Joy Division concert

11th January 1980: Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands




Parool newspaper clipping courtesy Frank Vink

Thanks to Stephan Deijs for the poster image
This would have been displayed outside - see below


The Paradiso photographed in 2002
(C) Copyright
Joy Division - The Eternal web site (Michel Enkiri) and reproduced here with permission 

1st set

01. Passover*
02. Wilderness
03. Digital
04. Day Of The Lords
05. Insight
06. New Dawn Fades
07. Disorder
08. Transmission

2nd set

09. Love Will Tear Us Apart
10. These Days
11. A Means To An End
12. Twenty Four Hours
13. Shadowplay **
14. She's Lost Control
15. Atrocity Exhibition
16. Atmosphere
17. Interzone
Appx. duration: 65 mins. Sound quality: 9/9

This is an excellent soundboard recording and the most bootlegged Joy Division concert ever! Not all the bootlegs featuring this recording have been mastered from a low generation master so sound quality varies.

* "Passover" is incomplete on all known recordings of this concert
** "Shadowplay" has a brief internal glitch


The local support didn't want to play so Joy Division stood in for them. They played two completely different sets for the price of one.


Here's how it was described in a fanzine at the time:

"When I arrived at the Paradiso, it appeared that most of the regular visitors had decided to stay at home. So the JOY DIVISION played for a handful of people only, two long sets, together around 70 minutes of excellent music.

At that time only 1 album and 2 singles had been released, so they played a lot of new songs that went down well with the small audience.

The gig was (along with the PIL-gig in Bruxelles) the best I have ever seen. Phantastic bass playing by PETER HOOK and a spastic, strainied IAN CURTIS. For the occasion the Paradiso management had lowered the ceiling to make things more intimate. It was a good idea. Shame to all the people who stayed at home". SJC



Parts of this concert have been broadcast on the following radio stations:


Dutch VPRO FM Radio - Broadcast date: 1985
Songs broadcast:
01: Digital (the first note is missing on this recording)
02: Day Of The Lords
03: Disorder
04: Transmission
05: Love Will Tear Us Apart
06: Atmosphere
07: Wilderness
08: Day Of The Lords (again!).
Appx. durations: 30 mins. Sound quality: 9/9
Some songs are faded and some sound effects have been added.

Dutch VARA FM Radio - Broadcast date: 06 Aug 1985
01. DJ intro
02. Digital
03. Day Of The Lords
04. Disorder
05. Transmission
06. Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Appx. duration: 18 mins. Sound quality: 9/9

Dutch VARA FM Radio - Broadcast date: 28 Nov 1989
01. Atmosphere
Appx. duration: 5 mins. Sound quality: 9/9

You can find all 17 songs from the concert on this official release:

ReFractured Box Set


Some songs from the concert appear on these official releases:

Les Bains Douches

Fractured Box Set


All 17 songs from the concert appeared on on the following bootlegs:

A Means To An End CD

Form And Substance-The Dark Side CD

Live In Amsterdam 1980 CD

Amsterdam CD

New Dawn Fades 2LP

Joy Division Amsterdam 1980 2LP

1980 4 X CD box set


Most or some of this concert appeared on the following bootlegs:

Amsterdam LP/CD

FM Stereo Broadcast 11/1/80 picture disc LP

Last Order LP

Stroszek's Last Stand LP

An Evening With... LP/CD

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams LP

Inside The Line LP

Solitary Demands 7"EP

Electric Funeral double LP

Gruftgesaenge 2LP/CD

Ian Curtis 15 July 1956-18 July 1980 2CD

Testament 2LP/boxed CD

Various Artists Live - Alternative Vol.2 CD

Soul of Heart CD

Desperation Takes Hold CD

Remains CD

Closer To The Unknown CD

Amsterdam 1980 LP

The Dutch Recordings CD

Paradiso LP

Live At The Paradiso Club Amsterdam, January 11, 1980

Live in Holland LP

House Of Dolls

Let The Movie Begin

Love Fear Isolation

Closer To The Unknown Treasures

Closer To The Unknown Treasures Vol 2

A Retrospective Part II

Unknown Pleasures Live

Closer Live


Transmission appeared on

Happy Porpak's Live Punk Sampler, Vol. 1 LP

Love Will tear Us Apart appeared on

Various Artists Live - The Alternative Vol 3

Passover appeared on

Live Sampler

Interzone appeared on

Love Will tear Us apart pirate 12"

New Dawn Fades and Wilderness appeared on

Alternate Unknown Pleasures LP