Peter Hook is a Mancunian legend, the backbone of Joy Division and New Order, and founder of the iconic Haçienda. Now, he’s touring the entirety of New Order’s ‘Get Ready’ along with greatest hits from his two unparalleled bands. Cameron Wright caught up with Hooky as he brings his mammoth show to Newcastle.
How’re you feeling about the tour?
It’s funny returning to Newcastle. We [Joy Division] played our first gig here, supporting Penetration in 1977. They invited us, we drove up, played, and drove home the same night. There was no money involved – it was just for the laugh. It wouldn’t happen like that these days.
How has it changed now?
Back then, the big carrot on a stick was getting a record contract. Once you had that, you were golden. Now, it’s a business – you’ve got to wear a thousand hats. I saw the Sex Pistols in 1976, bought a bass the next day, and was on stage by 1977. Now, you have to be a businessman, an influencer, a musician – everything. I’m lucky I’ve got nearly 50 years of music locked in at this point. The ones who survive are the ones who weather the storm. It’s not a safe career – but it’s exciting. It’s unique. I’ve always been drawn to unique.
That explains these massive shows you do…
Exactly. It keeps it unique. Me and the band are travelling minstrels, taking people back to something they’ve got memories of. It’s a genuine pleasure. I saw Neil Young at BST recently – and although I don’t go to many gigs now – it was exactly that: a time machine. I knew exactly where I was with those songs.
And why do you enjoy performing albums in their entirety?
I was talking to Bobby Gillespie, and he mentioned how ‘Screamadelica’ sounded completely different live. It becomes a different art form – songs can take on a new identity. I can’t pretend to be Joy Division, and I don’t pretend to be New Order. I think it’s disgusting that people still pretend to be New Order. Frankly, when we [New Order] toured, we played so few of the great tracks. People in the band would complain they were “too rocky”, and I’d just think, Oh, fuck off! Now, I do them all – one album at a time. I’m turning into the musical Ken Dodd. I’ll be playing bass until everyone’s left the venue.
I asked John Cooper Clarke once if there’s anything that connects Northern artists – he said they all moved to London…
He’s a true Mancunian legend. He gave us our first big gigs in London and Manchester, supporting him. He always says to me: “Hooky, I can’t believe we got away with it.” That might be true for his generation, but we stuck by the lads who made us and enjoyed Manchester at its best. It’s something I’m incredibly proud of. Our manager, Rob Gretton, hated the South so much he didn’t want us signing to a label called London Recordings. He even begged them to change the name.
Why did you stand by it so strongly?
We loved it. We used to revel in the north–south divide. At the Haçienda, we wanted to create a cosmopolitan home for the weirdos – like we were. Madonna’s debut UK show there was a debt we owed to New York, for stealing the idea of those big clubs.
I remember Liam Gallagher coming up to me after his first gig, supporting my band Revenge, and saying he was thinking of inviting his brother to join. I thought, Oh, piss off!
Did it feel big at the time?
Almost instantly. The scale of it caught up with us. We didn’t know what we were doing.
When you see the love for Oasis or The Stone Roses reforming – it all radiates back to the Haçienda. But then the problems crept in, and ultimately it destroyed New Order. Only me and Rob stuck with it – with pure Northern grit.
How do you feel when listening to or performing ‘Get Ready’?
‘Get Ready’ had a shadow over it. It was like a second honeymoon for the band – trying to fix a messy divorce. It didn’t work. There were tracks I absolutely hated at the time – but listening back, there’s great guitar, great bass, and they’re great songs. We’ve made it tour-ready, trimmed the fat and made it more efficient and snappy. Fuck me, it sounds fantastic now. It’s taken the shadow away. I have good memories of these songs now. When I think of playing them with The Light, I’m finally proud of them.
Peter Hook & The Light head to Boiler Shop in Newcastle on Saturday 15th November. Tickets, priced at £35.00 in advance, are available from boilershop.net.
