Enmore Theatre, Sydney
24 May 2024
Reviewer : Justine Grainger
Photographer : Kevin Bull
Peter Hook is a frequent visitor to this country, and stepping in the sold out Enmore Theatre you can see why. The music of New Order and Joy Division is held deeply and warmly in the hearts of Australian audiences, and the opportunity to hear this music live by ‘Hooky’ has brought them out in droves.
The setlist tonight was a big one, 31 songs broken near equally between the New Order first set and the Joy Division second. Focused squarely on each band’s Substance retrospectives it delivered all the expected hits plus a few unexpected gems. For those in attendance it was a welcome mix as the opening song of the night showed, ‘In A Lonely Place’, the B-side of New Order’s debut single ‘Ceremony’. Incidentally, the opening of the Joy Division set was ‘No Love Lost’, and cut from the band’s debut release, An Ideal For Living, and one that only appeared on the CD version of Substance. These deeper cuts were the cherry.
Naturally, songs like New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Shellshock’, ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ and ‘True Faith’, and Joy Division’s ‘Transmission’, ‘She’s Lost Control’ and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ were enthusiastically welcomed. To that point, it was noticeable just how engaged the crowd were with the older Joy Division songs, in particular the raw punk force of ‘Warsaw’ and ‘Digital’. Peter Hook drove that Joy Division set with his forceful bass, lifting the masses.
So following a train ride down from the Central Coast with a backpack full of roadies, a Lebanese tasting plate, and well over two hours of wonderful live music, I come away feeling that this was a well planned Friday night. Peter Hook delivered the New Order / Joy Division legacy with passion and respect, and it was a joy to spend the evening with him tonight.
