A couple of weeks ago when my editor at Newcity asked if I'd like to do a phone interview with Peter Hook for his upcoming DJ gig (tonight) at SmartBar, part of me wanted to turn it down. I wanted to cover it from a writing stand-point, but suddenly I started to develop this odd interview phobia. In my mind I kept thinking, "what the hell am I going to talk to Peter Hook about??" ('hey, remember that time when you were in Joy Division? ..unm..yeah,...that was awesome. Oh, and I really like that 'Blue Monday' song, too...did you play bass on that?'')
It wasn't like New Order or Joy Division was one of my all-time favorite bands, but still, I've dug both bands for years and the thought of having to come up with questions that he hasn't already heard a million times seemed a bit daunting.
Long story short, I bit my lip, accepted the interview request and...
It totally went fine. In fact, it was actually quite enjoyable. Once the interview started, my nerves completely went away, Hook was funny and easy to talk to and I got more than enough material for the feature. There were a lot of great quotes that I wasn't able to squeeze into the Newcity piece, so I've also posted the complete transcript of our conversation below. It's a bit long (the concise print version can be found here), but I thought Hook's musings about DJs ("I thought they were all twats") Chicago ("it's very homely") and Billy Corgan (Hook's airport chauffeur?) were worth printing in their entirety. Also after the interview, download an MP3 from a while back with a classic Peter Hook bassline that you may have missed. (hint: it's not New Order or Joy Division)
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So, how long have you been touring as a DJ over here (in America) now?
This is the third time I've been [over here] actually...
Really? For some reason it seems like you’ve spun at SmartBar like 4 or 5 times already
(laughs)...That’s because Joe [Shanahan] (owner of Metro/SmartBar) is an old friend really…New Order started there in 1981 and we’ve had a relationship ever since really. He’s promoted a lot of our shows. He always says if we’re going to play anywhere, I should play with him. So I’m very lucky…and I get preferential treatment.
Everyone is making their end of year lists now, has there been anything that has excited you musically in the past 6-12 months? ...anything that makes you want go to the record store and buy new 12”s??
Hmmm….I mean, I’m a great consumer. I’m in sort of lucky position where people send me a lot of stuff anyway…I listen to a lot of radio. And one of the great things about the Internet is that in a matter of time, you can track anything down. I’m still a great fan of dance music. I find sometimes the fact that being in a group like New Order; whenever you play people just want to hear your old stuff. Sometimes it's a bit wearing...so I try to keep a balance between new and old. I try to throw in new dance music because it’s my main love, if you like.
Anything that comes to mind [specifically]?
Oh god, umm...Royksopp, Fischerspooner, loads of people. I find a lot of dance music that’s being made by people [I don't know]…you know, just one-off records I seem to come across. You just can’t remember their bloody names. I’ve got a gig tonight in Manchester and I’ve just been collecting some stuff to play…well, a couple of them are by Milo, which I’m a great fan of. A lot of the other stuff is people I’ve never bloody heard of, you know? It’s like oh shit, man you got all these fucking names you can’t remember.
I read that you originally didn’t want to play New Order tracks when you started DJing…I’m guessing it was because you felt a little weird and/or sheepish about playing you own music?
Well, it’s been embarrassing to be honest, it’s different when you’re in a group...It’s OK to sing along with other people, but not OK to sing along with your own somehow. I think there is a way of finding a balance…in the people want you to play and the things that spur you on. I do try to do that…
You’ve said that the drunken requests can be quite annoying at times, though??
It is a problem…because it depends on how diplomatic you are. I find that since I’ve stopped drinking I’m a helluva lot more diplomatic. Better than in the old days… [before] it was just, ‘fucking hell…you think I’ve flown 500 miles to have you tell me what to play?? Fuck off!!’ What I love about Americans is how surprised you are when we say no. It’s quite odd…it’s one of those things. I’ve always asked other people how they deal with it and most just say, ‘yeah…I’ll play it later’ and hope that people forget. But inevitably you get one who won’t go until he gets what he wants. It’s not too bad…I think maybe in the position of inverted common celebrity DJ, I think there’s a sort of culture that people don’t expect much from you. Because it’s like a second job…
Speaking of celebrity DJing…it seems to have really taken off lately and sort of become it’s own thing. This wasn't going on ten years ago, right?
No, it wasn’t. It’s a very recent thing. The sort of problem you have is that there’s a certain novelty about you...'lookin’ at the old bloke that used to be in a group.' You still do have to pull it off…if you want to go back. Most people will have you as a curiosity, it’s a bit like a freak show. If you want to go back and make some kind of career out of it…you do have to deliver really. I was amazed when I began…how difficult it was. It’s not easy. That really surprised me because I thought they [DJs] were all twats. I was so convinced that they were all arseholes…but it was an absolute pleasure when I realized that I too could be an arsehole. Even more so than I was already. I never ever appreciated it. It’s one of those things…it’s like when it goes well you never notice, you’re just great. But when it goes badly it sticks out like a sore thumb. I must admit that it’s a very exciting thing to do because you do it alone. Nobody to hide behind. You don’t have an instrument to hide behind. And people can actually get to you. When you’re in a group they can’t get anywhere near you.
It seems like you’ve really taken a liking to it though, is this something you’re going to stick with for a while?
It is very enjoyable. The great thing about America is that you’ve got so many bloody places to go to. I really… I must admit that the only place that I’ve played every time is Chicago. Nowhere else. It’s just Chicago because of Joe…it became a little home from home. When you’ve done a few places that you don’t know, with a lot of people that you don’t know, it was always nice to have Billy Corgan waiting for you, you know when you got to Chicago. It was quite nice to see people you know. It’s like a nice little oasis in the middle…I think it’s a wonderful place, I think it’s very homely.
Any updates on your Freebass project?
We’re actually having our Christmas [get together] tonight. We’re going out for Chinese and then all DJing together at a club in Manchester. It’s coming along…we had a singer who unfortunately seems to have disappeared. Now we’ve got some time…I was talking to a singer quite a lot and he’s got loads of idea together…and lo and behold we actually got some time and we can’t find the bloody singer. Hopefully we won’t have to go back to square one and he will be out there somewhere, God bless him. It’s on its way...people are very interested in the fact that you’ve got 3 bass players together. Again, I suppose we’ve got the curiosity freak value going for us.
So there’s really going to be three bass parts going all at once all the time?
It works quite well, because I play very high, Mani plays low. Andy plays guitar on a couple tracks, but there are like 4 or 5 tracks where we play bass together…and it works! Very jungle rhythm…quite funky. Amazingly or unamazingly it sounds like a cross between New Order/Joy Division/Primal Scream/Stone Roses/The Smiths/Badly Drawn Boy…you know? It’s like a complete hybrid of the whole thing.
How do think 2006 went…what are your resolutions/aspirations for 2007?
(laughs)…Well, I’m actually quite behaved these days. So my resolution will be the same as it was last…well, actually my resolution for last year was to work really hard, which I did. And I nearly killed myself from exhaustion. So this year I’m going to take it a little easier and be a little more choosey. Because New Order always say no to everything, whenever someone asks me to DJ - whether it be a Bar Mitzvah or someone’s coming out do - I do it. Anybody who asked me [this year] got a yes. Myself, my wife and my children have decided this year that I’m going to say no to a few people. I literally did 200 gigs last year. So…my resolution is to take it a bit easier and spend more time with my family this year.
So…2006, good year or bad year?
It was great! It’s going to be great for me...I’m going to pay off my crimpling tax bill with which was doing my head in...as it had been for every year for the past ten years. So all my hard work was worthwhile!
Download: Monaco - "What Do You Want From Me?"
(Monaco was a short-lived Peter Hook side-project from the mid-90s. It didn't garner much critical acclaim, but this song is four minutes of pure pop bliss -bk)
Great chat -- you're a lucky bastage for getting to talk to Hooky!
Did you get any vibe off of him as to whether New Order is through? Word of that has been going around....
Posted by: Steve | Sunday, January 07, 2007 at 01:20 AM