Some facts about the post-punk band Joy Division

Joy Division was an English band formed in 1976 by Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook after the two attended a Sex Pistols gig. The band soon moved beyond their punk roots to develop a sound and style that made them one of the pioneers of the late-1970s post-punk movement.

Let's see some facts about them:

1. One of the band’s most iconic songs ‘She’s Lost Control’ was written by Ian Curtis for a girl with epilepsy. In fact, when Curtis was working as an administrator in the Job Centre, the girl used to come in to claim her benefits. Her seizures were so often, that she had to wear a helmet. ‘One day she just didn’t come in anymore,’ says Bernard Sumner. ‘[Ian] assumed that she’d found a job, but found out later that she’d had a fit and died.’

2. While performing for Joy Division, Ian Curtis became known for his quiet and awkward demeanour, as well as a unique dancing style reminiscent of the epileptic seizures he experienced, sometimes even on stage.

3. The cover of their album ‘Unknown Pleasures’ was found by one of the band members in the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Science. Allegedly Bernard Sumner (or Stephen Morris) stumbled upon this image, which represents a Fourier analysis of the radio waves emitted by the Pulsar CP 1919. Pulsar is the remnant of a dying sun when it collapses in on itself. The final  design of the cover was made by designer Peter Saville.

4. Right before Joy Division’s US tour, Curtis hanged himself. He was found by his wife Deborah in their kitchen. Deborah reported that the previous night they had argued and she left. Later Curtis got drunk and committed suicide. When Deborah found his body, ‘Stroszek’ by Werner Herzog was playing on the TV and ‘The Idiot’ by Iggy Pop on the radio. Although his band mates saw his suicide as an impulsive act, his wife later admitted that Curtis had confessed to her that he had no desire to pass his twenties. Ian Curtis died on 18th May 1980 at the age of 23. 

5. This band became an influence for a number of bands such as The Cure, Radiohead and Editors. Specifically, the album ‘Unknown Pleasures’ inspired the (back then) newly-formed band U2 and their lead singer Bono. In fact, after the death of Ian Curtis, Bono allegedly told Tony Wilson: ‘not to worry because he would take over from where Ian left off.’

Sources:
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-joy-division/
https://www.uselessdaily.com/world/joy-division-trivia-30-facts-you-didnt-know-about-them/#.WgpiRsanGUl
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Division

Written by: 
Ana Júlia e Bruno Caetano - 2º ano de Química.