Peter Hook remembers his first impression of Ian Curtis: “I thought… this is the guy”

Hook was speaking on the first episode of new Joy Division and New Order podcast 'Transmissions: The Definitive Story'

Peter Hook has discussed his first impressions of Joy Division bandmate Ian Curtis.

Hook was speaking on the first episode of Transmissions The Definitive Story, a new podcast about Joy Division and New Order.

The podcast, which shared its first episode today (October 29), will feature interviews with Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert and Peter Hook alongside famous fans including BonoDamon AlbarnJohnny MarrLiam GallagherRadiohead‘s Jonny Greenwood and more.

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Speaking on the podcast of meeting Curtis for the first time, Hook remembered: “I met Ian at the Electric Circus. I can’t remember which concert it was. It might’ve been the Sex Pistols third gig.

“He was easy to spot, he had a donkey jacket with ‘HATE’ on the back in orange paint. When he turned round, if someone had shown you the front of him first and said what do you think this guy’s got written on his back? You would’ve gone ‘Pussycats… kittens?’ Not HATE in fluorescent capital letters.”

Hook added: “He was unique and he stuck out, shall we say. I went to his house which was in Stretford. Him and Debbie were living with Ian’s mother or grandmother at that time, they didn’t have their own place then… or they’d just moved in there temporarily.

“Ian showed me his PA and said ‘Hey, have you heard this new Iggy Pop album? It’s just come out this week.’ I’d never heard Iggy Pop before. He played ‘China Girl’ off that album and I thought it’s great, and fell in love with it straight away and I thought… this is the guy.”

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Earlier this month, a new Ian Curtis mural was unveiled by Peter Hook in Manchester. The artwork was revealed on October 9 mark World Mental Health Day and the start of the city’s Headstock Weekender festival (10-11).

Sam Riley recently opened up to NME about the “pure terror” of playing Ian Curtis in 2007 biopic Control.

“I was absolutely terror-stricken,” Riley said of the live gig scenes in the film, which were played to fans from Joy Division forums. “But then we realised, because we played [the fans] lots of songs that day, that they were behind us. So it went from pure fear to realising that we might actually pull it off. But it was a rollercoaster.”

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