all-around-luna

Let there be light...

New Order and Joy Division are two sides of the same coin. When Joy Division ceased to be, New Order emerged from the ashes. It's the same band and it's not at the same time. After the loss of their lead singer, New Order took a different direction and the rest is History...

Peter Hook got this brilliant idea to bring back the soundtrack of his/our lifetime in one extended gig.

Last night, he and his band delived a beautiful and heartfelt moment of emotional joy, with an excellent choice of tracks.

Photo credit: Peter Hook & The Light

Part one : New Order

So this epic evening begins with an opening set of New Order songs. The venue is packed and the opening song "Thieves Like Us" is putting everyone in a dancing mood.

Soon to realise the selection of tracks is not what we expected at first and it's a very nice surprise. So great to get to hear "The Him" played live!

All the songs are faithfully delivered and yet they sound different. I guess the extraordinaty personality of Peter Hook is at the heart of this. He made these songs his and all we can do is follow him on his journey with bliss. The bass is melodious and high-pitched and the guitar quite rythmic. It's an unusual combination you find in Reggae and Dub too.

The set ends with the beautiful "Leave Me Alone", possibly my favorite New Order song. What a starter!

Part two : Closer

After a short break, Hooky is back with his band for more. The first song is the etheral "Atmosphere" and as we proceed through this legendery album I realise once again how beautiful and tragic the lyrics are. By the time we reach The Eternal, I've got tears in my eyes. The emotion is running through the venue, the crowd is in suspension. Such a beautiful tribute to Ian Curtis...

I'm loving the way each song is crafted, sometimes extended. It's authentic and it shows. Vocaly, Hook is not Curtis but so what? Nobody can copy the original anyway. What we got is one man's interpretation of the repertoire with brilliance and personality. Kudos!

Part three : Unknown Pleasures

Do you have some energy left for more? Well, Peter Hook does!

This is the brilliant fun part of this gig. The moment everybody is feeling liberated. And indeed, the crowd is going a bit wild, jumping up and down and singing along.

"Shadowplay" is the peak of this set together with "Lost Control". At this stage, we are one with the music. What more can you ask from a band?

So it ends with "I Remember Nothing".

But wait... The lights are still off, the crowd is roaring. And, yes, Hooky's back for encore!

This is mad.

The three last songs are "Ceremony", "Transmission" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart".

Are we still alive? I don't know, I can't feel my legs anymore :D

But I'm happy beyond words...

 © 2016