New Order Reviews Peter Hook’s New Book on Joy Division

If you’re afraid that the chasm between New Order and their–ahem–estranged bass player is irreparible, I’ve got some bad news for you.  It is.  In fact, it may be worse that fans imagined.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview featuring Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert from the Telegraph.  They review Hooky’s new memoir, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division.

New Order are about to head off on the final lap in almost a year’s worth of touring. Also on the horizon when we meet is Lost Sirens. The fly in the ointment is Hook. The bass player appeared on that album. But since then, relations have deteriorated catastrophically.

“He’s given it his thumbs up,” claims Sumner. “I don’t think he’s got much choice. But we’ve just got to…” he begins, then sighs.

“It’s a bit like having blocked pipework in the house for five years. We need to get the pipes cleared and the plumbing working. We need to draw a line under so we can all move on.”

The band are vague on the specific reasons for his departure, citing only “mind games”. Hook subsequently claimed that the replacement bass player hired by the rump New Order was miming. He also threatened a “legal remedy” to the situation. In turn, Sumner, Gilbert and Morris are less than pleased at Hook’s performing entire Joy Division albums with a new band, The Light. They’re not too keen on his new book either, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division.

Gilbert and Morris have both read the memoir. Is it any good? “Well,” begins the mild-mannered Gilbert, “there’s a tendency when you write a book to portray yourself as the hero. And I think that’s very much the case in Hooky’s book.”

Has Sumner read it? “I don’t need to,” the singer replies evenly. “I can imagine.”

“You don’t really,” concurs Morris. “Because it’s every anecdote he’s ever told about Joy Division over the years.”

His wife frowns. “I thought he would actually write about things happening to him. But to me it just slags off everybody around him. It paints a horrible picture.”

“That’s why I don’t need to read it,” shrugs Sumner. “It’s patently obvious that he’s so bitter and twisted.”

“And especially with Ian,” says Gilbert. “I thought you didn’t speak ill of the dead.” 

Yike.  Read the whole thing here.