Since his estrangement from New Order in 2007, Peter Hook has worked on numerous other projects, not least touring regularly with the songs of his former band and their predecessors Joy Division, the iconic Manchester outfit he was also a key part of. The 68-year-old is currently on the road with Substance, the title of single collections of both his former bands, with November appearances in Dublin, Galway and Belfast. Fans will have a chance to hear songs that haven't been performed live by any of the original members in over 30 years.
'Hooky', as he's best known, was one of the most iconic figures on the Manchester music scene. While hunched over a low slung bass he played the instrument like a lead guitar, letting distinctive high notes define the likes of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ (Joy Division) and ‘Blue Monday’ (New Order), two of the most loved songs of their respective eras. With current group The Light, Hook has moved over to lead vocals and now shares bass duties with his son Jack Bates.
The band was originally formed to mark the work he'd done with Joy Division and "celebrate" the life of the band's charismatic frontman Ian Curtis, who died by suicide in 1980. "I missed it dreadfully," explains Hook of his return to those early tunes. "In New Order, Steve [Morris] and I would pay Joy Division songs in soundcheck.
Barney's [Bernard Sumner] big claim to fame was that he never looked back, but we never celebrated Ian's life and I was proud of what we achieved.