PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT – CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 7.4.22
Peter Hook & The Light were opening up their 19-date UK and Ireland tour this evening here in Brighton at the Concorde 2 courtesy of local promoters Family Ents. The Brighton & Hove News Music Team have witnessed ‘Hooky’ playing live at the very same venue on more than one occasion and they have both been contenders for ‘Gigs Of The Year’. Would tonight’s performance be just as scintillating?
World-famous bassist Peter Hook was born in Salford in 1956 as Peter Woodhead and had his surname changed to Hook at the age of 3 due to his mother remarrying following a divorce. Adopting the surname of his stepfather, he would become to be known by friends and eventually fans as Hooky.
The 66 year old was a founding member of the ground-breaking and timeless band Joy Division with vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist Bernard Albrecht and drummer Stephen Morris. The band were originally called Warsaw and were formed after watching Sex Pistols play at Lesser Trade Free Hall with childhood friend Bernard Sumner. Thrilled by the power and energy of the show, he borrowed £35 from his mother the very next day and bought a bass. They took the name from the David Bowie song ‘Warszawa’ found on his 1977 ‘Low’ album. Joy Division wrote and recorded 43 songs and played over 120 shows in just 29 months between 1978 and 1980.
Hooky’s unique style of playing the bass developed whilst learning to play through writing their early material. Allowing the instrument to hang low by the straps, He found that he was forced to play higher notes in order to hear himself over Sumner’s guitar resulting in what is now his signature sound.
With the sad passing of Ian Curtis in May 1980, the band continued on under the New Order banner, initially as a trio, but after a short while they drafted in Stephen Morris’s girlfriend Gillian Gilbert on keyboards. Her first concert with the band was in Manchester on 25th October 1980.
From the Joy Division days, there were two unrecorded songs that Ian Curtis had left them, namely ‘In A Lonely Place’ and ‘Ceremony’. These were recorded and became New Order’s first output. Hooky was a member of New Order over a 27 year period and in 2007 he parted company with them, having arguably produced the best music of the 1980’s with timeless anthems ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Confusion’, ‘Everything’s Gone Green’ and ‘Temptation’.
Peter Hook & The Light have been performing Joy Division and New Order material since their inception in May 2010 and the band make the tracks sound as close to the recorded material as possible. This evening we were given no less than 31 tunes split across a trio of sets.
Bang on 8pm and the intro music started and on strolled the quintet to great applause. Immediately I noted that Hooky has lost a few pounds since I last saw him, so lockdown has been kind to him. He took his seat centre stage and we were off with the quietest number of the night ‘Elegia’ from New Order’s 1985 ‘Low-life’ album. This was the only time that he was seated during the night. This first set lasted 37 minutes and they played seven early New Order compositions.
His companions this evening were new boy Paul Duffy on bass (including six string version) who was filling in for Hooky’s son, Jack Bates, who has impressively gone off on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins; Paul Kehoe has been on drums (and drumpads) since the beginning in 2010; Martin Rebelski has been in control of the Novation keys and laptop since 2017; and David Potts has been on guitar duty and backing vocals since 2013.
The vocals this evening were crisp clear all night. The highlight from this first outing was ‘Age Of Consent’ from New Order’s 1983 ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ album. For the final number of this first set, ‘Your Silent Face’, Hooky had his first go on his melodica.
After a mere nine minute break, they came back on stage at 8:46pm to the sounds of Kraftwerk’s ‘Trans Europe Express’. This second set was to be a performance of the whole of Joy Division’s debut album, ‘Unknown Pleasures’ from 1979. The lads faithfully followed the compositions in the correct order found on the iconic vinyl. The mosh pit next to me began getting a little lively for the best two tunes of the set, namely ‘She’s Lost Control’ and ‘Shadowplay’. After 43 minutes, at 9:29pm they were done. Whilst watching Hooky, I had noted that he plucks his bass so low down that he’s often over the bridge saddles.
A mere 8 minutes later and the quintet were back with us at 9:37pm for a 45 minute performance of the second Joy Division album, ‘Closer’ from 1980, which too was played in track order. I noted that drummer Paul had switched drumsticks for the opener ‘Atrocity Exhibition’ and as a result it had that distinctive deeper sound. ‘Isolation’ followed and the band absolutely nailed it, especially with the Novation keyboard.
Track followed track with no idle banter in between. The tunes were speaking for themselves. I must certainly also flag up the main set closing number ‘Decades’, which was wonderful. My eldest son, who was accompanying me this evening, particularly enjoyed this number.
At 10:22pm they strolled off stage and the crowd begged for more for three minutes. Hooky gave a shout out to recently departed Mark Lanegan who should have been on the tour but he sadly died on 22nd February this year. Thus ‘Atmosphere’ was dedicated and what a fine version it was too. Next up was the second of four encore songs, in the form of the 1979 single ‘Transmission’. “Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio” we all sang together, whilst the most pit got the liveliest it was to be all night. This was followed by ‘Ceremony’ which they absolutely nailed! Arguably the best tune of the evening for me.
There was only ever going to be one way to close proceedings this evening and that was with the timeless ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’. At 10:44pm they concluded before Hooky’s heart gave out as he joked. He took off his t-shirt and revealed his upper torso and threw the garment up high, but sadly it didn’t come down as it was stuck in the rigging. I wonder how long that will remain there?
Yes indeed it WAS another scintillating performance! Will it be up there as one of the gigs of the year? Well only time will tell…….
Peter Hook & The Light this evening are:
Peter Hook – lead vocals, guitars, melodica, bass guitar, electronic drums (2010–present)
Paul Kehoe – drums, keyboards, synthesizers, programming (2010–present)
David Potts – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers (2013–present)
Martin Rebelski – keyboards, synthesizers, programming (2017–present)
Paul Duffy – bass guitars (2022)
Setlist One – New Order
‘Elegia’ (found on New Order’s 1985 ‘Low-life’ album)
‘Procession’ (found on New Order’s 1981 ‘Procession’/‘Everything’s Gone Green’ single)
‘Dreams Never End’ (found on New Order’s 1981 ‘Movement’ album)
‘ICB’ (found on New Order’s 1981 ‘Movement’ album)
‘Leave Me Alone’ (found on New Order’s 1983 ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ album)
‘Age Of Consent’ (found on New Order’s 1983 ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ album)
‘Your Silent Face’ (found on New Order’s 1983 ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ album)
Setlist Two – Joy Division ‘Unknown Pleasures’
‘Disorder’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘Day Of The Lords’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘Candidate’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘Insight’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘New Dawn Fades’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘Inside’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘She’s Lost Control’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘Shadowplay’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘Wilderness’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘Interzone’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
‘I Remember Nothing’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album)
Setlist Three – Joy Division ‘Closer’
‘Atrocity Exhibition’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘Isolation’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘Passover’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘Colony’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘A Means To An End’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘Heart And Soul’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘Twenty Four Hours’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘The Eternal’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
‘Decades’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Closer’ album)
(encore)
‘Atmosphere’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Licht Und Blindheit’ single)
‘Transmission’ (found on Joy Division’s 1979 ‘Transmission’ single)
‘Ceremony’ (from Joy Division’s 1981 ‘Still’ album)
‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ (found on Joy Division’s 1980 ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ single)
More on Peter Hook & The Light HERE
