Night One:
Photo: Helen Millington
Albert Hall, Manchester
Reviewer: Brian Gorman
Peter Hook and The Light made their ‘Easter Homecoming’
at Manchester’s magnificent Albert Hall. For Joy Division and New Order fans,
this three-day residency was an absolute godsend (Christian or otherwise). Nobody
can say that Hooky doesn’t give value for money, or forgets the origins of two
of the most influential British bands of all time (in which he was a founder
member, bassist, and co-songwriter). On Thursday, things kicked off with a
performance of each band’s debut album; ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and ‘Movement’. With
its beautiful stained-glass windows providing sparkling dances of light from
the setting spring sun, we were bathed in the atmosphere of a virtual pagan
celebration. Spacious, yet surprisingly intimate. For Peter Hook, life as a
legendary musician, and local hero, had now come full circle. Situated on Peter
Street, the Albert Hall is almost directly opposite the Radisson hotel,
formerly the Free Trade Hall. In 1976, Hooky and his future Joy Division
bandmates had attended the notorious Sex Pistols gig, a seismic event that
provided inspiration to the likes of the young Steven Morrissey, Mick Hucknall,
and many more proto punks. I thought Hooky might have said a few words about
this striking example of psychogeographic synchronicity, but he left the
talking to his trusty bass guitar.
Following a glowing introduction from Councillor Ann-Marie
Humphreys (Ceremonial Mayor of Salford), things blasted off with the classic No
Love Lost, from Joy Division’s previous incarnation, Warsaw. This was the
perfect choice to serve as an overture to Unknown Pleasures, with its doleful,
disturbing opening quickly evolving into a driving, hypnotic, angry assault.
Magnificent. Here is where it all started. All the clues are here. All the
pointers to the future. Innovative, startling, frightening, intriguing, and an
instant classic. Hooky’s voice has also evolved, and now has echoes of original
vocalist Ian Curtis. A great beginning, and the crowd loved it. Unknown
Pleasures’ opening track, Disorder, is up next, and we’re into one of the
greatest debut albums ever produced. Sheer post-punk beauty, with its brash,
confident, rattling evocation of a sci-fi tinged 1970s rain-sodden Manchester
streets. Hooky is in his element, looking fitter than ever, with the rock star
swagger, and (thankfully) having ditched the baggy shorts for tight black jeans
and heavy boots.
Photo: Max Stewart
Playing complete albums is always a little risky, with
the audience waiting for the big crowd-pleasers, and sometimes a little
impatient with the lesser-appreciated tracks. But, when those beloved songs
arrive, the atmosphere bristles, hands are raised, and the blood pumps. Day Of
The Lords, Candidate, and Insight follow, and are respectfully received, with
the die-hard fans relishing hearing them played live. The disturbing nature of
Curtis’ lyrics, combined with the Hook/Sumner/Morris arrangements prove just
what a tremendous creation Joy Division was, and how they managed to create an
album that was a classic from the moment it hit the streets. Next up is the
all-time favourite New Dawn Fades. This is the one that has everything, with
its simple, dark and foreboding beat, leading into a swirling, triumphant,
reach-for-the-stars epic mood before Curtis’ melancholic, distressing, and
sorrowful lyrics undercut things. It’s as if the music is fighting a losing
battle, yet keeping pace with the oppressive lyrics, catapulting the whole song
into another dimension entirely. This is as dark, tragic, and desperate as it
gets, and Hooky and The Light perform it as though written yesterday. There’s
nothing dated about this album, and it retains its awesome, soul destroying,
uplifting power.
The plucky opening bars of She’s Lost Control give the
crowd another chance to scream their approval, and prepare to bask in another
classic. Spiky, energetic, and anthemic. Then it’s Shadowplay, and here’s the
rock ‘n roll side of the post punk mood. A lighter tone, a more audience
friendly song, yet the unnerving lyrics once again demonstrate how under-rated
the track is. Lines such as “I did everything, everything I wanted to. I let
them use you, for their own ends” could never bring anything resembling a smile
to anybody’s face. I Remember Nothing brings things to a suitably unnerving
end. A bad dream of a song, and one wonders how on earth the young men of Joy
Division created such darkness without descending into deep depression and
despair. It’s hardly a sing-along party tune. And, we’re at the interval.
If Unknown Pleasures heralded the arrival of a whole
new sound, a clarion call for the ditching of aggressive punk, and the
embracing of considered, raw emotion and genius, with the promise of future
success, hope, and admiration, then Movement is an entirely different beast.
Following Ian Curtis’ suicide, barely a year after Unknown Pleasures, the remaining
band members continued as New Order, and picked themselves up to attempt to
rebuild their sound, and their lives. It is a curious album, and more than a
little jittery, nervous, tentative, and experimental. Once again, Hooky gives
us a track to serve as an overture to the full album. Procession is New Order’s
second single, released in 1981, and an obvious bridge from Joy Division to the
fledgling new band. It’s
another great choice, and despite the ever-present melancholic lyrics, it is
uplifting and triumphant, suggesting the band will come through the pain of
their friend’s death, and live on. The opening track from Movement is another
JD/NO hybrid. Dreams Never End suggests the creativity and ambitions of the new
band continue unabated, yet recognise the loss they have endured. It’s a
cracking song, with a confident, lighter tone, and a glorious triumphant
rhythm. The crowd love it, and we witness the ashes of Joy Division glowing as
a whole new animal is birthed. Following the immortal Unknown Pleasures, the
performance of Movement has the audience smiling, and respectfully soaking up
the tentative New Order sound, with its careful, wary steps towards the
perfect, dance and indie fusion that would burst into arrogant life on future
albums. For now, this is a rare opportunity to hear this intriguing album
played live, and to experience the nuts and bolts being reshuffled, and choices
made as to the nature and effect desired by a new dynamic. The Him is pure Joy
Division, and the sound is as distressing, dark, and terrifying as any Curtis
composition. The whole album is a real struggle, and one can feel the sadness
and loss. Unknown Pleasures had Curtis singing about the darkest and saddest
elements of the human psyche, but Movement combines those sentiments and
allusions with harsh reality. New Order could have easily descended even
further into nihilistic murmurings, and Movement was, thankfully, not a sign of
things to come.
With the audience a little subdued, it was time for
the encore. Hooky dedicated Atmosphere to the late Nora Forster, wife of John
Lydon, and delivered an epic, spinetingling rendition of the Joy Division
anthem. Following this with an early song, guaranteed to get the energy levels
soaring, the sparky, pulsating Digital, we were then treated to a sensational,
rousing Transmission, which got the balcony on its feet and cheering. This was
what the audience needed, and the cobwebs were completely blown away when the
opening notes of Ceremony began. A huge sing-along brought the evening to a
wonderful climax, with the unofficial Manchester anthem Love Will Tear Us Apart
threatening to take the roof off. Hooky and The Light (Paul Duffy, Paul Kehoe,
and David Potts) took their bows, with Hooky providing the icing on the cake by
ripping his shirt open, buttons flying, and flinging it out into the near hysterical
front rows. Departing the stage, to a recorded version of Blue Monday (a
curious artistic decision), the crowd slowly dispersed. Saddened, yet
simultaneously elated.
Reviewed on Thurs 6th April
4.5 Stars
Touching perfection
