Peter Hook says “the animosity is obviously still there now” with New Order and that fans DM him complaints about “bad cover version” band
"I don’t think they’re New Order" The post Peter Hook says “the animosity is obviously still there now” with New Order and that fans DM him complaints about “bad cover version” band appeared first on NME.
Peter Hook has said there is still “animosity” with New Order, and revealed that fans still message him about the “bad cover version” band.
The bassist was a co-founding member of Joy Division, who would later regroup as New Order following the death of frontman Ian Curtis. Hook departed New Order in 2007 due to friction with his bandmates. There had also been a row over royalties.
- READ MORE: “It felt like we were changing the world”: inside New Order’s seminal ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’
During a new interview with The i Paper, Hook shared his thoughts on the current iteration of New Order – who replaced him with Tom Chapman on bass duties. “I don’t think they’re New Order,” he said.
“They don’t sound anything like them. I’ve watched them play songs [online] recently, and they’ve dropped the basslines and play it like some weird, bad cover version of a New Order track.”
Hook added: “So the animosity is obviously still there now.”
When asked if he thought that his ex-bandmates removing his parts was a dig at him, he responded: “Well, do you think it makes the song better?”
He went on to reveal that he still receives online messages from fans about New Order. “They’re like, ‘You can’t hear the bass!’,” Hook said. “Obviously, there is a certain smugness one could adopt. But I’m, obviously, way above all that.”
Hook also criticised the remaining members for not publicly acknowledging Joy Division’s nomination for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year. The two bands appear together on the 2025 longlist.
“I think it’s an insult for fans of both bands,” the musician told the newspaper
However, Hook confirmed that he planned to attend the ceremony if the groups made the shortlist. “I tell you, I’ll be there,” he said. “But I think I might be on my own.”
The bassist then joked: “I believe they tried to buy a boxing ring and three pairs of gloves. Straight to MMA!”
Additionally, Hook looked back on the tragic death of his former Joy Division bandmate Curtis – who took his own life in 1980, aged just 23.
- READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: Peter Hook
“We didn’t grieve enough,” he remembered. “I wish we’d have grieved him more. But we were allowed to sort of ignore it because we were so young.”
When asked how they coped with the loss, Hook replied: “Literally, all we did was gather as a group in a pub and sit there. Then we just threw ourselves into New Order and sort of erased before.
“It’s like getting rid of old pictures of your ex-girlfriend – ‘No, never had anything to do with that!'”
New Order and Joy Division earned a joint nomination for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2023. At the time, Hook said that being inducted could be an “olive branch” between him and his estranged ex-bandmates.
New Order and Hook reached a full and final settlement over their royalties dispute out of court in 2017.
New Order’s 10th and latest studio album, 2015’s ‘Music Complete’, is the first full-length project from the group to not feature contributions from Hook.
However, the bassist continues to perform New Order and Joy Division material live with Peter Hook & The Light. This week, the band will play New Order’s 2001 album ‘Get Ready’ in full on a brief run of UK gigs. You can find any remaining tickets here.
In late 2024, New Order addressed rumours that they were on the cusp of sharing a new album and announcing details of a 2025 world tour. No such news has been shared as of yet, though.
Earlier this year, the band performed their classic single ‘State Of The Nation’ live for the first time since 1987 at a show in Japan.
The post Peter Hook says “the animosity is obviously still there now” with New Order and that fans DM him complaints about “bad cover version” band appeared first on NME.
