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Bernard Sumner has revealed that he took Joy Division bandmate Ian Curtis for a walk in a cemetery prior to his death, to try to "bring it home to him the reality of death."
Curtis, who suffered with epilepsy and depression , committed suicide in 1980 aged 23 after several prior attempts.
Speaking to Uncut magazine, Sumner said: "I spent two weeks with him before he died. I remember talking about the first time he attempted suicide. We got the bus back [home] and purposefully walked through the cemetery to try and bring it home to him the reality of death."
He added: "I got this idea that it had become a fantasy in his head about dying. His lyrics came from fantasy, and he would often talk about things in unrealistic ways. I thought it might bring the reality of being dead to life. 'This could have been you'."
Following Curtis' death, Sumner and his Joy Division bandmates formed New Order. The band, with a few hiatuses and with the controversial exception of Peter Hook, are still touring today.
Below: the 12 best Joy Division tracks ranked
