Rock
New Order’s Stephen Morris unsure of future with band as 'pretty serious' illness forces him off the road
Stephen Morris says a “pretty serious” illness has left him uncertain about returning to New Order, as the group prepares to tour South America without him and Gillian Gilbert.
New Order drummer Stephen Morris says he’s unsure whether he’ll ever return to the band as he deals with a “pretty serious” undisclosed illness.
Morris and keyboardist Gillian Gilbert revealed in June that they would step back from live work “for the foreseeable future” due to health issues.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Morris said travelling has become impossible, recalling a short trip to New York that “ended in disaster.”
Asked if he’ll rejoin New Order, he admitted: “I don’t know… it’s pretty serious. It’s not something that someone’s going to come up with a cure for.”
Despite the uncertainty, Morris said he can’t imagine giving up music entirely and could manage a local show. He still sees Bernard Sumner, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman, insisting they remain close.
New Order will tour South America this year without Morris and Gilbert. Their June statement confirmed Sumner, Cunningham and Chapman would perform the dates alone.
Former bassist Peter Hook previously claimed Sumner would effectively be touring solo under the New Order name, telling the Rock Daydream Nation podcast that Sumner had booked a Chile show as “the only member of New Order.”
Hook also said he won’t stand with his ex‑bandmates at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in November, citing long‑running tensions. He joked that Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher could be the ones to reunite them, imagining the Oasis brothers ordering the group to play Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart and Blue Monday.
