Interview: Wally van Middendorp of Minny Pops

I had the great pleasure of chatting today with Wally van Middendorp of Minny Pops – the group which supported Joy Division's Derby Hall gig on 8 April 1980. Yes, that gig.

Some interviews just flow and click, and this was one of those – where you wish you were both in a pub chatting over a cold beer. Wally is extremely considered, affable, and generous with his time.

Wally formed Minny Pops, a Dutch post-punk/electronic band, in Amsterdam in 1978. Wally is the group's vocalist, songwriter, and driving creative force. He also founded the indie label Plurex. Minny Pops was a key act in Amsterdam's art-punk scene of the late '70s and early '80s.

Wally van Middendorp of Minny Pops, photo courtesy of Wally van Middendorp and Minny Pops

Minny Pops opened for Joy Division in the Netherlands in January 1980 and caught the attention of Joy Division's manager Rob Gretton, which led to a deal with Factory Records. Their 1981 single Dolphin's Spurt/Goddess was produced by Martin Hannett at Strawberry Studios. They were the first Dutch band to record a John Peel session for the BBC.

The band split in 1985 but reformed in 2012 for a series of shows tied to the archival release of their 1981 live album, Standstill to Motion.

Peter Labrow chatting to Wally van Middendorp of Minny Pops

We covered a lot of ground – Minny Pops playing with Joy Division in the Netherlands, of course the Derby Hall gig – which was their first in the UK, what Joy Division were like to hang out with, the continued interest in their music, and their performance style at the time. They viewed a performance as art and liked to challenge preconceptions. Since the usual thing was to move around a lot in time with the music, they would stand almost completely still while performing – and remain motionless in between songs.

Wally also talked about the gigs following the Derby Hall gig, which I think are often overlooked. He was able to add his perspective on the violence on 8 April 1980 and the general feel of the gig itself.

One of the interesting things about these interviews is going back and listening to the music afresh – and I've really engaged with a lot of the Minny Pops stuff, and even today I find the soundscape interesting, fresh, and unique.

The most relevant parts of the interview will make it into the book, and the whole interview will be released online or as a podcast episode when the book is published.