Culture 3 min read By Mason Emerson
Stephen Morris unsure about New Order return amid serious illness
New Order drummer Stephen Morris says he doesn't know if he will perform with the band again, describing his health condition as "pretty serious" and not something a cure will fix.
Stephen Morris has cast doubt on his future with New Order, saying he does not know if he will ever return to the band as he deals with what he calls a "pretty serious" illness. The drummer, a founding member of Joy Division and later New Order, said his condition currently prevents him from traveling abroad and that he does not expect things to improve.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Morris was asked whether he would attend the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony later this year, where New Order and Joy Division will be inducted together. He explained that his health makes such a trip difficult. "I've got a bit of a health problem at the minute, which precludes leaving the country for any length of time," he said. Morris recalled a recent two-day trip to New York for an Ian Curtis lyrics exhibition that ended in "disaster," adding: "So maybe not, maybe, but I can't really say things will get better, because they won't."
The musician declined to specify his diagnosis but was frank about its severity. "I don't know. I really don't want to dwell on what this illness is, but it's pretty serious. It's not something that someone's going to come up with a cure for," he said. Despite the uncertainty, Morris insisted music remains essential to him. "I can't really not do music. That'd be a bit like losing a leg or something far worse," he said, adding that he still sees bandmates Bernard Sumner, Phil Cunningham, and Tom Chapman socially. "We're all mates, it's fine. I'm sure something will … I mean, if it was a gig down the road, I'm sure we'd be all right."
The news follows an announcement in June that Morris and Gillian Gilbert would not tour with New Order in the "foreseeable future" due to "personal health reasons." The pair had been central to the band's live lineup alongside Sumner since New Order reunited in 2011 without founding bassist Peter Hook. New Order is still scheduled to play shows in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia later this year.
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction will honor Curtis, Gilbert, Hook, Morris, and Sumner, but Hook has already said he will not stand with his former bandmates at the ceremony. "No. No. Not after what they did to me and my family, no," he told Rolling Stone in April, referencing the long-running legal dispute over band assets and the New Order name that was settled in 2017. Hook has since joked that Oasis could broker peace between the estranged musicians.
Earlier this year, New Order released "The Best & The Rest Of New Order," a remastered collection of classic singles and rare remixes. Joy Division also announced "Eternal," a box set of live recordings spanning 14 CDs and two DVDs, due out on September 30, which gathers material from the band's brief but hugely influential career.
