Auckland truly understood the assignment! Show up for Peter Hook & the light, and they did. A queue of fans young and old snaked down queen street longing to see a 2 1/2 hour, two set evening of Joy Division and New Order. Australasia has a long-standing love affair with Peter Hook and the light and it’s not a one sided. The band played their seventh ever show as Peter Hook and The Light in Malborne back in 2010. Peter knows exactly how to dial into his audience so it’s no surprise that fans were eager to hear New Orders classic 2001 album Get Ready played in its entirety.
After New Order’s first split, Get Ready saw Peter Hook “Hooky” and Bernard Sumner enjoy a brief honeymoon period as they wrote together again. Hooky referred to that time last night joking with the audience that “you might not believe me, but I enjoyed writing this with Bernard.” I think you can hear that in the inter play between the bass and guitar as the band retuned to a more guitar driven sound.
As Hooky walked on to the stage bathed in purple light, the town halls organ looming behind him the with twinkling intro to Cystal playing I wasn’t sure what to expect, a tribute act? I soon put that assumption to bed as the band delivered a visceral live experience right from the get-go. By the time we got to Turn My Way the band was suffering some tech problems. Some banter with the crowd ensued, “plug it in knob head!” Problems fixed, the albums upbeat energy carried us through to the last track Here To Stay all too soon.
Hooky’s son, Jack Bates on bass brought a father son dynamic. Jack stepping in a one point to correct his dad when he’d jumped ahead of the set list. His style much like his father’s heavy with depth but without Hooky’s famous love of playing his bass low slung. Both talented men it was cool to see them on stage playing bass together, Jack respectful of not taking the limelight from his father. A double the bass lineup is unapologetically what Hooky fans are looking for.
The set list for the second half of the show is changed very night on this tour. With only 18 songs to choose from the back catalogue there’s always going to be something you would have wanted in the set. For me, Shell Shock the 1986 NO banger reminiscent of Pretty In Pink. That said, I wasn’t disappointed. The JD and NO classics flowed opening with Atrocity Exhibition. Disorder, Transmission and Age Of Consent all getting the crowed going and they needed no prompting from Hooky to brake into an extended chorus sing along to the final song of the night, Love Will Tear Us Apart, the whole venue up on its feet dancing.
See you next time Hooky, we know you’ll be back x
Phoebe Gilmour
Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk
Peter Hook and the Light
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