English rock band Peter Hook & The Light have announced “Joy Division : A Celebration”, a massive cross cross-continental journey taking them across the United States and Canada in August and September 2022 for their biggest and most extensive trek to date.
Formed in May 2010 by bass guitarist/vocalist Peter Hook, formerly of the influential post-punk bands Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook & The Light are said to be “doing a fantastic job of continuing Ian Curtis’ legacy and keeping Joy Division’s music relevant to the modern day,” according to The Mic Magazine.
Throughout his life, Ian Curtis, the lead vocalist and lyricist of Joy Division battled with both epilepsy and depression. A founding member of Joy Division since its formation in 1976, Curtis recorded two albums, Unknown Pleasures, and Closure, before taking his own life the eve of the band’s first North American tour in May 1980 at the age of 23. By October that year, the surviving members: vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris, regrouped under the name New Order.
Hook would remain with the band until 2007 citing personal disputes with the other members. During and after New Order’s 1993-1998 hiatus, Hook contributed to a number of projects as a member of Revenge, Monaco, and Freebass.
A newly released clip of Peter Hook & The Light performing “Ceremony” (one of the final two tracks Joy
Division wrote) at Christ Church Macclesfield in May 2015.
Peter Hook & The Light formed in 2010, tapping into Hook’s now 46-year songwriting and performance history, though their “Joy Division : A Celebration” will feature those two Joy Division albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer played sequentially in track order, early Warsaw (Joy Division’s first band name) material, tracks from the compilation LP Still to the final songs “Ceremony” and “In a Lonely Place” written by Joy Division which were to form New Order’s first single. One might also expect “Pictures In My Mind” to be performed, a Joy Division song that had been unreleased until Peter Hook & The Light’s 2011 debut EP, 1102.
To this day, the influence of Joy Division and their music remains strong in popular culture, credited for inspiring acts like U2, Interpol, and Soundgarden.
Since announcing the tour last summer both Chicago shows at Metro are sold-out and joining as special guests will be El Ten Eleven in Chicago (both shows), Boston, Silver Springs, MD, Philadelphia, New York, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
These first dates were originally scheduled for May 2020, but due to the pandemic have only just taken place in the UK and across France to great reviews and reactions from fans and critics alike to The Light’s dedication to and passion for the catalogue across what is a near three-hour show.
Returning for his ninth tour of the States with Peter Hook & The Light, Hooky comments: “We have always been lucky to have been appreciated as much as we have in the States, ever since our first tour in September 1980. I am hoping for much the same this time. There is definitely a great appreciation for both Joy Division’s & New Order’s music.”
August 11 – The Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ONT
August 12 – The Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ONT
August 13 – Club Soda – Montreal, QC
August 15 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI
August 16 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
August 18 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
August 19 – Metro – Chicago *SOLD OUT
August 20 – Metro – Chicago *SOLD OUT
August 22 – The Pabst Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
August 23 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
August 25 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
August 26 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
August 27 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
August 29 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
August 30 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
August 31 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
September 2 – House Of Blues Houston – Houston, TX
September 3 – House Of Blues Dallas – Dallas, TX
September 5 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
September 6 – Humphreys Concerts by the Bay – San Diego, CA
September 8 – The Theatre At Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA
September 9 – The Theatre At Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA
September 10 – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA
September 12 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
September 13 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
September 14 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
For details and ticket links go to www.peterhookandthelight.live
Daniel Warren Hill is an American musician, writer, and motivational speaker. He is best known as the frontman for Washington DC area Alternative Rock band YellowTieGuy, as co-founder of Capitol Groove Collective, and increasing the exposure of artists on a global scale through his work with Alchemical Records.
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