The
Peter Hook musical odyssey continues, and for me it’s a case of “be careful
what you wish for”… after catching Hooky and his charges deliver the first 2
New Order albums perfectly at The Fleece back in September 2013 (gig 886), I
was hoping he’d continue in that vein and move onto their 3rd and 4th,
namely 1985’s merging of synthesised dance and brooding, rumbling post-punk
rock that was “Low-Life”, and the harder-edged 1986 follow-up, the darkly
schizophrenic “Brotherhood”. Sure enough, he moved onto that, announcing a tour
after a successful London date, so I booked up for the Cardiff gig, the nearer
Reading one clashing with mine and Rich’s “Mad March To Bristol” SLF date last
Sunday!
Cardiff
on a Thursday then, so I left just after 5 straight from work, hitting traffic
around Bristol and then grinding to a halt for massive queues at the Severn
Toll. Unfortunately this shitty stop-start state of affairs continued around
the car-park that is the M4 around Newport, thus it was a frustrated Sheriff
that parked up around the corner from the venue on some free street parking at
20 to 8, some 2 ½ hours after setting off. Bah! My Cardiff-domiciled friend
Craig unfortunately cried off for financial reasons, so I headed solo into this
new venue, a smallish but wide hall in, I guess, an old Tramshed! I didn’t have
too long to settle into a stage-right spot near the front before the lights
dimmed at 8 and Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” heralded the entrance of
Peter Hook and his 5-piece back-up boys The Light at 8, for an initial set
composed mainly of numbers from his first band, Joy Division, and opening with
a dark, moody “Dead Souls”, Hooky’s sinister, growling bass already a prominent
feature.
I
guess I should have “That Debate” at this point; a few friends of mine have
expressed concern about the premise of Hooky out on the road, playing his
former charges’ material, given the acrimony in which he split from his former
New Order bandmates. I’ve got no problem with it; for me Hook has every damn
right to play these songs, not only given the influence he was within those bands
back in the day, but also how much of a sonic factor his unique bass-playing
was on said songs, underpinning the material and giving them mood, structure
and magnificently brooding power. Also, he’s always played them like he owned
them, his deep low vocals giving the songs added gravitas, and his former
Monaco bandmates who comprise The Light back him up authentically and overall very
well indeed. Such was the case tonight; a racey, snappy “These Days” featured
some echoey, resonant guitar from David Potts, but this was topped by a frankly
magnificent “Ceremony”, the unmistakable opening bass riff giving way to a
glacially cool rendition with a brilliantly haunting crescendo, easily the
highlight of this 40-minute opening set.
Barely
7 minutes later, they were back on, easing into the later “Brotherhood” set via
slow-burn opener “Lonesome Tonight”. The opening tracks were a frantic, almost
punky blast with the taciturn Hook taking centre stage with vocals, growling
bass and the occasional guitar riffery; then it all went a bit disco with the
bubbling synth of “Bizarre Love Triangle”. The full-length version, this, “BLT”
(!) ignited the hitherto equally taciturn crowd into life, with a singalong of
the joyful chorus hookline which was the highlight of the “Brotherhood”
run-through. A morose, slow-burn “Every Little Counts” rounded off this
section, Hooky grumbling the prophetic lyric, “I guess I should’ve known I’d
end up on my own,” over the “Groovy Kind Of Love” refrain, before leading the
band off for a brief respite.
A
5-minute pause this time before they were back on, opening “Low-Life” with a
powerful, potent “Love Vigilantes” which was brilliant, another highlight of
the night, embellished by Hook’s melodica refrain. Next up, “Perfect Kiss” was
another highlight; again the full-length rendition, synth-dance powered with
the cluttering, clattering middle 8 and happily featuring the chirping frog chorus
before a lengthy playout. In fact, this album featured more memorable highlights,
justifying its’ later run-through; “Sunrise” was a careering thrill-ride, “Elegia”
was haunting and eerie, Hooky picking out the guitar riff from a chair (!), the
disco pulse “Subculture” was a little discordant, with the bass-line a little
low, but “Face Up” finished the set on a high, the choral hook of, “oh, I
cannot bear the thought of you,” sung back by a now-fully engaged crowd, Hook
again walking off at the song’s conclusion, still playing the bass riff.
“Thieves
Like Us” kick-started the encore as I held my spot at the edge of a jump-about
but good-natured mosh, then Hooky remarked, “you all look religious – the merch
guy is a priest so you need to go and bloody confess – watch out for the
thunderbolt!” before an angular, loose-limbed “True Faith”, then the staccato
keyboard stab and brilliantly singalong hook of “Temptation” ended the set – or
did it…?
“I’ve
had a request – it was to “fuck off” so I’m coming back on – when you’re 60 you
can be a right cantankerous bastard!” commented Hook, before an impromptu and utterly
amazing “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, one of the high watermarks in post-punk’s musical
history being delivered with a brilliantly judged balance of power and
reverence, and an exhortation from Hook to, “c’mon you fucking sheep-shaggers!”
as the middle-8 grew to its’ haunting crescendo break. Simply brilliant, with
Hooky (who’d really put in a shift tonight, the time now bumping up to 10 to 11)
whipping his “That’s What She Said” t-shirt off, throwing it into the crowd and
taking a deserved bow. Well done son, bloody well done!
I
grabbed a set-list, and the aforementioned guitarist Mr. Potts, onstage tidying
up, not only signed it but took it backstage and got Hooky to sign it too.
Bloody result! A considerably better drive back (despite a diversion onto the
M48 Severn Crossing) saw me home elated at 12.30 after another evening in the
company of the legend that is Peter Hook. “Substance” next up? Long may this
odyssey continue!
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