Founding member of Joy Division plays classic albums in sell out Reading show

Peter Hook & The Light Sub 89Friday, April 28

There is some music and there are some lyrics that resonate and become a major part of your life. For many people one of the bands that created some of the most atmospheric, emotional and powerful music and words ever is Joy Division.

It’s therefore not surprising that when a founding member of the band, Peter Hook, announced that he was going to be playing the band’s two albums in full at a tour that included a Sub 89, Reading date, it sold out very quickly.

The albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, have been an important part of my life since I saw Joy Division live before the sad death of vocalist, Ian Curtis. I therefore approached this gig with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. How great it would be to see these albums performed live but would it be a let down and damage the memories.

With the show about to start, I made my way close to the stage and the band came on to open with a set of some New Order classics (the band formed by the remaining members of Joy Division).

Oh my goodness, what a start to the night. Peter Hook led his band of excellent musicians through a great selection including a brilliant performance of my fave New Order song, The Perfect Kiss, which had the audience dancing and singing along.

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There was then a very short break and with Sub89 now very full I wasn’t moving from my spot. That opening set had so blown me away that I couldn’t wait for those Joy Division albums. My fears about whether this could be a let down were soon gone.

From Disorder, the opening song on Unknown Pleasures to the final song on Closer, the intensely moving Decades, the band performed every song perfectly lifting them even higher with their powerful and emotional playing.

It was quite clear how much these songs still mean to Peter Hook but you could also see how much they mean to his band members, many of whom would certainly have been too young to see the original band.

The emotional intensity of the performance was clearly felt in the audience with everyone watching transfixed with many singing along to those words that meant so much.

The band then returned for an encore of four non-album songs and it was as if all the pent up emotion was released as the transfixed crowd turned into a joyous mosh pit with everyone dancing and singing along wildly especially to that inevitable final song – the classic Love Will Tear Us Apar.’

What a night. The music of Joy Division and New Order will always live on, especially with incredible performances like this one. Peter Hook & The Light will be performing both band’s Substance albums at Hammersmith Apollo on October 14. That could be well worth a trip.

Have a listen to a playlist of the Sub 89 set list at https://spoti.fi/41LvvBA