New Order, the synth-pop phoenix which arose from ashes of Joy Division, possess in Blue Monday, amongst countless other dance hits, the most sold 12-inch single of all time.

The altrock giant that is Radiohead have produced a swathe of incredible albums, most notably OK Computer. This had lead them to become the most influential band of the last twenty years, putting them up there with the all-time greats.

Despite such massive acclaim, our sunburnt country has not been blessed with their presence since 2002 and 2004 respectively. At the time of writing, New Order was in the midst of their Future Music Festival sideshow tour, whilst Radiohead will play in November.

They say that absence only makes the heart grow stronger, and it seems that the bands’ managers know this all too well, forcing this writer to part with over two-hundred dollars to see the both of them. Whilst I always expected eternal happiness would come with a hefty price tag, I can’t help but feel that my devotion has been somewhat exploited.

Furthermore, securing tickets was one of the most stressful occurrences of my life. Secret presale tickets appeared out of nowhere to be sold in minutes before Ticketek jammed when the real deal went on offer. This left dejected thousands who failed to obtain tickets, and who must now place their destinies in the unforgiving hands of scalpers or else live out their lives in the knowledge that they could have seen Radiohead in Australia.

It is also uncertain that New Order and Radiohead will play able to perform at the standard that they achieved at their peak. Both bands have clearly aged significantly and in the case of New Order, now sport a reshuffled line-up, missing original bassist and co-founder Peter Hook. I fear therefore that this occurrence may be the modern day equivalent of The Beatles’ 1964 world tour. Back then, the lads from Liverpool busted out four half-hour sets across the nation, sending Australians into paroxysms of Beatlemania, without really providing an experience to match.