Peter Hook and friends are in Edinburgh this evening for the Scottish leg of a 9-date tour of the UK, performing the 2001 album Get Ready in its entirety, plus a ‘greatest hits’ of Joy Division and New Order tracks afterwards. What a show it promised to be and it was one well worth waiting for.
Tonight’s stage times were given as 8pm to 11pm, and with no support that means a 30-track show of well over 2 hours of New Order and Joy Division music that would satisfy the most ardent of fans.
Firstly, the Get Ready album. It was the seventh studio album by New Order, released in August 2001 and it would be the last album featuring the original line up. Top 30 singles Crystal and 60 Miles an Hour opened the album, and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Hooky and the band were up for this, proclaiming how much they love coming back to play north of the border, to which the packed crowd responded positively! With everyone now well primed, the band continued to run thru the record. Turn My Way, Slow Jam, Someone Like You and Run Wild brought the album to a close, and it was time for a break, appreciatively accepted by the Corn Exchange audience.
Second set this evening was tailor made for Joy Division fans. Formed in 1976 by Hook and Bernard Sumner, they took inspiration to form a band after attending a gig featuring The Sex Pistols around the start of punk in the mid-70s. Drummer Stephen Morris and front man Ian Curtis completed the line-up. Originally called Warsaw, the band changed its name to Joy Division in 1978 to avoid confusion with another London based band. To this day The Joy Division are held in cult status with indie music fans around the world.
Classic tracks such as New Dawn Fades, Isolation, She’s Lost Control, Transmission and Decades gave the fans just what they wanted to hear. Hooky’s vocal taking the place of original singer Ian Curtis, and he does the job admirably. A few more New Order numbers, Doubts Even Here, Leave me Alone and the outstanding Regret before a fabulous rendition of What Do You Want from Me, a track by Monaco which was a side project for Hook and David Potts during their time at New Order. Time for another break, with the atmosphere reaching fever pitch!
As if we haven’t been spoiled enough the band return for a finale of three more tracks. The classic track that everyone thinks of when they talk of 80s music, Blue Monday, Bizarre Love Triangle and closing with the ultimate Love Will Tear Us Apart, which had everyone in the old cattle market on their toes and in full voice before Hooky and the boys said their farewells and the evening was over.
A tremendous evening of well over two hours on stage, thirty songs and every song played with 100% conviction, desire and passion. Peter Hook has been at the forefront of the British music scene for over 40 years now, firstly with The Joy Division and then integrating into New Order and he just seems to get better and better. A performer at the top of his game, obviously loving the feedback from his ecstatic Scottish fans. What a gig!
Review & Photographs by Stephen Wilson Photography
