Brandon Flowers paid a touching tribute to late Joy Division legend Ian Curtis during the ‘Moving Through The Silence: Celebrating The Life and Legacy of Ian Curtis’ live-stream on Monday night (18.05.20).
The Killers frontman joined Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris, the late music icon’s bandmates, in honouring the legacy of the ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ hitmaker – who tragically took his own life in 1980 aged 23 – on the 40th anniversary of his death.
Brandon recalled how he became a fan of Joy Division after hearing New Order, the band Bernard, Stephen and former bassist Peter Hook formed after Ian’s death, on MTV, and he admitted they had a "profound impact" on him.
He shared: "My journey to Joy Division started at New Order.
"I distinctly remember being a young man and seeing ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ on MTV and knowing that this was something I could get behind.
"As I got older and more invested in music, I traced that New Order lineage back to Ian Curtis and Joy Division.
"This unparalleled, stark, beautiful, primitive, soulful music: it had a profound impact on me, just like it did many others."
The ‘Somebody Told Me’ rocker went on to talk about how proud he was to cover Joy Division’s 1979 hit ‘Shadowplay’ for the 2007 biopic ‘Control’, which was helmed by Anton Corbijn.
He said: "We were lucky enough to have [Corbijn] do the artwork for our second record, and he was just starting to get into the film ‘Control’.
"He wanted to show how far Joy Division had reached; four kids from the desert in Las Vegas, 5000 miles from Manchester.
"So he asked us to do ‘Shadowplay’, which was the last thing we did when recording ‘Sam’s Town’.
"So there’s a little bit of that DNA in the track, and it was a privilege and honour to be a part of it and work on the film.
"It’s also become a staple in our live shows, and it’s something I look forward to performing."
Maxine Peake and Ian’s friend Mark Reeder also gave interviews.
The event, which was hosted by Headstock and DJ/writer Dave Haslam, was live-streamed on United We Stream’s website and Facebook page.
It was billed as a "special evening of music, poetry and conversation to remember the life and legacy of Ian Curtis" and also helped mark the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Donations raised during the live-stream went to mental health charity Manchester Mind, Nordoff Robins and the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Charity.
Meanwhile, Peter – who fell out with his ex-bandmates some time ago – streamed a gig in which he played every Joy Division song with his band The Light in tribute to Ian.
The 64-year-old star – who co-founded the iconic rock group – broadcast his 2015 set from Christ Church in Ian’s hometown of Macclesfield.