band) tour from April to June 1980

Duke was supported with a UK and North American tour from April to June 1980, which began with a 40-date tour of the UK for which all 106,000 tickets were sold within hours of going on sale.

ZZ Top made their first appearances in Europe

In April 1980, ZZ Top made their first appearances in Europe, performing for the German music television show Rockpalast (later included on the 2009 DVD Double Down Live: 1980 & 2008 ) and the BBC show The Old Grey Whistle Test .