peter-hook-book

Peter Hook going on book tour to promote New Order memoir

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Peter Hook‘s new memoir, Substance: Inside New Order, is a no-holds-barred look at his 17 years in the groundbreaking band, from the days just after Joy Division ended with Ian Curtis’ suicide through their mid-’80s success and his acrimonious split with the band in 2007. For a band who had such an enigmatic persona during their creative heyday, the book rips that apart on page one, where we find members of OMD helping Hook get over his jetlag at the Pretty in Pink premiere party. “Turns out his cure… was the biggest line of coke I’d ever seen.” Apart from it being also the name of their 1987 singles compilation, this book is named Substance for a reason, painting himself and the other members of New Order as massive, out-of-control party animals. This is the indie-alt-rock Hammer of the Gods.

Hook is a funny, engaging writer and fills the book with asides on their gear they used over the years, offers track-by-track notes on all their albums (except Republic), a complete gig guide, great stories about their early trips to New York, and other tidbits that will keep fans reading through all 700+ page. Much of it, though, is devoted to Hook’s contentious relationship with Bernard Sumner who he both praises on a creative level while still repeatedly calling him a “twat”. You can play point-counterpoint with Sumner’s book Chapter and Verse but Substance is a much, much better read. It’s getting released in North America on January 31. Preorders are available now.

To promote the memoir, Peter Hook will be going on a short book tour, starting in NYC with a reading/Q&A at Saint Vitus on February 1 which is moderated by music critic Rob Sheffield. Tickets, which includes a copy of the book, are on sale now. He’ll also be at Long Island’s Book Revue on February 2 which is a free event. After that he heads to the West Coast. All dates are listed below.

Related, Hook’s old band are playing Radio City Music Hall in April.

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Peter Hook – 2017 US book tour
2/1 – NYC – Saint Vitus
2/2 – Long Island, NY – Book Revue
2/3 – Los Angeles – Regent Theatre
2/4 – San Francisco – JCC of San Francisco