Joy Division

Snapshots: Peter Hook & The Light @ Union Transfer — 10/24/19

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PeterHook_Philadelphia-17 Peter Hook performs at Union Transfer on Oct. 24, 2019. (Photos by Jason Nicholson; Words by Mickey McCarter)

If you’re a new wave lad like myself, Peter Hook, famed co-founder of Joy Division and New Order, is one of the top bassists alive. He has an unmistakable groove rooted in the glam, and I daresay even blues, of the 1970s — but one that grows and spreads forward into the digital age and beyond.

Hooky remains today a singular and unmistakable musician, keeping his work alive with Peter Hook & The Light, which kicked off a North American Tour in Philadelphia recently to pay tribute to the New Order albums Technique and Republic. Jason Nicholson took some pictures of the band at Union Transfer.

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Preview: Peter Hook & The Light @ Union Transfer, 10/24/19

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Peter Hook performs at Union Transfer on April 26, 2018. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

Peter Hook, former bassist of Joy Division and New Order, pays tribute to both acts with a 15-date tour that begins in Philadelphia on Thursday, Oct. 24. Appearing at Union Transfer, Peter Hook & The Light revisit New Order’s Technique, the band’s 1989 album, as well as Republic, their 1993 record, in concert.

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Music Park: New Order @ The Anthem — 8/28/18

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New Order perform at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.
Bernard Sumner fronts New Order at The Anthem on Aug. 28, 2018. (Photos by Kyle Gustafson; Words by Mickey McCarter)

Songs about heartbreak are usually pretty straightforward. Boy meets girl, girl dumps boy, boy sulks. But “True Faith” by New Order fiercely subverts that paradigm. “A sudden sense of liberty,” unbidden, provides sweet perspective.

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Don’t Miss: New Order Night @ Dodge City, 8/9/18

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New Order (Photo by Nick Wilson)

We at Parklife DC are beyond thrilled that New Order, one of our all-time favorite bands, will perform at The Anthem later this month. So, we are hosting a night of music consisting of New Order, Joy Division, and their related bands at Dodge City on Thursday, Aug. 9.

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Snapshots: Peter Hook & The Light @ Union Transfer — 4/26/18

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PH&TL__DSC2235-Edit_20180426 Peter Hook commands your attention at the Union Transfer in Philadelphia on April 26, 2018. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

It may be that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts — but in the case of great bands like Joy Division and New Order, each individual part has a distinct character that is irreplicable. Such is certainly the case with Peter Hook, storied bassist for both of those seminal bands. And although Peter fell out with his bandmates in New Order, he thankfully continues to perform their songs — songs with which he left an indelible mark on modern music — with his band The Light.

Peter Hook & The Light kicked off a North American tour at Union Transfer in Philadelphia on Thursday, and our Jason Nicholson was along for the ride to shoot some pictures.

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Don’t Miss: Peter Hook & The Light @ Union Transfer, 4/26/18

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Peter Hook performs at The Howard Theatre in DC on Nov. 23, 2016. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

Peter Hook, former bassist for New Order and Joy Division, is once again touring the “greatest hits” of both bands with a special tour featuring Peter Hook & The Light performing the Substance compilation albums from each. Peter Hook & The Light launch the 2018 Substance Tour on April 26 at Union Transfer in Philadelphia.

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Interview: Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (@ 9:30 Club, 3/6/18)

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Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey (right) of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)

The brilliant Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) released The Punishment of Luxury, their 13th studio album, on Sept. 1 via 100% Records subsidiary White Noise. The album fared very well commercially, hitting #4 on the UK Albums chart as well as #7 on the US Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

I had the genuine pleasure of again chatting with Andy McCluskey, vocalist, bassist, keyboardist, and songwriter for OMD, as the band will launch a North American Tour with a performance at 9:30 Club on March 6, 2018. (It’s not officially announced by 9:30 Club yet, but buy your tickets online here.)

In our chat, Andy provides insights into songs on The Punishment of Luxury, shares his feelings on recent work by Gary Numan and New Order, and reveals artists (with some surprises) with whom OMD would like to collaborate (particularly as they approach their 40th anniversary as a band).

I babbled a bit more than usual because he’s a personal hero, and as such my interview covered a lot of ground. I’ve edited the order of the questions to improve their logical flow and trimmed them where necessary for brevity. (Also, perhaps read our previous Parklife DC interview with Andy McCluskey from May 2016.)

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Don’t Miss: Moving Units (The Songs of Joy Division) @ DC9, 3/1/17

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Moving Units (Photo by Jeffrey Jacquin)

Blake Miller of Moving Units is taking his L.A. dance-punk band on the road with a very specific concept. On their current tour, Moving Units present the songs of Joy Division, and they will pay homage to the legendary post-punk Mancunians with a stop at DC9 on Wednesday, March 1.

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Music Park: Peter Hook & The Light @ Howard Theatre — 11/23/16

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Peter Hook and The Light @ Howard Theatre, Washington DC, 11/23/2016 Peter Hook performs at the Howard Theatre on Wednesday, Nov. 23. (Photo by Paivi)

Peter Hook, former bassist for Joy Division and New Order, is willing to bet that we are not soon to forget that he contributed significantly to the sound of both bands. If Hooky were a gambling man, this gambit paid off well for him indeed, as he wrapped up a successful US tour of tracks found on the Substance compilations by both bands — a tour where many stops sold out and a local visit to the Howard Theatre last Wednesday drew a very full house indeed.

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