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Peter Hook: 'New Order was an empty shell'

Bass player reflects on band's demise

Peter Hook has spoken out about the last days of his former band New Order, claiming that a lack of communication had left the band "an empty shell".

Speaking as part of BBC Radio 2's New Order week, the bass player spoke about how relations between himself and frontman Bernard Sumner had broken down.

New Order split up last summer, apparently for the final time.

Asked by DJ Stuart Maconie about the prospects of the band burying the hatchet, Hook explained: "I've no idea really. Sometimes you wonder what you were arguing about.

"From what I can gather, Bernard was upset that I didn't go and see him to tell him that I didn't want to work with him anymore. To my mind it had gone.

"I had a manager and I was paying my manager 20 per cent, so got her to do the dirty work. I didn't see why I had to do my own dirty work. She told him in February and he never said anything, he just went, 'Right'."

Hook also spoke of his anger at the 'New Order' statement released by his bandmates that claimed Hook had gone to the press without telling the other band members he had left the band.

"I told him every night after the Brazilian tour that I wasn't going to do this again," Hook said. "I did Brazil for the money. I just felt it was like an empty shell, New Order. It really was for me. I can't talk for the others."

However, Hook went on to say that the process of remastering the band's five albums for Factory Records had given him closure on the turbulence.

"I must admit that when I listened to it, I was really proud of them [his former bandmates]," he said. "It did cheer me up because it made me realise that while we fight like kids in the playground we actually achieved something that we should all be proud of."
 

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Comments (14)

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barnyd 

Oct 2, 2008

they'll be back....

jeepcat 

Oct 2, 2008

"I did Brazil for the money". Now that's integrity. Does anyone care what this man has to say any more? Besides, why did he need the money? Doesn't he earn enough playing Shadrach Dingle?

lipgloss 

Oct 2, 2008

I miss New Order, absolute cracking band! I hope they can put their differences behind them, there's no doubt they should be proud of their output, not only as New Order but also as Joy Division.

tonyk 

Oct 2, 2008

have to agree with Hooky...the last album was shite jingly jangly pop. Should have ended it when Gillian left just like Joy Division ended when Ian "left". The early stuff was great though and have been listening to Hurt alot recently....that period of NewOrder was fantastic and musically exciting

RealMode 

Oct 3, 2008

i don't like this Peter Hook.

sunil00 

Oct 3, 2008

It's sad that New Order broke, thay are very good band I am a big fan of them, their last album WFTSC was a very ggod album not their best but still very good with great singes like KRAFTY, WFTSC, WHO'S JOE AND TURN, I hope they get back togrther and put aside their difference, new order rocks and it will always.

scott_evil 

Oct 3, 2008

Thanks for your commernt TonyK. But to be fair, the situation with Gillian was hardly the same. It wasn't possible for her to commit to the band full time because her and Steve's daughter's health problems.

ned5k 

Oct 3, 2008

Ian must be rolling in his grave because his mates can't even get along.

teddy965 

Oct 3, 2008

they need to be back.i can't think of a world without them.

chrispaz 

Oct 3, 2008

Shadrach Dingle! That is fucking hilarious jeepcat.

stefanburt 

Oct 3, 2008

@jeepcat why is doing a job for money have any impact on his integrity? Musician's at their core are commercial artists, but you need artistic passion to continue and it seems that the fire has gone out due to bad blood between the band members or they just ran out of things to say either way is a shame.

hness 

Oct 3, 2008

Peter Hook is full of shit....he didnt have the balls to tell a guy that he'd been working with for 30 years that he wanted out!!!! fucking dickhead...new order have been creatively dead for 15 years....did Brazil for money???? hahahahah....dont kid yerself mate and don patronise the rest of us...

tonyk 

Oct 3, 2008

I am not blaiming Gillian Scott_Evil...my point is when she left , for very good reasons, the feminity and vulnerabilty that she brought to NewOrder ended. They said when any member left Joy Division that the band would cease from that point. My point is NewOrder should have ended when she left. After Technique they did only 2 good tracks...Regret and Crystal...thats all. By continuing like some circus act they have damaged not only New Orders legacy but also Joy Divisions. Look at these new remasters they have just issued...just a rehash of tracks available before...they are just doing it for the money like Hooky said

Metania 

Dec 8, 2008

Credits to Hook for being honest instead of sugarcoating the facts with naive idealism! Thanks Hook for many good years and gigs!

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