New Order is touring North America for the first time in seven years. The band is doing a string of seven dates culminating with a show at Toronto’s Sony Center this Tuesday (October 23rd.)
Sadly, they’re touring without founding member and bassist Peter Hook, although it seems as though some of that could be attributed to his own doing.
Vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, in recent interview with Billboard, said: ” Peter Hook was not happy within the band’s framework — and he was particularly unhappy with me for some reason. He just seemed quite negative about everyone, including the management. When we came back from South America, he went on a radio station and announced that New Order had split up, without discussing it with the band… which was a bit of a surprise to us really. You’d think after 30 years, he would have been able to discuss it with us. And also, he had no right to say that the band had split up.”
Sumner, Hook and drummer Stephen Morris are of course founding members of the legendary Joy Division, which dissolved after the death of vocalist Ian Curtis. The three, along with keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, formed New Order.
Hook didn’t endear himself either with his former bandmates when he toured with his new group The Light in 2010 to perform Joy Division’s albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer. When asked how he felt about Hook playing the material Sumner responded: “I think it sucks, to be honest. We found out that he was touring (Joy Division’s) “Unknown Pleasures” through the press. He didn’t tell us, which we thought was pretty low. It just seems like a real commercial thing to do. He seems to be doing it for the money. To me, Joy Division and New Order were never about that.”
Sumner has said he’d like to make another album with the current incarnation of New Order next year. Peter Hook has just released an autobiography, Unknown Pleasures – Inside Joy Division. He also plans to tour again, this time performing New Order’s Movement and Power Corruption and Lies.
Bad feelings and drama aside, Hook’s contributions to New Order and Joy Division can’t be overstated. Put simply he’s an icon and a true innovator. Using his bass more like a guitar to carry the melodies of some New Order’s and Joy Division’s most loved tracks. We’ve put together a montage of some of his signature bass lines from over the last twenty five years to showcase his one of a kind style. Listen and see how many you can guess.
Track Listing Below
“Ceremony”
- Joy Division “Transmission”
- Joy Division “Disorder”
