Hooky again? Hell yeah… I’d booked this one a year ago (!), when enduring post-punk legend Peter Hook announced a November 2024 tour of the “Substance” singles collections of both his previous charges, 70’s dark, morose post-punk legends Joy Division and 80’s more upbeat synth/ dance driven rabble New Order. At the time there was a possibility that Hook might have found a spare date in this November tour to play “Shiiine On”, but I wasn’t taking any chances and just sorted myself for the full-length Hook experience at the excellent Cheese And Grain anyway. Good job too, as it turned out; not only did Hooky not play “Shiiine On”, but my intended August trip to Cardiff, to see his former bandmates in New Order, was called off on the morning of the gig due to alleged windy conditions buffeting the outdoor Cardiff Bay venue. So, I was glad to have a bit of “Substance” in my Autumn Dance Card!
Not the only one either; The Big Man was up for this as well, so he picked me up at 6 for an inky drive down country roads to Frome. All plain sailing until we got into town, then we unfortunately encountered roadworks-affected road closures every which way we turned, necessitating us to practically circumnavigate the town and attack the venue from the other side! So, we arrived a bunch later than anticipated; (relatively) local boy Matt was already there, so we joined him just after 7.30 in his house right spot, half a dozen rows back, for a catch up before the intended 8 p.m. start.
And yup, Hooky and his charges didn’t keep us waiting too long, joining us bang on 8, and “on it” from the get-go with an Ibiza-tastic and superbly balanced-sounding synth dance opener “Vanishing Point”, Hook’s long-time Light oppo David Potts taking lead vocals on this one (as he did throughout on numbers requiring a slightly higher octave than Hook’s own stentorian, leonesque growl). The startling juxtaposition of heartfelt plaintive verse and crescendo overlay of a brilliant “Leave Me Alone” then segued into the unmistakable opening chimes of an equally marvellous “Ceremony” and the smooth sheet synth and pulsating metronomic beat of “Procession”, heralding the New Order “Substance “ chronological run-through, tracking their musical odyssey from brittle synth-embellished post-punk (e.g. “Temptation” and the Kraftwerk-esque “Confusion”), via the disco-powered game changer “Blue Monday” to their more recognised expansive full-on dance/ indie sound which pre-empted the late 80’s Madchester movement. All, of course, underpinned by the unique, low-slung bass note stylings of Mr. Hook himself, delivering an imperious performance and absolute masterclass in the art of the bass guitar. “Perfect Kiss” proved the centrepiece of the NO set; a little thin sounding and lacking the full synth swell in the early verses, it really gained heft and took flight after Hook’s mid-set monologue, a lengthy and brilliant circular denouement utterly startling, and honestly it could have gone on all night for me! Oh and yes, the frogs were as wondrous as ever too..!
“We’ve
got this far, fuck it,” growled Hooky before a final stomping “True Faith” and
a brief 10 minute pause, during which some fellow punters commented on my
sweaty Chameleon’s tee. I’d been giving it loads from the outset and hadn’t
noticed! In short order, the boys retook the stage to Kraftwerk’s “Trans Europe
Express”, kicking into the pounding and stark Joy Division set opener “No Love
Lost” and the wobbling riff and frenetic pace of “These Days”. The JD set was
of course rockier, more guitar based and moodier than the first set, the
embryonic NYC punky growl of “Interzone” an early highlight before I took a
breather at the back, taking the opportunity to purchase a splendid “Hooky 24”
tee before jumping back in for the excellent “Transmission”. However, much as I
hold Joy Division dear, along with my other early 80’s post-punk discoveries, I
not only lamented the absence from “Substance” of my favourite JD tracks
(“Disorder”, “New Dawn Fades” and “Decades”), but also wished the NO set could
have been the second played tonight…
However, I understood why it was this way around, as it afforded Hooky the opportunity to pay tribute to Light manager Peasy’s recently-lost mother (and, in fact, to “mums everywhere”) before a haunting, elegiac “Atmosphere”, then also give kudos to erstwhile New Order producer Quincy Jones, dedicating the inevitable, all-inclusive and excellent set closer “Love Will Tear Us Apart” to his memory. An utterly appropriate way to end another imperious 2 ½ hour performance from an utter force of rock’n’roll nature. Patience was rewarded with both parts of the set-list, before I chatted to fellow punters then we bade Matt farewell, a much easier drive home seeing Rich drop me off just after midnight. Excellent stuff again overall from another Mancunian rock legend; as long as Hooky’s putting in shifts like this, I’ll be there to see ‘em!
Nice to meet you at the gig, was a great night and you covered it well (thanks too for the nod to us commenting on your moistness)!
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