Singer's home and site of suicide available online
Andrew Trendell

17:24 13th February 2015

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The home of late Joy Division legend Ian Curtis is for sale - and available to buy online. 

77 Barton Street in Macclesfield is where Curtis, wife Debbie and daughter Natalie lived in his later years. It is also the site of his suicide in 1980.

Now, it's for sale on Rightmove with an asking price of £115,000. 

Rightmove describe the two-bed house as a "character cottage, [offering] spacious accommodation with two reception rooms, a good size kitchen and a shared courtyard garden".

It was also used as the site of various location shots for Anton Corbijn's acclaimed 2007 biopic film, Control - and remains a landmark of pilgrimage for many Joy Division fans. 

- Watch Joy Division bassist Peter Hook explaining and performing 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' here


Credit: Rightmove

Last year, Ian Curtis' kitchen table sold on eBay for £8,400 - an action condemned by his former bandmates as it was in the room where Curtis committed suicide. 

"Joy Division original members Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris would like to lend their voice of support to [Ian's widow] Deborah and [Ian's daughter] Natalie Curtis, who have been caused great distress over media reporting of the sale of the table originally owned by the family, and currently being auctioned on eBay," they said in a statement.

"Deborah and Natalie would like to point out that the sale of this table has nothing whatsoever to do with them. The table was sold along with the house in 1980 and Natalie has never signed any authentication document. Furthermore, they consider the sale of a personal family item, and the subsequent media reporting, to be distasteful and upsetting."

  • 12. 'The Eternal': This is suggestive of the musical direction that Joy Division were expanding towards. This penultimate track on their second album and shows a mature edge. They introduce keys, and unusual samples to create an other-worldly, but majestic cut.

  • 11. 'A Means To An End': Proof that Peter Hooks cyclical riffs have a trance-like quality that absorbs the listener allowing a meander closer to Ian Curtis' intriguing lyrics.

  • 10.'Twenty Four Hours': This has a desolate feel and evokes a lot of the depression Curtis was experiencing in his life.The music that accompany his deep poetic introspective lyrics is equally moving. (Photo: Kevin Cummins)

  • 9. 'New Dawn Fades': The same descending bass riff is looped throughout the track. Curtis' vocals rise and have a wide atmosphere . He really throws himself into this track. The guitar solo at the end has a majestic Led Zeppelin-esque power.

  • 8. 'Transmission': NME places this as No.20 of greatest indie anthems of all time and it shows the band at their most anthemic and danceable. We can't help but agree.

  • 7. 'Disorder': Taken from the 1979 debut album Unknown Pleasures that was released via Factory Records. This is quintessential listening for anyone into the post punk pioneers.

  • 6. 'Digital': This shows Joy Division at their punkiest. It's Buzzcocks-esque fun with angular riffs that are hard not to imagine a room full of punks losing themselves to and throwing each other around the room.

  • 5. 'Shadowplay': A catchy repetitive bass riff, and occasional flashy solos on the lead guitar interact to create a poignant sound that feels very informed by the post-industrial financial decay of Northern England in the time of Thatcher.

  • 4. 'Isolation': This is a highlight from their second album, Closer. The LP wasn't released until after Curtis passed away. However, it showed the band not succumbing to that difficult second album narrative that so many bands today appear to suffer and ensured they'll be remembered as one of the greatest bands of all time.

  • 3. 'Candidate': A dark and experimental track that evokes Curtis' influence Jim Morrison at his angriest and bluesiest. It's got a slow tempo and has an intensely emotional bleak, Gothic, and psychedelic sound.

  • 2. 'She's Lost Control': Bassist Peter Hook's tendency to play high melodies on the bass informs a lot of Joy Division's sound and he's at his catchiest here. In combination with Curtis' simple lyrics (which document a girl having an epileptic seizure - a condition Curtis himself famously struggled with) it creates a powerful and ominous mood.

  • 1. 'Love Will Tear Us Apart': This is their most well-known and influential song, ranking among Echo And The Bunnymen's 'Killing Moon' as one of the greatest alternative pop songs ever. It's sheer miserably majesty is unparalleled - setting the template for the dizzying heights that alternative pop was capable of reaching. A true masterpiece.

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Photo: Press