Joy Division focus of University of Limerick conference

Manchester post-punk band Joy Division are the subject of a two-day international symposium taking place at the University of Limerick.

Delegates have travelled from the UK, China, the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Spain and Portugal to dissect and debate the band’s contribution to indie music.

The symposium was opened on Wednesday by Noel Hogan of The Cranberries who recalled how Joy Division influenced his band’s early recording efforts.

The meeting heard papers on Joy Division's influences, their songwriting practices, the band's legacy as well as their transition to New Order following the death of frontman Ian Curtis's death.

One of the co-organisers Dr Martin Power said the band’s first album Unknown Pleasures was considered one of the most stunning debut’s ever released.

He said the record Closer showcased Martin Hannett’s “incandescent production” and a band that had “grown much in confidence” ahead of their second album.

“Both albums have come to yield many landmark tracks, including She’s Lost Control and Transmission,” he said.

Following on from previous events at UL on The Smiths, Morrissey and David Bowie, the Popular Music and Popular Culture Research Cluster are examining the legacy of the Manchester band, whose work was cut short with the untimely death of lead singer Curtis in 1980.