Manchester icon Bernard Sumner has revealed where his new band Bad Lieutenant found their name.
Bernard Sumner began as the guitar player in Joy Division. After lead singer Ian Curtis’ death in 1980 the various members of the band took turns in singing, with each musician being reluctant to fill the frontman role.
However Bernard Sumner soon became the band’s principle songwriting force. His voice and distinctive guitar playing drove New Order to ever greater heights, even scoring a chart record with ‘Blue Monday’.
With New Order having split once again, Sumner recently unveiled his new group Bad Lieutenant. With their debut album due to be released soon, fans can get another chance to hear that distinctive voice again.
Speaking to MusicRadar, the singer revealed where the name ‘Bad Lieutenant’ came from.
“I was at Johnny Marr’s house when we were doing Electronic together,” Sumner told Musicradar. “I took a break and I went into this room where somebody was watching the movie ‘Bad Lieutenant’ – you know, the one where Harvey Keitel is this absolute lunatic cop?”
“My God, what a shocking film! It takes a lot to throw me, but Jesus, this movie was way out there. I couldn’t shake its effect. For days and weeks, it’s all I thought about. So the title just stuck. It was disturbing at first and now I just think it’s kind of cool.”
Due to tour later this year, Bernard Sumner hinted that fans could expect to hear songs from throughout his career. “Still I carry this legacy around with me,” he explained.
“Two iconic bands – that’s a heavy thing when you think about it. But, at the end of the day, I just want to play and have a good time. We’ll do old stuff, new stuff – everybody should be happy.”
