SharePeter Hook (seen here in the centre) is an English musician who fronts the band, Peter Hook & The Light, chats with Kevin Cooper about working with both Joy Division and New Order, remembering the late Ian Curtis, performing at Rock City Nottingham and his forthcoming 2024 Substance Tour.
Hook is an English musician who is best known as being the bassist and co-founder of the post punk band Joy Division and its successor New Order.
With Bernard Sumner he formed Joy Division in 1976. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis in 1980, the band reformed as New Order and Hook played bass with them until 2007. He is currently the lead singer and one of the bassist’s for Peter hook & The Light.
Joy Division were formed when he and a childhood friend attended a Sex Pistols concert in Manchester on 4th June 1976. The following day Hook borrowed £35 from his mother to buy his first bass guitar. Inspired by the performance, Sumner, Hook and their friend Terry Mason formed a band which was originally called Warsaw who debuted on 29th May 1977 when they supported the Buzzcocks, Penetration and John Cooper Clarke. The band played their first gig as Joy Division on 25th January 1978 at Pip’s Disco in Manchester.
In 1980 after Joy Division they formed New Order and the band continued until they first broke up in 1993. New Order reformed in 1998 but on 4th May 2007 Hook announced that he and New Order singer Bernard Sumner were no longer working together, effectively spelling the end for the band.
Hook opened a club and live venue in Manchester called FAC 251 – The Factory in February 2010 and took over the lead singing duties with his band, The Light. On 18th May 2010, the 30th anniversary of Ian Curtis’ death, The Light performed a set of Joy Division songs including every track from the album Unknown Pleasures.
In 2012 Hook launched a brand new degree programme in Music Industry Management & Promotion at the University of Central Lancashire. On 29th January 2013 he published Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, an autobiographical account of his time in the band. In November 2015 it was announced that hook was suing his former band mates for continuing to use the name of New Order. The parties settled out of court.
Whilst busy preparing for his forthcoming Substance Tour, Hook took some time to have a chat with Kevin Cooper and this is what he had to say.
Hooky, good morning. How are you today?
Hello mate, I’m alright thanks for asking. More to the point how are things with you up there in Nottingham?
I’m doing very well thanks for asking and before we move on let me thank you for taking the time to speak to me today.
It’s a pleasure, as always whenever you and I get to put the world to rights (laughter).
And just how is life treating you at this moment in time?
Do you know what, as a musician for me to be able to play at the level that I am at now, considering that I started as a musician way back in 1976, I really do feel that Ian Curtis is most definitely looking after me up there, without a shadow of a doubt. It is wonderful for me to still have a vocation, to have been able to enjoy it for as long as I have, and to be able to still enjoy it. Its funny isn’t it, with music particularly when you are looking back to the 80s and 90s it really does fulfil a great purpose. It reminds you, hopefully, of better days, and let’s face it, in this world we all need a bit of a distraction don’t we, even if it is only for one or two hours.
We can stretch it to two and a half, in order to take people’s minds off what the hell is going on outside those doors. I feel very privileged to be able to still do it so in answer to your question; I am absolutely fine; I am truly made up. Some people have to work for a living don’t they (laughter). I am in a very lucky position that the music is still being played and believe you me mate, we didn’t plan it. Joy Division has managed to touch thousands and thousands of people’s hearts, they have passed it on to a new generation, and then it has gone onto a new generation after that.
For me, when an 18-year-old kid comes up to me and asks me just what Ian Curtis was like, I just feel blessed. Being in the position that we were with New Order, using Joy Division’s money in order to open The Hacienda, you were in a great position to see the music that came along in the 80s to then go into Acid House, to then go into Madchester, we really did perform, I think, a great service for the people of Manchester.
You mention Ian. I recently saw a photograph of you standing in front of a mural of Ian that had been painted on the wall of a pub. Am I right in thinking that you had a hand in getting that organised?
Just who have you been speaking to? Let’s put it this way, I might have done (laughter). That was on the wall of a pub called the Star And Garter which is a very popular music pub. They used to specialise in music by The Smiths but as they say, no one is perfect (laughter). We have been trying to get a memorial for Ian and in fact I managed to get one with the help of the Mayor of Macclesfield, so Ian Curtis now looks down over the main street in Macclesfield, which I have to say was wonderful to do. After that, we managed to get this one through a charity called Headspace in order to get it accepted as a permanent thing in Manchester city centre.
It is right next to The Warehouse Project in the centre of Manchester, and I have to say it has become quite a tourist attraction. I have met the artist Akse on a number of times and feel that I know him quite well now, so it was a pleasure for me to be drafted in and we did a gig. We played the first ever Joy Division set that we played in Pips in Manchester back in 1978 when we formed Joy Division. The idea was that it should be a celebration of Ian being back where he belonged in Manchester, both in vision and in heart.
What are your thoughts on tribute bands?
(Laughter) do you know what, I used to warm up to The Clone Roses (laughter). It used to amaze me because whenever The Clone Roses had played, kids would go up to the band shouting, ‘Ian, Ian can I have your autograph’ to the singer thinking it was Ian Brown to which he would reply “ what can I do for ye” in the broadest Scottish accent (laughter). I thought, ‘fuck me most of these kids really do think that this is the real band’. I thought that it was totally wild. I said to their manager, “you know what, I am seriously thinking of forming the Salford Joy Division” to which he replied, “Hooky, don’t be daft it would just be a tribute band” but at least I proved him wrong (laughter).
I mentioned it because I have seen a couple of really good ones but I have also seen some bloody awful ones.
(Laughter) listen, if you had seen us when we first started back in 1976, I think that without a shadow of a doubt you would never have thought that we would have turned into the band that we became. You have to bear in mind that everybody, and you’re the same, have to learn your craft, and it is about making yourself happy while you are doing it, making sure that you are trying to do the right thing. So, the thing is that I’m happy to see anybody play, from my point of view, the ones that slaughter our songs, are actually a lot more interesting than the ones who do a better version (laughter). I get jealous then (laughter).
As New Order we tend to get a lot of Heavy Metal cover versions, and I have to say that the only Grammy that we ever got was for a band called Orgy doing a Heavy Metal cover version of Blue Monday and we got a Grammy for it. I was like, ‘there is something wrong here’ (laughter). So, the thing is that our music is used a hell of a lot for films, and TV. I was recently watching Netflix the other day and Blue Monday came on and I was like, ‘wow, I had forgotten that one’ because we have to give the all clear for the use of our music. So, we are very lucky that we recorded that song back in 1982, and it is still earning us money today.
This is the thing, when kids that are in bands, ask me, “what’s your best advice?” your best advice to anybody is to keep going, and keep writing because that’s all that you can do. For every ten songs that you write you might be lucky to write one that people will use so you have just got to keep going. There is no magic trick as such; you really have just got to keep trying.
It’s a shame that here in the UK we always have to label and pigeon-hole people. Why can’t we simply enjoy the music?
I used to have a studio in Rochdale and the late Bobby Ball used to come in, and I have to say that in my opinion all comedians are quite dour (laughter). Bobby really was a right miserable bastard. He came into the studio looking down so I asked him what was wrong, to which he replied, “I have just been driving through Littleborough in my Rolls Royce and everyone was throwing bricks at me”. And I find that to be typical of the British attitude towards success. If you were driving through Los Angeles in your Rolls Royce, they would all be clapping you and applauding you shouting, “well done” whereas if you are driving through the streets of Littleborough you get bricked (hysterical laughter).
That attitude seems to be a peculiar British thing and I must admit that I don’t understand it. I think in a way, looking at these Far-Right demonstrations, you can clearly see that they don’t understand just what the hell is going on. I have been very lucky in my life; I have worked with all sorts of people right from the word go, all round the world. I very soon realised that it’s not what colour you are, it’s not down to what your beliefs are, it comes from your heart and your soul. It is that which makes a good person. Here in Spain, it is very cosmopolitan; a very cosmopolitan lifestyle, with a mix of people that is very interesting.
Why on earth the British resist it really is just so small minded. It does make me wonder if there is something politically behind it all that you and I are not aware of. I don’t know. The British drinking culture is a culture that I grew up with, it is something that I found myself on the wrong side of, and I became an alcoholic; it’s all about different cultures. For example, if you go to a football match here in Spain it really is very much a family affair. You will see every demographic from kids in cots right up to the elderly grandparents. The whole family will turn out to watch Real Mallorca, which is where I am based.
It really is a proper family affair, its light and playful, there is no one looking to throw you out if you stand up to watch the game. There is absolutely no passive aggressive behaviour whereas with the British football culture you are taking your bloody life in your own hands. It’s plain to see that it is down to a cultural difference. Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud of being English and I am also very proud of Manchester and what it has achieved. But saying that, there are still certain aspects of it that you wish weren’t there. Up there in Nottingham you have suffered greatly, and one of my neighbours here in Majorca, a beautiful young lady, she actually went to school with one of those kids who was unfortunately killed in Nottingham.
Things like that, as a parent, just breaks your heart. It absolutely breaks your heart. You fight and you work in order to get your kids a decent education, and something like that happens. It is absolutely heart breaking but we can say all this, but we have got to remember that we are here hopefully to inspire the next generation. We have to show people just how good it was, and just how good it can be again. I’m all for that. I think that we will deal with this and then we will all move onto something better. It will teach us a lot. I was watching the anti-demonstrations on the TV today, and things like that make me feel proud to be British.
It was wonderful to see that. When I saw the newspaper over here, I couldn’t believe it, so I bought a copy, looked at the headlines and thought, ‘wow, about time’. If we don’t stand up for ourselves, the silent minority if you like, what the hell sort of society are we going to end up living in.
Anyway, now that you and I have tried to put the world to rights in five minutes lets swiftly move onto something lighter.
(Hysterical laughter). Okay let’s go for it.
Your forthcoming Substance tour, are you looking forward to being back out on the road?
What can I say; I have been playing it all over the world. We took it over to Australia earlier this year; we are taking it over to America playing thirty odd dates over there, so you could say that I am actually quite well versed (laughter). If I’m being totally honest with you, it is great for me to play because we are doing Joy Division and New Order simply because I have been very reluctant to let the music go now that I have got it back. So, for me to be able to play both bands music, for me, is wonderful. Joy Division’s Substance is a completely different record in feel to New Order’s Substance. The New Order album has a very poppy feel to it.
So, the evening is nicely contrasting against the intensity and darkness that Joy Division Substance has. When we were kids we would give tracks away willy nilly. Anyone who phoned us up and said, “have you got a spare track that we can put out in a compilation album” we would go, “yes mate” and we would just send it over to them. There was no thought at all; we gave away Atmosphere, and Dead Souls; we were so prolific as a band, we were writing song after song after song, so it was nice of Tony, in a way, after he had finished the Substance New Order record to think, ‘well, Joy Division gave away a lot of singles, so let’s do that’.
So, I get to play them both, and I have to say that it is wonderful. Back in the old days, as Peter Hook & The Light, our audiences were split. So, if we played New Order all of the Joy Division kids would go to the bar, and if you played Joy Division then all of the New Order kids would go to the bar (laughter). However, I have noticed now over the years that it simply doesn’t happen anymore. The t-shirts tend to stay where they are throughout the whole gig, which I take as a great compliment. So, we have maybe been able to educate both sets of fans that probably weren’t used to listening to either band before because I had previously noticed that they were quite separate. So, it’s good, it works, we play well, and I must admit that I am very proud of The Light. Like I said to you before, it is a wonderful feeling for me at my age to still have a career in music such as I have.
Someone told me that your son Jack won’t be with you on the forthcoming tour. Is that correct?
That’s absolutely correct. As you know, Jack is the current touring bassist for The Smashing Pumpkins and he has been since 2015. They are touring America opening for Green Day so unfortunately Jack won’t be with us this time around. And what can I say, he is very happy.
Didn’t the then boss of Factory Records, the late Tony Wilson, have a part to play in the releasing of Substance New Order?
(Laughter) that’s right, he did. Substance New Order was a CD collection which the record company had put together for Tony so that he was able to listen to the album in his brand-new Jaguar which was one of the very first cars to have a CD player fitted (laughter). Tony called the band together and said, “would you mind if I put all the singles on a CD so that I am able to listen to them in the car” (laughter). Thinking back, it now makes me laugh as no one in the band had a bloody clue just what a CD was, simply because there were very few commercially available. I think that Polydor were the first to release CD’s, some classical and a couple of Roxy Music albums.
Was the release of Substance New Order a blessing or a hindrance?
There were both good points and bad points surrounding the release of the album. One of the good points as far as the band were concerned was that it was the cheapest LP that we have ever made, simply because it was all already done with the exception of one track, True Faith which brings me swiftly onto the bad side of things (laughter). We needed to record True Faith for the album and at that time let’s just say that it wasn’t the easiest record to make, because we weren’t exactly getting along as a band at that point in time. If I am totally honest with you, it was an album that we really didn’t want anything to do with.
However, as soon as our American label Quincy Jones’s Quest label saw this New Order CD, they really were so desperate to put it out in America. The good thing with that is that they also released it as a double vinyl, which sold over three million copies, which was an absolutely amazing achievement at that time. Which, going back to your earlier question regarding advice, it just shows you how you should never ask anybody in a group for any advice whatsoever on what you should do, because clearly, they won’t have a bloody clue (laughter).
You mention the fact that you have taken the music all around the world. Which fans react the best?
Do you know what, we, The Light really are so varied as a group, that we are so used to seeing so many different types of audiences. We are touring America later this year and we were recently at the Rewind Festival in Cheshire, so you have got completely different audiences. We did a gig in Antwerp the night before Rewind that had a massive mosh pit. I could see loads of punks together with a load of Mohicans going for it in front of the stage (laughter). Then, you get to the Rewind Festival where everyone is dressed like they have come straight off the set of Hi-Di-Hi with Fred Flintstone and all that lot, but it doesn’t matter to me what they dress like. I am very much of the attitude that you have paid your money, so I won’t tell you what to do you can do just what you bloody want to do (laughter). I’m happy to let them do what they want.
You formed The Light back in May 2010. Are you happy with where you are at some fourteen years down the road?
I would have to say that, in my opinion, I feel that we are very good. I put that down to hard work, as you say we have been playing together as The Light for the past fourteen years, we have been all around the world over and over again; we have even played in Mongolia. We did a Joy Division gig over in Mongolia and became the first Western band ever to play there. I really was very happy about that and again, because Ian Curtis God rest his soul, was such as massive fan of Joy Division but sadly, he never got to perform in any of these wonderful places. He used to sit there and tell the rest of the band that we would be going to play in all of these wonderful places which really was quite strange. He would sit there and tell us, “Don’t you worry, we will be touring Brazil, we will be touring here, we will be touring there, we will be going all over the world” but sadly, he never made it. So, every time that I get somewhere I always think, ‘this one is for you mate’.
Do you still get that buzz out of touring or has it now become a necessary evil?
(Laughter) no, I mean that it is a necessary evil in the way that I have to work in order to earn a living. There is that aspect to it but no, I am so used to it now, but I must admit that at my age, I am not able to recover as quickly as I used to. I’m also not able to do flight, gig, flight, gig, flight, gig like I used to, but that is simply down to me being of this age. I have to keep myself very fit in order to be able to continue to do it. But hey, I went to see Bruce Springsteen, and I thought to myself, ‘bloody hell, if he can do it there is hope for me yet’ (laughter). So no, I really do still love it. I can always remember Barney (Bernard Sumner) saying to me once when he was moaning about me asking for more gigs, he said, “you’d play in Beirut wouldn’t you, you bastard” (laughter).
I thought, ‘you know what, I would’ (laughter). Imagine being promoted in Beirut whilst reading the Nottingham Post, I really would be delighted to play in Beirut (laughter). It’s weird isn’t it, when we first started out when we were punks, our appetite was to write music which in turn enabled us to be free. We would be able to go around the world educating and entertaining people with what we could do. And that, for me, has never changed. I used to hate New Order simply because they never used to bloody play anywhere. Even though now, the so-called New Odour have played more now that they are in the 50s and 60s than they ever did in their 30s and 40s.
It used to be a great frustration to me to have all of these wonderful songs, to have all of these wonderful fans, and not being able to get to them. It used to drive me crazy, you can ask my wife although she still drives me crazy (laughter). So, for me to get the freedom now with The Light, I’m able to go wherever I want, whenever I want, and I have to say, it feels so good.
When New Order first played at Rock City here in Nottingham am I right in thinking that you were given a hard time?
(Laughter) that’s right, yes, we were. I must admit when New Order played up there in Nottingham, when we arrived at the venue, we were dressed in a very post-punk fashion, quite smartly. We were climbing in out the back of the venue and at that time, they had Hells Angels doing the humping for Rock City. I always remember that they bullied us, and that they were laughing at our shoes, saying, “I love your shoes” and “watch out, don’t scuff your shoes” (laughter). So, me being me simply replied, “you lousy bastards” (laughter). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hold that against Nottingham (laughter). I always remember that.
You have mentioned your age, and you have mentioned all of the places that you will be visiting with this tour but there are no signs of you slowing up?
No, I must admit, no (laughter). As my son keeps saying to me, I am fitter now than I have probably ever been in my life. I run three 10k a week, I do yoga, I do weightlifting, I stretch valiantly in order to keep myself going, I am very happy in what I am doing, but I must admit that it takes a while for you to find yourself. And yes, I really do think that I have found myself even though my wife may disagree, God bless her (laughter). I am very happy in doing what I do; I am very proud at what we have achieved, with both Joy Division and New Order, and I’m very proud at what we achieved with The Haçienda.
I try to keep the Hacienda flag flying as we do with The Haçienda Classical which is absolutely wonderful so yes, I am very busy. I have just recorded a podcast actually which will be coming out soon, which I did with Ian Curtis’ best man, his best friend Kelvin Briggs. Kelvin met Ian when they were both at nursery school, and they were friends right through their lives, right up to the point when Ian unfortunately lost his life. So, me and Kelvin have done a podcast of what was Ian like as a kid, together with his early days in the group. It really is fascinating because I have known Kelvin, he is a neighbour of mine and I have known him for around twenty years now.
I kept saying to him, “mate we have got to sit down and talk about this” so, as my wife says, “you are always finding something to do”. I have got such a rich history, and heritage, with what we have done in the 70s and 80s, I can keep myself busy let’s put it that way. I can keep myself out of trouble.
Just remember, in the words of Morrissey in What Difference Does It Make, ‘the devil will find work for idles hands to do’ (laughter).
You can very quickly and easily go off people (laughter). Why did you have to go and mention that twat. We were doing so well up to that point (laughter). I am always finding something to do.
Friday 18th October you will be back here in Nottingham at Rock City.
That’s right and let me tell you, we won’t get bullied this time (laughter).
You might not get bullied, but you will get really pissed off when it’s an early finish due to club night.
Oh well, never mind. You know what mate, the sooner I get to bed, the bigger my smile in the morning (laughter). I’m not bothered about that, not at all.
In your opinion, what makes Rock City such a must play venue?
it has to be the crowd, who in my opinion have always been absolutely fantastic. Nottingham is a big university city, and again, that gives it quite a cosmopolitan atmosphere, but it also gives it hard work and it also relies on entertainment in order to get everybody through the hard work. And I honestly think that is shows. Nottingham and Rock City really are a rocking place. The city always has had a great vibe and Nottingham Rock City has always been held in very high regard. When New Order first played there, we were as proud as punch, we really were. Having said all of that, we did actually disgrace ourselves by having a fight with the DJ at the end of the gig (laughter).
Was that because you didn’t play Blue Monday? (laughter).
That’s right, we didn’t play Blue Monday in the set, and the DJ got upset about that. So, when we were leaving the stage, he decided to play Blue Monday. So, we all ended up having a real handbags at dawn argument (laughter). Plus, don’t forget that we pinched Rock City’s manager in order for him to run The Haçienda, a guy called Paul Mason. Paul helped us out in a great time, but obviously left Rock City in the shit (laughter). We met Paul at Rock City and pinched him for The Haçienda. So, I’m sorry about that (laughter).
I last saw you in 2022 on the Celebration tour. How did the tour go?
(Laughter) every night is a celebration for me mate. Every morning when I wake up and I open my eyes and I go, ‘wow yes’ it went well, and it is still being celebrated shall we say.
Which Joy Division and New Order tracks give you the most enjoyment to play?
You know what; it is always the ones that I can’t play. Whenever we are playing Substance, I get annoyed because I don’t get to play Age Of Consent. So, I keep saying to the boys, “we really should dust it off and play it because I want to play that”. With Joy Division its songs like New Dawn Fades, I always miss the ones that I am not playing. I didn’t play them for so many years, for the same reasons that we spoke about earlier, the miserable buggers in New Order. The thing is now that I have got them back, I am loathed to lose them, so I think that the next Celebration tour which we are planning to do next year, playing the New Order album Get Ready in full.
We will also be playing a total hits set, so I am going to get all of those rockier, lovely ones like Sunrise, and get them going. So, it’s nice to be able to plan forward, and really just celebrate the music. The truth of the matter is that we can’t celebrate the music together, so this has got to be the next best thing. I make it as close to New Order’s sound as it can possibly be, whilst them lot try to make it as far away from the New Order sound as it can possibly be. I wouldn’t say that the fans have the best of both worlds, but at least they do have two worlds don’t they.
Last year you released Joy Division A Celebration Live. The fans couldn’t get enough of it, were you happy with the finished product?
To be honest with you I thought that it was very good, but listen, it didn’t come without its own problems (laughter). We work very closely with the guys at Abbey Road whenever we need to work on our recordings, and we have done a lot of them with Abbey Road. They are very little trouble, they know us very well, they know the songs which is the best thing, so I really can rely on them 100%. What I try to do is on the night I try to forget that it is being recorded, because otherwise I wouldn’t get to swear would I (laughter). It also puts you in another realm of nerves if you keep thinking that it is being recorded.
You really do have to be very careful with the live recordings but as I say, I have got complete faith in Abbey Road, they do an absolutely wonderful job, and we will most probably be using them once again on this tour somewhere. We have changed a lot over the years so these live albums are a good milestone in showing just what you can do. I quite enjoy them actually, and they are brilliant for me to practice to (laughter). I put the album on Spotify, slip the headphones on and away I go. I have a scream in my bedroom, it’s like being 16 again mate.
When you formed The Light, could you ever envisage that you would be 8oo gigs down the road?
(Laughter) no, not really but I am so glad that we are because I treated myself to a new car after 500 gigs (laughter). I then treated myself to another new car at 800 gigs. If anybody says to me, “ooh that a nice car” I say to them, “that’s what 800 gigs looks like. If you want to get one of them do 800 fucking gigs and get one” (laughter). I don’t know what I am going to get for the 1000, which is rapidly coming up. It’s crazy but I have played more times with The Light than I ever did with Joy Division or New Order. There are signs of stopping mate.
Did I read somewhere that you have now been active in the business for the last 47 years?
I saw the Sex Pistols on the 4th June 1976 and as we walked out of the venue at about 11 o’clock. I said to Barney, “we really should form a band” which we did, on the stairs at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. So, that is when I began, back in 1976.
Have you enjoyed the ride so far?
Oh mate, I mean I haven’t enjoyed all of it but that is all part of the experience of learning as a human being as you go along. New Order ended up as a very dysfunctional family and now they are still a very dysfunctional family which I find the saddest part in all of this. You should be able to celebrate together, just what we did. We don’t actually have to be together, but I honestly feel that we should be able to celebrate together, but the fact that we are unable to do that, and just what they did in order to take the trademark away from me. That still leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. But you know what, we get on with it don’t we, that’s our secret. I am looking forward to the 50th year celebrations. It won’t be long mate, in 18 months’ time I will have been a musician for 50 years. I really cannot believe it (laughter). It is proper Bruce Forsyth territory isn’t it (laughter).
I was just thinking about how special it would be if you could celebrate 1000 gigs and 50 years in the business on the very same day. That really would be special don’t you think?
I know what you mean but people will be taking my car keys off me by then (laughter). Tom will be saying, “you can have the car dad, but you are not driving it” (laughter).
Are there any regrets?
What can I say, back in the day I signed a few pieces of paper that I now wish I hadn’t have done. It always ends with me spending the rest of the day with my lawyer where we both look at a piece of paper together and I go, “oh my God, what idiot would sign that” and he turns it over and tells me, “It’s you again” (laughter). I do wish that we hadn’t have fallen out so badly because life’s too short. Every funeral that I attend when we are all sat there wondering just who is going to be next, who’s going to be dancing on whose grave, you really do realise that life is short, and there are certain things that you shouldn’t be doing. So, I really do regret that. But that’s life.
It’s not what happens; it’s how you react to it.
Maybe, but I’m terrible at reacting mate (hysterical laughter).
What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
Highlight so far, oh my God, talking to you without a shadow of a doubt (laughter). It’s lovely whenever you and I get to chat Kevin, but I do really need to get rid of you now as I have got ten other journalists all phoning me up in various ways. The highlight has been getting what I always thought was fantastic music out to people, and playing a gig and being in great company, with people who love the music just as much as I do. That’s the highlight, that’s all I’m there for. When I started The Light back in 2010 in order to celebrate Ian’s work, I did wonder if it would just be me and a room full of fat old bald blokes but no, it wasn’t. My mates came but so did everyone else as well, and I was absolutely delighted. Its hard work but it’s worth every moment. It really is.
Are there any thought on life after music?
In a way I think that my life will always be about music, and if it is not about music, it will be about The Haçienda. My wife, Rebecca Hook, has just written a new book about The Haçienda called Threads. She has done a wonderful celebration about the people together with the fashion that came out of The Haçienda. There is absolutely no mention of the rotten stuff. It is just all about the good stuff. There are many opportunities between me and her to share the moments that have given us a great life. I will be fine mate; I will always find something to do.
On that note Hooky let me once again thank you for taking the time to speak to me, it’s been enlightening as usual.
You take care of yourself Kevin and do be sure to say hi when we get up there to Rock City. Bring your books along this time and I will sign them for you.
