Ben Gibbard Covers New Order's "Ceremony"

He also confessed on his livestream he may have caught the big "C"

BY Allie GregoryPublished Mar 19, 2020

Following a number of COVID-19-related tour cancellations and social distancing recommendations, Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard began live streaming concerts every night from his home this past Tuesday (March 17), playing acoustic and piano versions of tunes from DCFC and Postal Service's discographies.

After nailing a cover of Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" on Tuesday, Gibbard decided to take the cover selection up a notch by delivering an acoustic rendition of Joy Division/New Order's "Ceremony" last night.

According to Gibbard, he was out for a run while deciding whether or not to record the cover, when a friend of his contacted him to request the very same song.

"I was listening to New Order — they're one of my favourite bands ever," Gibbard says in the video. "You don't forget that you love a song but it's just been a while since you realized how fucking great it is. That kind of happened today with me for this particular tune."

In the set, Gibbard confirmed that he plans to host the concerts every day for at least the next two weeks and then "assess where we are after that," adding, "we're all looking for a distraction from the news and the craziness all around us."

Additionally, in response to fans asking about his chronic cough, Gibbard confessed in late February that he began experiencing a dry cough and "rolling fevers" for several days while on tour, using buckets of ice to cool his body temperature.

"I can't say with any certainty what it was, if it was just the flu or if it was the big 'C' — but who can know for sure," he says.

Gibbard ended his set with another request — a pared-down acoustic version of Postal Service's Give Up track, "Such Great Heights."

Watch the video below and skip ahead to the 40-minute mark to see Gibbard's cover of "Ceremony" and continue watching to hear "Such Great Heights."

Tour Dates

Latest Coverage