New Order's Ideal Ultra Music Festival 2012 Set List

By Mickie Centrone Mon., Dec. 19 2011 at 2:50 PM

Categories: Concert Preview

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For some, paying $300 to see New Order perform at Miami's Ultra Music Festival 2012 in March isn't a big deal. Even if it means forgoing some important repair work on a vehicle, or eating cat food for several weeks, or using electrical tape as eyeshadow -- experiencing this legendary group is sustinance akin to breathing.

Why? Well... they are one of the best New Wave bands alive. You want proof? No sweat.

Ideally, New Order will play at least 30 songs over the course of their confirmed show (thanks, Crossfade!), but if they only play five songs, here's the ones we just must hear and some air-tight rationale.

Song #5: They were Joy Division.

"Ceremony" from 1981's In a Lonely Place

It was one of the last Joy Division songs created. It became New Order's first single -- and a triumph. It bestows upon us the best of both -- the controlled despair reaping from lyrics mostly written by Ian Curtis, and, if you can keep the emotional power of the song and make it more punchy for the dance floor. Please. Do. It. You know who couldn't do this? The Killers with "Shadowplay."

Song 4#: They'll actually fit in at Ultra, being part electronic.

"Touched By The Hand of God" from 1987's Salvation! (soundtrack)

Cheesy to the point of cringing and wonderful.

Song #3: Drummer Stephen Morris and Keyboardist Gillian Lesley Gilbert

(Come on, Peter Hook. Be there. Please)

"Temptation" from 1982's Hurt

Not the synth-y version (which is on the 7"), this is the primal version.

Song #2: Frontman Bernard Sumner -- who through song let's hearts hug his.

"Leave Me Alone" from 1983's Power, Corruption & Lies
Bernard Sumner just sounds so melancholy here.

Song 1#: The frogs.

"The Perfect Kiss" from 1985's Low-Life
The beauty of this one is it's hard to realize you're dancing to a song that talks about a friend committing suicide. The beat is that good. With the morbid lines ending early (The last lyric is "My friend, he took his final breath/Now I know the perfect kiss is the kiss of death."), the song just explodes, the synthesizers get heavy and dark, and then comes in an orchestra of frogs. Enchanting croaking? New Order can pull that off.

Ultra Music Festival 2012. Friday, March 23, to Sunday, March 25, 2012. Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. General admission tickets cost $299.95 plus fees or $599.95 plus fees for VIP. Visit ultramusicfestival.com.

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