The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about to induct two of Britain’s most influential artists, but don’t expect a feel-good reunion when the lights come on.
As Joy Division and New Order prepare to be honored together, both groups’ founding bassist Peter Hook has made it clear that he won’t even be able to match his former bandmates on stage.
“No, no, not after what they did to me and my family, no,” Hook, 70, told Rolling Stone when asked if he would perform with Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert.
“I don’t support them. No, I couldn’t give it as (how it works). I don’t care. You have to have morals.”
Tensions between Hook and his bandmates date back many years.
After Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis died by suicide in 1980, the remaining members reunited as New Order.
However, Hook left the band in 2007, believing at the time that the group was over.
Instead, the other members reunited in 2011 without a hook, sparking a long legal dispute over royalties and use of the band’s name.
Hook, who hasn’t spoken to some of his former bandmates in more than a decade, says he’s still looking forward to joining the band in November, but it’s not their fault.
“There are so many reasons…because none of the other members of the band are there,” he said.
Hook wasn’t shy about how that influence still shapes his stance.
“If Bernard were to turn his head around and say, ‘Hey, Hooky, I’m sorry that eight years of legal battles cost you six years of wages. I’m so sorry. Maybe we should have talked about it.’
“So you never know, sweetheart. Life is full of surprises. It’s going to be a wonderful life,” he said, meaning it more than sarcastically.
The legal battle was finally resolved in 2017, but even if the settlement was on paper, there was no real settlement.
Hook said he hasn’t spoken to Sumner in 15 years, Gilbert in 15 years and Morris in four or five years.
Regarding the possibility of co-starring, Hook said, “It doesn’t look too good, buddy.”
“I think there’s someone you can’t stand, but you don’t know it when you look at her or her or anyone, and you think if you met her you would kill her.
“And maybe if she comes up and hugs you, you’re like, ‘Oh.’ So, how the hell would I know?”
Hook also dismissed the idea of a one-night truce for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“After what we’ve been through, we can’t just have a ‘truce overnight,'” he said.
“If you knew what we’ve been through, you wouldn’t even suggest that…There’s a lot of bad blood under that big bridge.”
Still, Hook left the door barely open, joking that famously feuding brothers and fellow Hall of Famers Liam and Noel Gallagher (recently reunited on Oasis’ comeback tour) might step in as “mentors” or “mediators.”
After announcing their appointment, New Order took a much more diplomatic tone in thanking their fans and reflecting on their decades-long career.
“From our beginnings as Joy Division to New Order’s evolutionary journey, this honor reflects nearly 50 years of resilience that has defined our path with our fans, collaborators, and those who are sadly no longer with us,” the band said in a statement.
“Not bad for some bands that had no idea what they were doing…”
