Robert Smith on why The Cure couldnt get along with New Order – Far Out Magazine

In the late 1970s, punk morphed into post-punk, something more streamlined, durable and, dare I say, more absorbing. The rambunctious, unrefined energy of the Sex Pistols had made way for a sound that now welcomed instrumental talent, insightful lyricism and, in many cases, dark introspection. Where punk was associated with a youthful outcry soaked in hedonism and anti-establishment aggression, post-punk often addressed more personal emotions. This was certainly the case for The Cure and Joy Division, two of Britains most revered exponents of the movement.

Joy Division shoved to the forefront of the Manchester scene in September 1978 after they performed Shadowplay on Whats On, a popular feature on the regional television programme Granada Reports. This was followed in June 1979 by the release of their seminal debut album, Unknown Pleasures, which saw the band take a further step toward national acclaim.

Around this time, The Cures frontman Robert Smith first caught wind of the Manchester outfit, and he seemed rather fond of them. In a 2013 interview with Paraguays Radio Urbana, Smith remembered inviting Joy Division to play a gig with them in the capital. In 1980, we did a thing in London at the Marquee Club, Smith said. We picked the four bands we wanted to play with us, and Joy Division were one of those bandsI heard [songs from] Unknown Pleasures on the radio on John Peel, and they were just fantastic.

He added: They were the best thing Id seen not ever, because Id seen Bowie and the Stones but they were of that generation of bands which is my generation of bands, they were so powerfulthat was our best show that year, I think, we went on after them and we had to really we had to try hard to match what they did its a shame about Ian Curtis its like Jimi Hendrix or Kurt Cobainpeople that good come around far too infrequently.

After Joy Division singer Ian Curtis tragic suicide in May 1980, the remaining members of Joy Division formed New Order with the addition of Gillian Gilbert. While The Cure were tacitly impressed by their peers continued work over the 80s, a rift had opened up between the two groups. Speaking to Radio Urbana in 2013, Smith addressed their differences with New Order, explaining that the issue was centralised around their bassist, Peter Hook.

In his 2012 memoir, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, Hook made some controversial comments about The Cure, claiming that they had sold out a bit. This sparked conjecture in online forums as fans pointed with hand-cupped grins at New Orders ostensible lack of judgement during the infamous Blue Monday reimagination for a Sunkist commercial in the United States.

Addressing the petty feud with Hook, Smith told Radio Urbana: Although the Cure and New Orderwe come from the same age and everything, but Peter Hook always had a real big problem with us because our bassist Simon Gallup was so much better looking and the better bass playerI think Peter was so jealous he could never get over it, and he stopped the rest of them from being friendly

In 2007, Hook announced that he and frontman Bernard Sumner were disbanding New Order to work on separate endeavours. However, Sumner and the rest of the group decided to continue, leading to an uncomfortable few years of squabbling over music rights.

Continuing in his conversation with Radio Urbana, Smith described a healthier relationship with New Order since Hook left the band. Weve bumped into them over the years, and since [Hook] hes left, weve played with New Order a few times in the last summer, and its so nice to be able to chat with them, you know, to talk with them because Ive always loved New Order I think theyre one of the best bands they also have a fantastic back catalogue, and they like us, its so nice to say to Bernard [Sumner] I like your band, and he says I like yours as well and its taken an awful long time to say hello again to them. Theyre a good example of a band that gets better as they get older. They were fantastic when we played with them last year, and were playing again with them this year at a couple of festivals.

From a fans perspective, its difficult to see two bands from a similar region of the musical spectrum enter petty feuds. Its even more difficult to know who or what was to blame, with only fragments of the story from potentially biased sources. We cant be certain of any jealousy between Hook and Gallup, but if it did exist, could it have been the sole factor?

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Robert Smith on why The Cure couldnt get along with New Order - Far Out Magazine