In August 1980, the band travelled to North America to play four dates in cities such as Toronto , Chicago and New York .
Before Curtis’s death, the band had agreed to stop using the name Joy Division if any member died or left. Thus, when the three remaining members decided to continue without him, they chose to perform under a different name. During the summer of 1980, the remaining members recorded their first…
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The next day, the band appeared at the 1980 Day on the Green at Oakland Coliseum
On 26 July 1980, the band played to 75,000 fans at a sold-out Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with Journey , Cheap Trick and Molly Hatchet
In April 1980, guitarist Andy Taylor came from Newcastle upon Tyne to audition after responding to an advertisement in Melody Maker . Andy already had a lot of experience from playing with cover bands for years and although he came from a totally different rock music background his versatile playing…
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Pulp were formed in 1978 at The City School in Sheffield by Jarvis Cocker, then 15 years old, and Peter Dalton, then 14. Cocker’s original preference was to name the band after the film Pulp starring Michael Caine , though it was decided that this was too short. Instead, the…
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In July 1980, the band signed a deal with CBS Records and released the single ” Kings of the Wild Frontier “, which reached No. 48 on the UK Singles Chart . Hughes continued to produce the band’s work, and they completed recording at Rockfield by the end of August.…
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Fighting against a tide of apathy, Smith and Ace handed in their notice and played their final gig with the band in Birmingham in July 1980. A second 7-inch EP, widely referred to as The Hypnotist but actually entitled End of Part One , was released at this time. Featuring…
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On 27 June, at a show in Nuremberg , West Germany, the concert came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the third song, when Bonham collapsed onstage and was rushed to hospital.
With the advent of affordable synthesisers and the increasing popularity of electronic music, the group began pursuing a synth-pop direction. The first live concert of Composition of Sound as a four-piece was on 14 June 1980 at Nicholas School, Basildon , Essex, England. There is a plaque commemorating the gig…
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