Sunday, February 11, 2018

Peter Hook on Factory, New Order's 'Republic' + music history


Peter Hook debuts his Technique/Republic tour this September with a trio of dates in London, Manchester, and Glasgow. In promotion of the U.K. dates Hook appeared on BBC Radio in Manchester and chatted it up with Mike Sweeney. During the discussion Hooky talked about the early 90s era of New Order:

"Republic and Technique, they celebrated the acid house explosion, which obviously changed Manchester and the world culturally, there's parts of that in there, so there are some very good memories and some very bad memories with both, because that's when Factory went bust...

The thing is we were struggling internally, shall we say, so it was quite upheaval for us, but we'd been put through all the trials and tribulations of the Hacienda, and all the trials and tribulations of Factory, and to have the whole thing on our shoulders as it was with Republic was not fair...I mean it's amazing that we actually made a good record -- not my favorite New Order record, I have to say, but it was our best selling album of ours in America. Now take from that what you will, but the thing is it was more popular in America than it was in England, but they're both have a place in history, and I'm delighted to have got there"

Sweeney asked Hook about the early Factory days and if they realized they were creating one of the most important and influential eras of music history:

"It was wonderful it was like being on the crest of a wave, it's amazing really. The thing is you don't realize what you're doing while you're doing it. You know the most wonderful thing in the world is to do it for the right reasons, and to succeed at doing it.

The wonderful things that Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson did when we started, everybody knows the story, New Order supported all of Manchester for 16 years and entertained them...it's great to be an ambassador for that moment which did change the world culturally."


Stream the full interview with Peter Hook here.

Though the Technique/Republic tour debuts this year, he isn't done touring Substance yet. Hooky brings his Joy Division/New Order Substance tour to North America this spring with a show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 3rd. Tickets are available here.

Peter Hook - Substance tour

Apr 24 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Apr 27 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Apr 28 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Apr 30 -- Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
May 01 -- Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
May 03 -- Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
May 04 -- Chicago, IL @ Metro
May 05 -- Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
May 07 -- Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
May 08 -- Vancouver, BC @ Venue
May 10 -- Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
May 11 -- Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
May 12 -- San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
May 14 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
May 15 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
May 17 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
May 18 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern*
May 19 -- San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
May 21 -- Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades
May 22 -- Dallas, TX @ Granada
May 23 -- Austin, TX @ Mohawk
May 25 -- Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
May 26 -- Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine
May 27 -- Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
May 29 -- Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
May 30 -- San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
May 31 -- Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Jun 02 -- West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectable Street
Jun 03 -- Orlando, FL @ Plaza Live
Jun 04 -- St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre

Published February 11th, 2018