And the New Order/Peter Hook saga continues...
New Order and ex-bassist Peter Hook have been active this month - New Order released Lost Sirens, and Peter Hook performed his short New Order (classic albums) tour in the U.K. and has been preparing for the North American launch of his book Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division. Both New Order and Hook have done interviews surrounding these activities and the press has eagerly stirred the pot when it comes to the bad blood between parties.
Last week The Telegraph published an interview with New Order that, while not the main focus of the piece, included some harsh words for Hooky's book. The next day Spinner published their own interview with New Order, and the whole article was devoted to the rift between the band and Hooky. Now Billboard has jumped into the fray and published a new Q & A with Hooky. The exclusive interview is Hooky's rebuttal to New Order's criticisms laid out in the Spinner and Telegraph interviews. A few quotes from Peter Hook's interview with Billboard are posted below:
"The thing that I dislike about them most is the way that they just keep playing the greatest hits all the time. That was one of the things that I hated when I was there -- when we were actually New Order, as opposed to a New Order tribute band, which is what I feel that they are now. They are as much New Order as I am Joy Division. In a funny way, now that I'm New Order, they are as much New Order as I am New Order."
"You lot must love it, though. It's a journalist's gift, this argument."
Probably the best quote from the interview is Hooky stating the obvious:
"This does need to stop. It's getting beyond a joke. Even I'm looking at it now and going, "Oh, my God. This is ridiculous." I mean, we're both musicians trying to earn a living and get on with it and this constant sniping is not good for either of us and it is very, very childish..."
Indeed. As a huge fan of Joy Division and New Order, it's painful for me to see both sides taking these public swipes. Fans who can stomach the fighting may want to check out the full interview in Billboard. For those who haven't read the original interviews, start with the piece in The Telegraph and Spinner, then read the new interview with Peter Hook in Billboard.
Peter Hook's memoir Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division is now available in book stores in North America. Visit your favorite neighborhood bookshop to purchase a copy, or buy online through Amazon. Fans can also see Peter Hook live during his two-week promo tour in America.
Short clip of Peter Hook's promo tour kickoff last night in NYC
1/29 - NYC @ Strand Bookstore (host Sasha Frere Jones/The New Yorker)
1/31 - San Francisco @ Jewish Comm Ctr (host David Pescovitz/Boing Boing)
2/01 - Los Angeles @ Skylight Books
2/02 - San Diego @ M-Theory Records
2/04 - Cincinnati @ Joseph Beck Booksellers
2/05 - Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art
2/06 - Huntington, Long Island @ Book Revue
2/07 - Boston @ Brookline Booksmith (host Scott Heim/author)
2/08 - Boston @ Porter Square Books
New Order and ex-bassist Peter Hook have been active this month - New Order released Lost Sirens, and Peter Hook performed his short New Order (classic albums) tour in the U.K. and has been preparing for the North American launch of his book Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division. Both New Order and Hook have done interviews surrounding these activities and the press has eagerly stirred the pot when it comes to the bad blood between parties.
Last week The Telegraph published an interview with New Order that, while not the main focus of the piece, included some harsh words for Hooky's book. The next day Spinner published their own interview with New Order, and the whole article was devoted to the rift between the band and Hooky. Now Billboard has jumped into the fray and published a new Q & A with Hooky. The exclusive interview is Hooky's rebuttal to New Order's criticisms laid out in the Spinner and Telegraph interviews. A few quotes from Peter Hook's interview with Billboard are posted below:
"The thing that I dislike about them most is the way that they just keep playing the greatest hits all the time. That was one of the things that I hated when I was there -- when we were actually New Order, as opposed to a New Order tribute band, which is what I feel that they are now. They are as much New Order as I am Joy Division. In a funny way, now that I'm New Order, they are as much New Order as I am New Order."
"You lot must love it, though. It's a journalist's gift, this argument."
Probably the best quote from the interview is Hooky stating the obvious:
"This does need to stop. It's getting beyond a joke. Even I'm looking at it now and going, "Oh, my God. This is ridiculous." I mean, we're both musicians trying to earn a living and get on with it and this constant sniping is not good for either of us and it is very, very childish..."
Indeed. As a huge fan of Joy Division and New Order, it's painful for me to see both sides taking these public swipes. Fans who can stomach the fighting may want to check out the full interview in Billboard. For those who haven't read the original interviews, start with the piece in The Telegraph and Spinner, then read the new interview with Peter Hook in Billboard.
Peter Hook's memoir Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division is now available in book stores in North America. Visit your favorite neighborhood bookshop to purchase a copy, or buy online through Amazon. Fans can also see Peter Hook live during his two-week promo tour in America.
Short clip of Peter Hook's promo tour kickoff last night in NYC
1/29 - NYC @ Strand Bookstore (host Sasha Frere Jones/The New Yorker)
1/31 - San Francisco @ Jewish Comm Ctr (host David Pescovitz/Boing Boing)
2/01 - Los Angeles @ Skylight Books
2/02 - San Diego @ M-Theory Records
2/04 - Cincinnati @ Joseph Beck Booksellers
2/05 - Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art
2/06 - Huntington, Long Island @ Book Revue
2/07 - Boston @ Brookline Booksmith (host Scott Heim/author)
2/08 - Boston @ Porter Square Books
