Tag Archives: Joy Division
Update on Peter Hook Presents ‘Unknown Pleasures”
Recently I voiced my displeasure at Peter Hook concert I attended, apparently I am not the only one as in a recent article “Peter Hook Denies Being a ‘Robbing Bastard’ Over Joy Division Tour” by Spinner he voiced is rebuttal, here is the exact transcript of the article plus a video of Peter Hook performing the song “Transmission” so you can judge for yourself. Also for the record I asked for my money back, didn’t get it.
http://www.spinner.com/2010/12/10/peter-hook-joy-division-unknown-pleasures/
Three decades after his suicide, Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis remains one of rock’s most emulated vocalists. Interpol’s Paul Banks, National frontman Matt Berninger and bedroom-punk auteur Mark Sniper, aka Blank Dogs, are among his many descendents, and while some have nailed the sound — a plaintive baritone that requires little range or technical skill — few, if any, match the gravity Curtis brought to his music.
No one understands this better than Peter Hook, Joy Division’s founding bassist. Hook has spent much of this year staging top-down performances of the group’s 1979 debut, ‘Unknown Pleasures,’ and while his first thought was to enlist guest vocalists — folks more capable than himself — he ultimately changed his mind. Now, Hook is front and center, singing songs too dear to delegate.
“I felt I couldn’t really hand it over to another singer,” Hook tells Spinner. “It didn’t feel right, and I must admit I’ve been really flattered by the response, because people are saying the spirit and the passion comes across and I don’t think you can ask for anything more.”
Hook has dabbled in singing over the years, but he’s best known for his bass playing. In both Joy Division and its more pop-oriented offshoot, New Order, he pioneered a simple, highly melodic style, approaching his instrument as one might a lead guitar. Hook’s influence can be heard in many of today’s indie bands, including the Drums, Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing, and while he rates himself a passable singer, he admits he’s no Curtis.
“It’s certainly not a vocation,” Hook says. “My vocation is bass player, but I can sing, and the people that matter to me are the people that tell me it’s OK. As long as my wife tells me it’s OK, then I’m quite happy to get on with it. I know how to sing, and I can pull it off. It took me a long time to get to the point I can enjoy it. There were a lot of nerves on my part. I felt I was picking up one of the world’s most important records, so I was very wary of it. But I’m getting to the point where I’m enjoying it. We just did a wonderful tour of Australia and New Zealand — it went down an absolute storm. I wish I’d done it 30 years sooner, but in my life now it felt like the right time to do it. It has to feel like the right time.”
As one might expect, the ‘Unknown Pleasures’ shows have proved emotional — partially because they remind Hook of Curtis, and partially because Hook’s son Jack, a bass player in his own right, is part of the band.
“He’s 20,” Hook says. “He’s the exact same age I was [in Joy Division]. It freaks me out.”
“Because I’m singing, because I don’t trust anyone else to do it justice, there’s a lot of feeling and passion involved in what we’re doing, and the band is great,” he adds, defending the project against those who would accuse him of profiting on Curtis’ memory. “They’re great friends of mine. If anyone comes to the show and wants their money back because I’m a robbing bastard, they can have their money back.”
Also big shoutout to Spinner, I am a fan.
Thoughts on Peter Hook Presents ‘Unknown Pleasures’
I am not going to write a full fledge review of the show because honestly I left after the second-third song, but I am going to make a few comments on it. The first is Peter Hook is no Ian Curtis, now granted he wasn’t trying to do an Ian impersonation, but if you ever heard any Joy Division song you would no how important Ian’s lyrical style and voice was to the band, but apparently Peter Hook doesn’t. Hook was confident and cocky with his delivery which would be a fine for almost any other band, but not Joy Division. I see it as the equivalent as coming of shy and awkward as the front man of a Sex Pistols tribute band, it just doesn’t work. Honestly the whole thing sounded like a Joy Division themed karaoke night. Secondly and more importantly, when the bassist of Joy Division goes on tour to play Joy Division songs, I expect him to play bass guitar. As it turns out Peter wasn’t even acting as lead bassist, his son was. Besides the nepotism and everything wrong with that, there is a major issue here; Peter Hook thought it was appropriate to play Joy Division in not only a six piece band, but one that included two bassist. I don’t know if he lost touch with his own music or if he was just trying to make a buck, but the end result was just a mess. At the end of the day I am not sure what I was expecting but Peter, I am sorry I went, sorry I wasted my money on a ticket, and most of all sorry for what you did to the memory of a once great band on that night. Now if you don’t mind I am going to listen to some Joy Division, the way it was meant to be played, with a melancholy lead singer and one bassist.
Peter Hook Presents ‘Unkown Pleasures’ H & E
So on December 4th I am going to see Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order bassist) perform Joy Division’s debut album ‘Unknown Pleasures’ from beginning to end, and I have nothing but the highest expectations. For those that haven’t heard it ‘Unknown Pleasures’ is universally considered a classic album (and in my top ten), and is one of the most important albums of the 70’s (yes I said it and I will stand by it). Good news is set list wise, I know what I am getting, the album cover to cover with maybe some stuff from the second album ‘Closer’ thrown in as an encore (sadly lead singer of Joy Division Ian Curtis committed suicide after two albums). Bad news is performance wise I don’t know what to expect, for those who have heard Joy Division know that as strong as the music was Ian’s vocal’s is what really made the album special, so I don’t know who Peter found for vocal’s. Also will the experience be a pure rendition of ‘Unknown Pleasures’ or will it be a bassist focused version. Personally I would also love to hear stories about the old days too, but who knows if I will get that. In any case I know Ian is dead, the living members hate each other with a passion, so this is as close as I will ever get to seeing Joy Division live, so for one night I am looking forward to closing my eyes and pretend that it’s 1979.
Who Did it Better: ‘Shadowplay’
Back with another edition of Who did it better? They were not around a while but Joy Division was and remains one of the most influential and sometimes copied bands of all times. This time we are looking at the first track off their debut album “Unknown Pleasures” (sadly they only have two albums due to the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis, the rest band would later reform under the name New Order)
Here is Joy Division’s ‘Shadowplay’:
Next is the Killers:
Lastly here is a Silversun Pickups version:
For me nothing comes close to the original Joy Division version, but the two covers aren’t without their own certain charm. Of the two though I like the Killers version a bit better though.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 