New Order's first two albums given serious live overhaul for exclusive rare concerts - now issued on download (as of 22nd April 2013)
9/10
Weather-wise, we chose the worst day of the year to travel from London to Manchester to see Peter Hook and the Light recreate songs from the first two New Order albums, plus any scraps from singles released during the same era. We could have stayed in London to watch the songs unfold at KOKO in Camden during the night before but, in true Factory/New Order tradition, we opted to travel to the spiritual home of these songs and make life difficult for ourselves. It was certainly worth the 80-minute delay on our train journey, caused by some nifty blizzards en route.
And what a choice of venue - Manchester Cathedral. Normally, churches and live rock music don't mix particularly well (poor sound, cranky acoustics) but I'll doff my thermal hat to the person who dreamed this evening up - it all sounded utterly superb. Beginning with In a Lonely Place and dedicated to the departure of a local friend, the band's intent was laid down as the mournful song unraveled itself with the trademark semi-tribal drums and wayward melodica spearheading the mood perfectly. Hook's vocals have been coming under fire from critics and observers for being gruff and atonal but, to be fair, if he'd attempted to sound like Sumner, he wouldn't have won them over either.
Ceremony sounded like it was written in 2013, not thirty years ago, a timeless track that still leaps from the traps and sets the scene for the first of the eight Movement songs, Dreams Never End, which sounded pin-sharp and powerful. Truth's stuttered electro-patter throbbed sweetly around the cloisters and arches within this iconic building. It has to be said - The Light can emulate New Order's original recordings. They and Hook weave in a few additional elements, namely extra oomph and passion, almost turning over a new page when comparing these versions to Martin Hannett's original production which many still argue stifled the songs. I've personally never been a fan of a few Movement tunes such as Senses and Denial but tonight they were given an audible shoeing that convinced all and sundry present that Hook and his band have clearly been working their socks off to replicate these songs without sounding like a tribute act. Chosen Time didn't quite ignite as I'd hoped it would but Mesh and Everything's Gone Green triggered some mild mosh-pit fever and sounded as special as they possibly could. After the fabulous intensity and disconsolate mood of The Him, Doubt's Even Here provided a little light relief with its near-tribal rhythms, pretty melody and trademark bassline. Overall, Movement worked a treat in this setting and the attentive audience seemed satisfied thus far.
If, at the halfway-point, the band were thinking that the second-half would be a breeze due to the largely machine-like entity of Power Corruption & Lies, they'd have been sorely mistaken - if anything, The Light had to step up a gear. Age Of Consent ignited more mosh-pit shenanigans and actually surpassed the time I saw the original New Order tackle it live some 28 years previously. But the real surprise for me was hearing the usually dreary We All Stand get a skanktastic overhaul. The transformation from leaden plod to trippy post-reggae canter evoked recollections of New Order's foray into the genre after covering Keith Hudson's Turn The Heater On for a Peel Session.
From The Village onwards, the whole gig took off and stepped up a gear. The majesty of both it and the excellent 586 filled the surroundings with happy faces and some seriously candid man-dancing - attempt any of those moves in your local Liquid and you'd get a pint-pot in the nuts. Your Silent Face predictably drew a collective sing-a-long of 'so why don't you piss off', while Ultraviolence soon became another highlight before the last pair from the album, Ecstasy and Leave Me Alone rounded off the final leg prior to the encore.
Hurt, Temptation and Blue Monday formed the final clutch of tunes and a great way to round off the evening. Aside from some more wayward melodica and Hook's tonsils starting to waver, all of the concluding trio saw the band continue to sound as though they'd just started the show - fresh and full of energy.
Critics of Peter Hook's decision to begin his assault on New Order's sacred canon might have felt justified if the past couple of year's worth of previous Joy Division shows had been a disaster but, according to most onlookers and on the strength of Manchester's spot-on show, it appears words may have to be eaten. If Hook announces a tour for these two albums in the coming months, check them both out first then grab your tickets quick. The only downer was witnessing dozens of blokes using the cathedral walls as a pissoir after the show - maybe more then three toilets (with lights) might have been an idea, eh organizers?
UPDATE - Album Review - Peter Hook and the Light - Live at Manchester Cathedral 18th January 2013
If you missed out on the above show or you want to re-live that freezing cold night (that got warm and sweaty by the end of it), then this is the release for you. With a resounding "evening all" and a personal dedication to a lost friend, this release covers the entire show, warts 'n' all, serving as an ideal document for an important gig. It's decent enough quality with only a dodgy bit of muffle on The Beach (interlude) and Blue Monday, otherwise a near-perfect transfer. Some of the tracks sound even better than on the night - Chosen Time, The Him, Procession and The Village are particularly lustrous.
For the tracklisting and to buy the download, head here to Play Concert
For more Hooky gigs, go to Allgigs here
9/10
Weather-wise, we chose the worst day of the year to travel from London to Manchester to see Peter Hook and the Light recreate songs from the first two New Order albums, plus any scraps from singles released during the same era. We could have stayed in London to watch the songs unfold at KOKO in Camden during the night before but, in true Factory/New Order tradition, we opted to travel to the spiritual home of these songs and make life difficult for ourselves. It was certainly worth the 80-minute delay on our train journey, caused by some nifty blizzards en route.
And what a choice of venue - Manchester Cathedral. Normally, churches and live rock music don't mix particularly well (poor sound, cranky acoustics) but I'll doff my thermal hat to the person who dreamed this evening up - it all sounded utterly superb. Beginning with In a Lonely Place and dedicated to the departure of a local friend, the band's intent was laid down as the mournful song unraveled itself with the trademark semi-tribal drums and wayward melodica spearheading the mood perfectly. Hook's vocals have been coming under fire from critics and observers for being gruff and atonal but, to be fair, if he'd attempted to sound like Sumner, he wouldn't have won them over either.
If, at the halfway-point, the band were thinking that the second-half would be a breeze due to the largely machine-like entity of Power Corruption & Lies, they'd have been sorely mistaken - if anything, The Light had to step up a gear. Age Of Consent ignited more mosh-pit shenanigans and actually surpassed the time I saw the original New Order tackle it live some 28 years previously. But the real surprise for me was hearing the usually dreary We All Stand get a skanktastic overhaul. The transformation from leaden plod to trippy post-reggae canter evoked recollections of New Order's foray into the genre after covering Keith Hudson's Turn The Heater On for a Peel Session.
From The Village onwards, the whole gig took off and stepped up a gear. The majesty of both it and the excellent 586 filled the surroundings with happy faces and some seriously candid man-dancing - attempt any of those moves in your local Liquid and you'd get a pint-pot in the nuts. Your Silent Face predictably drew a collective sing-a-long of 'so why don't you piss off', while Ultraviolence soon became another highlight before the last pair from the album, Ecstasy and Leave Me Alone rounded off the final leg prior to the encore.
Critics of Peter Hook's decision to begin his assault on New Order's sacred canon might have felt justified if the past couple of year's worth of previous Joy Division shows had been a disaster but, according to most onlookers and on the strength of Manchester's spot-on show, it appears words may have to be eaten. If Hook announces a tour for these two albums in the coming months, check them both out first then grab your tickets quick. The only downer was witnessing dozens of blokes using the cathedral walls as a pissoir after the show - maybe more then three toilets (with lights) might have been an idea, eh organizers?
UPDATE - Album Review - Peter Hook and the Light - Live at Manchester Cathedral 18th January 2013
If you missed out on the above show or you want to re-live that freezing cold night (that got warm and sweaty by the end of it), then this is the release for you. With a resounding "evening all" and a personal dedication to a lost friend, this release covers the entire show, warts 'n' all, serving as an ideal document for an important gig. It's decent enough quality with only a dodgy bit of muffle on The Beach (interlude) and Blue Monday, otherwise a near-perfect transfer. Some of the tracks sound even better than on the night - Chosen Time, The Him, Procession and The Village are particularly lustrous.
For the tracklisting and to buy the download, head here to Play Concert
For more Hooky gigs, go to Allgigs here