Andi Talbot caught up with Peter Hook (best known as the bassist and co-founder of Joy Division and New Order) ahead of what promises to be a busy year for the legendary musician.
Last year at The Apollo you performed both ‘Substance’ EPs in full. What was it like to perform some of those tracks once again? And how did it all come about?
My idea was to just celebrate the EPs. From a Joy Division perspective, most of the fans have only ever heard them on record. Playing them is very difficult though as there are songs in that EP that we’ve never played live. I didn’t have the luxury of saying: “Oh, that’s too hard, we won’t play that one” because we had to play them all. So I’ve learned quite a lot. With New Order, the setlist was always pretty similar and I feel like it’s a bit of a crime that we ignored so many great tracks.
Do you have any plans to do this for other records?
I’m up to (New Orders’ 2001 album) ‘Get Ready’, which we’re going to play in full at the start of next year, in Manchester, in February. And most of the songs from that have never been played live. I want to play every song New Order ever wrote and recorded before I shuffle off this mortal coil. It’s good though as it doesn’t feel like I’m just going through the motions.
You’re putting on a fundraiser for ‘Shout’ in Manchester at The Star and Garter on Friday 12th April. It’s now the permanent home of a mural by AKSE of Ian Curtis…
When Shout did the original mural, the following that it gained and the awareness it gave people, not only of Joy Division but also Ian, and Ian’s problems, which are problems anybody can have, was wonderful to see. Unfortunately, that was only an advertising site and the period it was booked for had run out and it was replaced. Shout then wanted to find a more permanent spot, which they have done with The Star and Garter. When they achieved that I said to them that the venue is such an important place for up-and-coming bands, so why don’t we do something to celebrate that Ian is back in Manchester and also help out the Star and Garter at the same time. We’ve raised about £25,000 or something – it’s fantastic.
Tell me a bit about what you have planned for that event…
It’s our first gig of the year so I’m looking forward to it. We’re doing a Q&A before the gig. We’ve roped in Ian’s best friend from school; he was the best man at his wedding and knows Ian very intimately. We’ve also got our first-ever roadie, who’s still my best mate, Carl Bellingham, and I think we’ve managed to get the original photographer who took the photo that inspired the mural, Phillipe Carly, from Belgium. So rather than listen to me going on about him like I have done for the past 40-odd years, it’ll be nice to hear other points of view. We’re also playing Joy Division’s first-ever setlist as well as another set of greatest hits. We’re playing two old punk songs, ‘Reaction’ and ‘Inside the Line’, that we’ve probably not played since then. If they go down well, we’ll maybe be playing them again the next day at Interzone Festival up in Newcastle.
As well as Interzone Festival, you’re back in the North East in July, supporting Human League at Herrington Park. You can’t keep away! You must have some great memories of playing up here?
It’s always a great place to play. It’s a beautiful part of the country, it really is, and we always enjoy it immensely. The second-ever gig we played was in Newcastle at The Guild Hall. The driver got pissed and couldn’t drive the van back, so we sat on the side of the motorway while he sobered up and we froze our bollocks off.
Tickets for Interzone Festival , priced at £39.50 in advance, are available from ticketmaster.
