Peter Hook on classic Joy Division, New Order tracks

Tuesday 30th September 2014 by Andrew Trendell and Ed Keeble

Tags: Peter Hook

Fractured the history of Joy Division and New Order may be, but one thing is certain: their remarkable records have lost none of their power. That's why we sat down with bassist Peter Hook, ahead of his gig with new band The Light, to get some unique insights into the tracks that defined him. 

Watch Peter Hook playing and performing classic Joy Division and New Order tracks in the video above

"I've never stopped writing, I write all the time, it's just that I don't write as The Light," Hooky told us, before he and his current outfit dazzled on the Shepherds Bush Empire Stage. "I view The Light as a project that hopefully plays all of my back catalogue that I've ever written and recorded, before I go up to join Ian."

"I'm going to do Technique, Republic and Substance, for as long as I can get away with it really, because it's so enjoyable to do it. It's something that I could never do with Barney and Steve. They just wouldn't play the old stuff and I didn't understand it. It was very frustrating, they just wanted to play the same tracks over and over again and I'm amazed that they're still playing the same set that we were playing in 2006, same set that we were playing in 2000, it's a bit bizarre. So it's nice to get this stuff out as this is the music that got you your fans."

With just his bass and the stage at London's Shepherds Bush Emmpire, we delve into the 'frightening' bittersweet beauty of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', his 'favourite' Joy Division song '24 Hours' and the 'edge'-driven New Order gem 'As It Is When It Was' as we ask Hooky to give his Key Tracks. 

Watch Peter Hook playing and performing classic Joy Division and New Order tracks in the video above

Peter Hook and The Light's full upcoming UK and world tour dates are below:

OCTOBER
Saturday 4th K17, Berlin*
Sunday 5th Musikzentrum, Hannover*
Tuesday 7th La Machine du Moulin Rouge, Paris*
Wednesday 8th Big Band Cafe, Caen*
Thursday 9th La BAM, Metz *
Saturday 25th Teatro Italia, Santiago*
Tuesday 28th La Trastienda, Montevideo*
Wednesday 29th Niceto Club, Buenos Aires*
Friday 31st Clash Club, Sao Paulo*

NOVEMBER
Sunday 2nd Jose Cuervo Salon, Mexico City**
Tuesday 4th The Mohawk, Austin *
Thursday 6th The Trocadero, Philadelphia*
Friday 7th Irving Plaza, New York *
Saturday 8th Royale, Boston *
Monday 10th Club Soda, Montreal*
Tuesday 11th Danforth Music Hall, Toronto*
Thursday 13th The Magic Bag, Ferndale *
Friday 14th Metro, Chicago *
Saturday 15th Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis*
Monday 17th Venue, Vancouver *
Tuesday 18th Neumos, Seattle*
Thursday 20th Wonder Ballroom, Portland*
Friday 21st Mezzanine, San Francisco *
Saturday 22nd The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles*
Monday 24th The Glasshouse, Pomona, California #
Tuesday 25th The Roxy, Los Angeles**
Wednesday 26th House Of Blues, San Diego*
Friday 28th The Republik, Honolulu*

DECEMBER - UK
Monday 8th The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge **
Tuesday 9th The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge # 
Wednesday 10th The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge *

* Performing Low-Life and Brotherhood
** Performing Unknown Pleasures and Closer
# Performing Movement and Power Corruption and Lies
 

Below: Joy Division's 12 best tracks, ranked in order of greatness