Make sure you arrive early

隆Make sure you arrive early!

Interview to Peter Hook by Diego Centuri贸n.

Translate: Marcelo Simonetti and Daniel Salinas.

We are a few days of the concert Peter Hook & The Light in Niceto Club. So "The 13th magazine" made contact with "The Lord of the Bass" and got this exclusive interview, thanks to the fundamental contribution of Ariel Soriano, also I have to thank Rodrigo Debernardis and Erick R. Vieyra. And thanks to Momer 360 for bringing Peter.

How do you get to the decision to go solo?

The decision to go back on tour happened when I wanted to celebrate the life of Ian Curtis in 2010.

Then, it had been 30 years since he died and I wanted to make a celebration of his music and his work. The idea was to play the album Unknown Pleasures just one time. But after it sold out very quickly we were invited to come and play all around the world. I am really enjoying it.

Do you miss Ian? Of course I miss Ian - every day I am reminded of him and ultimately he was a great friend, who I lost, so of course I miss him.

Do you think that Joy Division has the recognition it deserves?

I am happy with the level of recognition that Joy Division has. We worked very hard in the band on our music and I am happy that now, over 35 years later, people still listen to our music and we still get new fans every day. I am very proud of our music.

What would have been of the band with Ian alive, did you ever think about it? Did you expect that denouement?

If Ian had lived and the band had continued, I think it would have been very interesting. He was very interested in electronics and synthesisers so just like with the music of New Order, I think the music of Joy Division would have gone down the same road.

In the 70s you had Tony Wilson manifesting support to emerging groups who were trying to maintain a relative independence. What about the current music scene, where there are a few groups signing on major labels, and lots of new bands releasing stuff as independent productions?

Tony Wilson was a visionary. What he was doing with Factory Records, nobody else was doing.

Now, it is very different. There are not many independent record labels any more. Bands are signing to the major labels instead, and it is hard for the independent labels to compete. The music industry today is very different to how it was in the 1970s.

Compared to your youth, where distribution and consuming music was more “interpersonal� and craft, what do you think of this present with the social network and the possibility every artist has to release y distribute albums via internet, where everyone can access to it immediately?

The Internet is a fantastic thing because it means everybody is connected and information can be distributed very quickly and very effectively. It can be a very useful thing for artists who want to get their music heard by lots of people. However, the Internet also has a bad side because it unfortunately means that people can steal music, which is very bad for the music industry

The way you play bass is very distinctive. Maybe you can share that distinction with some others, like John Taylor, or Simon Gallup, among a few. Do you feel the influence of the 80s in the current bands?

I think so yes, you can definitely hear the influence of bands from the 1980s in today's music industry. There are a lot of bands today who have been inspired by Joy Division, New Order, The Cure etc... I am always very proud when a band says that they have been influenced by my bands, it makes me happy to know that your music can still influence people over 30 years after it was written.

What do you think about 80s and 90s revivals?

I think it's a good thing, I always think that it is a good thing to keep the music alive. I think it is a shame when great music is not listened to for a long time, it means that the fans are not happy and for that reason I think the revival over the last few years has been a good thing.

New Order has you distinctive bass sound. Now that you’re not in the band, what do you think about them going on?

It is true that "New Order" reformed and are now on tour again. But everybody knows they are not New Order and they never will be. I think their performances are very lazy - they play the same setlist every night, and they charge very high ticket prices for that. It is a shame because that means in my opinion that the public are not getting a good deal. This is why I am happy to tour with my band, The Light, because we can change our setlist all the time and make things interesting again.

Have you got new songs? ¿Did you think in recording new stuff?

Yes I am going to record new material soon with the people from my band The Light. I saw that the fake version of "New Order" are going to do it, and that has inspired me to do it too, so thank you!

You’re presenting as Peter Hook & The Light, Why not just Peter Hook?

Because it is not just me, I have a band! And I think it is important that the members of my band get recognition too - they do a fantastic job. The Light is my band and they are very good musicians and great people, so it is Peter Hook & The Light.

You will be in Latinamerica again, Do you feel any difference with other audiences?

The fans in Latin America are very passionate, and I think that in Latin America you can find some of the best audiences in the world. It is great to tour in Latin America because you always get a great audience who love the music so much. I am very excited to come back again this year.

Will you play something from Joy Division, and something from New Order? Maybe something from your other projects (Monaco, Freebass)?

In Argentina we will play both Joy Division albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, plus some singles like Transmission, Atmosphere, Dead Souls etc... Before that, we will also play a set of New Order songs to open the show, so make sure you arrive early! One day I would like to play the Monaco albums yes. I have David Potts from Monaco with me in The Light so one day I am sure we will do it. th

Thank you Peter. And we'll see you on the 29 .

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