Bernard Sumner: Confusion by David Nolan

Bernard Sumner: Confusion Joy Division, Electronic and New Order versus The World
by David Nolan

The first biography of one of the most influential and secretive musicians Britain has ever produced, Confusion is the story of Bernard Sumner's life and times from the back streets of Salford to the international fame and critical acclaim of Joy Division, Electronic and New Order.

Jolted into action by the punk explosion of 1976, Sumner is the man who stepped into the shoes of Ian Curtis after his suicide in 1980 and steered New Order through even greater success, helping to create Acid House, the second Summer of Love and The Haçienda nightclub in Manchester, the most famous club in the world and a magnet for the city's gun-toting gangsters. His collaborations with The Smiths' Johnny Marr created Electronic, the first true post-punk supergroup.

Manchester journalist David Nolan – who uncovered the truth about the Sex Pistols' legendary gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in his book I Swear I Was There – reveals the true story... and the confusion... surrounding the life and times of Bernard Sumner.

Here, in an exclusive extract, we here from those around Joy Division as they deal with the aftermath of Ian Curtis' suicide.

'In a way,' says Tony Wilson today,'You could see Bernard as the put upon one. That line that always reverberates in my mind...' you take my place in the showdown, I observe with a pitiful eye' (Heart and Soul) from one of those now seemingly prophetic fucking tracks from Closer. Yes, we all took Ian's place in the showdown, we all went on to fight the battles - be it with the gangs, be it with the charts or whatever it was with. But the person who really took Ian's place in the showdown was Bernard. It is utterly unprecedented.'

Hard on the back of Curtis' death, came the album Closer . Britain's music press had the post-punk moment they had been waiting for: someone who really could prove they meant it beyond any question of doubt.

You could almost here the preparatory cracking of knuckles and the stretching of arms, as the music writers of the day sat down to their typewriters and have their career-enhancing chances to shine. Under the circumstances, the critical response was as inevitable as it was unanimous.

As was often the case in the late 70's/early 80's a single to run alongside the album wasn't actually on it. To pull singles from an album was seen as bad form and not in the interests credibility. But pushed by the critical momentum behind the band – and the fact that it's a very good pop record featuring a riff

practised over and over again at TJ Davidson's - 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' got to number 13 in the UK charts. 'It just shows you,' says Sumner of the period directly following Curtis' death, 'You can get over anything in this world. 'Cos we did.'

Terry Mason says the band and those around them were on a kind of zombie auto-pilot, but that Bernard needed to escape Manchester. 'We just carried on going to the rehearsal room,' says Mason. 'We didn't know what else to do.

That's what we did - so that's what we carried on doing. Going though the motions. Think Barney went off to Blackpool with Section 25, they lived at Blackpool and had a boat.

We didn't know what to do. Somehow it carries on.'

Section 25 singer Larry Cassidy confirms that Bernard headed for the Lancashire coast to escape the situation in Manchester. 'When Ian died, Bernard came over to Blackpool,' confirms Cassidy, a small wiry man who gives very good "difficult". 'He was totally gutted and fucked up - as you would be. You've got a successful band coming in, next thing, the whole things fucking knackered.

Plus all the grief and everything. He stayed with Paul (Wiggin - Section 25 guitarist) for a while. That's when our paths crossed if you will. We'd seen each other at gigs and that but it's work, you're there as a musician to play.'

The press clamor over the album provided the band with an bolt hole – while the critics' gaze was on Closer, they were able to fade away as the album took the attentive heat away from them as individuals. 'His death was stunning,' said Sumner, when the band finally broke their silence in an article in Melody Maker. 'I was very shocked. It is one of those things which is so bad you can't believe it is true, you don't want to believe it is true. The break was a way to sort of comprehend things.'

Nearly 30 years on from Ian Curtis' death, Terry Mason is till trying to comprehend things. But what he did notice was a major shift in the group dynamic and a major change in Bernard. 'I can't drag thoughts out of people's heads,' he says. 'But Barney had the idea that Ian's death was a consequence of being overworked.

On paper the band didn't do an awful lot, the busiest year was 50 gigs, but because the band didn't like to tour, they ended up doing bitty things. They worked ridiculous blocks. I think Barney's not a Calvinist, he doesn't have the work ethic. If it doesn't HAVE to be done it won't get done. It there isn't a gas bill why do a gig?

Barney had seen what had happened to Ian, although the circumstances are completely different with Ian's illness.

Barney's taken a lot more control over things while everyone thought Rob was running the outfit with a rod of iron. A lot of time Rob was scared of bringing up the idea of doing gigs to Barney. One of my roles later on was being the bad guy and getting people to do gigs. Barney knew that Rob was displaying a weakness afterwards.

That's how I saw it. And from that point Barney took a lot more control over the band than any of the others. For all of Hooky's blusterings, if Bernard didn't want to do something, it didn't get done. To the best of my knoweledge that's still going on today.'

From the sidelines, others noticed how the support structure around the remaining members changed too: 'Rob and Tony Wilson had a duty of care,' says Crispy Ambulance's Alan Hempsall today. 'No one could have predicted what happened, but they had a duty of care. If there's one good thing that came out of the whole thing, it's that the band - and Bernard in particular - were really well looked after.

The consequences of not looking after people were clear. It just wasn't worth it.'

As rehearsals began and the possibility of continuing was tentatively floated, a variety of solutions were discussed that could lead to some form of return. Tony Wilson: 'Remember it wasn't clear at the time. I remember thinking. Do we find a replacement, is there another lead singer somewhere?'

Extract from Bernard Sumner – Confusion. Joy Division, Electronic and New Order versus the World by David Nolan. Published August 2007 by IMP Books.