Joy Division announce first-ever box set of live recordings, ‘Eternal (Live)’
Joy Division are set to release their first-ever box set of live recordings, titled Eternal (Live).
The expansive box set is set to arrive on September 25th through Warner Music and consists of 16 live performances across 14CDs.
The material has been taken from audience recorded cassettes, soundboard tapes and broadcast recordings, which were mastered at Abbey Road Studios.
All of the recordings were taken between March 1979 and May 1980, which is the same month that frontman Ian Curtis sadly lost his life.
Notable concerts that feature on Eternal (Live) include early dates in London, Altrincham, Manchester and Leeds, as well as documenting their travels on the continent, including their famous concert at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, plus visits to Eindhoven and Paris.
Additionally, UK concerts during the latter months of Curtis’ life, such as at the Winter Gardens in Malvern, and their final-ever show, which took place in Birmingham on May 2nd, 1980, also feature.
The huge box set has video footage, too. In total, it consists of two-and-a-half hours of live shows, including the previously unseen Brussels concert and two concerts and a soundcheck from the Apollo Theatre in Manchester that were partially released on VHS in 1982.
Moreover, there’s a brand new edit of Joy Division – A Malcolm Whitehead Film included in the mammoth package.
Warren Jackson, Peter Saville, Howard Wakefield and Brett Wickens have contributed to the artwork, while a 16-page booklet features personal notes by Simon Armitage and photography by Anton Corbijn and Kevin Cummins.
The announcement of the new release containing previously unreleased archive material comes as Joy Division/New Order will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year. Oasis, Sade, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Wu-Tang Clan, Billy Idol, and Luther Vandross will also make up the Class of 2026.
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