Peter Hook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peter Hook |
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Peter Hook & The Light performing in Germany in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Woodhead |
| Born | 13 February 1956 Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
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| Years active | 1976–present |
Peter Hook (born 13 February 1956) is an English musician. He is best known as the bassist and a founder of the post-punk band Joy Division. He also co-founded and played bass for their next band, New Order.
Peter Hook has a very unique way of playing the bass guitar. He often uses it like a lead instrument, playing melodies on the higher strings. He also uses a special sound effect called a "heavy chorus." In New Order, he would let keyboards or sequencers handle the main bass lines. This allowed him to play more melodic parts.
Along with Bernard Sumner, Hook started the band that became Joy Division in 1976. After their lead singer Ian Curtis passed away in 1980, the band changed its name to New Order. Peter Hook played bass with New Order until 2007.
Hook has also recorded music with other bands. He made one album with Revenge and two albums with Monaco. He also recorded one album with Freebass. For these bands, he played bass, keyboards, and sang lead vocals. Today, he is the lead singer and one of the bassists for Peter Hook & The Light.
Contents
Peter Hook's Life and Music
Early Life and Family
Peter Hook was born Peter Woodhead on 13 February 1956. His parents divorced when he was three years old. He and his brother Christopher were raised by their grandmother for a few years. In 1962, his mother remarried Ernest William Hook. Peter took his stepfather's last name, Hook. This is also where his nickname, "Hooky," comes from.
Because of his stepfather's job, Peter spent some of his childhood in Jamaica. Later, he returned to Salford, England. He went to Salford Grammar School there.
Forming Joy Division (1976–1980)
In 1976, Peter Hook and his childhood friend Bernard Sumner went to two Sex Pistols concerts. These shows inspired them greatly. The very next day, Hook borrowed £35 from his mother. He used this money to buy his first bass guitar.
Inspired by the concerts, Sumner and Hook decided to form a band. Their friend Terry Mason also joined them. The band was first called Warsaw. They played their first show on 29 May 1977. They supported other bands like Buzzcocks. The band later changed its name to Joy Division. Their first concert as Joy Division was on 25 January 1978 in Manchester.
New Order's Early Years (1980–1993)
After Joy Division's lead singer Ian Curtis died in 1980, the remaining members formed a new band called New Order. Peter Hook continued to play bass with them. The band stayed together until they first took a break in 1993.
In 1984, Hook recorded a song called "Telstar" with a short-lived band named Ad Infinitum. In the late 1980s, Peter Hook also worked as a music producer. He helped other bands like Inspiral Carpets and the Stone Roses make their music.
Music After New Order (1993–1998)
In 1995, Peter Hook toured with the Durutti Column. He also recorded one album with the band Revenge. Later, he made two albums with Monaco. In Monaco, he played bass, keyboards, and sang lead vocals. Monaco had a popular song in 1997 called "What Do You Want From Me?"
New Order Reunites (1998–2007)
New Order got back together in 1998. Peter Hook continued to play bass for them.
Hook also played bass on songs for other artists. He contributed to Perry Farrell's Satellite Party album. His bass playing can be heard on their songs "Wish Upon a Dogstar" and "Kinky." He also played a special bass line on Hybrid's 2003 song "True to Form." He even performed on stage with Hybrid during some of their tours.
Peter Hook also co-owned a recording studio called Suite Sixteen. This studio was important in the history of punk and post-punk music. A special plaque was put on the building in 2009 to remember its musical history.
In the mid-2000s, Hook often performed as a DJ.
After New Order Again (2007–2009)
On 4 May 2007, Peter Hook announced that he and New Order's singer/guitarist Bernard Sumner were no longer working together. This meant the band was effectively ending, though the band later said they had not officially broken up.
After this, Hook played and recorded an album called It's a Beautiful Life. He did this with a new band project called Freebass. In this band, he played with two other famous bass players, Mani from The Stone Roses and Andy Rourke from The Smiths.
Hook and David Potts also reformed Monaco twice in 2007. They played two concerts in Manchester. Hook's son, Jack, joined them for these shows. Peter Hook also worked with the Crystal Method on their 2009 album Divided by Night. In October 2009, Hook released a book about his time as a co-owner of the Hacienda nightclub. The book was called How Not to Run a Club.
Peter Hook & The Light (2010–Present)
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In February 2010, Hook opened a new club and live music venue in Manchester. It's called FAC 251 – The Factory. He sings lead vocals with his band, Peter Hook & The Light, at this venue. The club is located in the old main offices of Factory Records in Manchester city centre.
On 18 May 2010, which was 30 years after Ian Curtis's death, Peter Hook & The Light performed a special concert. They played many Joy Division songs, including every song from the album Unknown Pleasures. In 2010, Hook also released two EPs (smaller albums) as Man Ray. These EPs featured sounds from the Hacienda nightclub.
In 2011, Peter Hook & The Light released an EP called 1102 2011 EP. It included four versions of Joy Division songs. One of these was a previously unrecorded song called "Pictures in My Mind." This song was found on an old demo tape from 1977.
In 2012, Hook helped launch a new master's degree program. It was for Music Industry Management and Promotion at the University of Central Lancashire. This program helps students learn about the music business. Hook was also given an honorary fellowship from the university in July 2012.
On 29 January 2013, Hook published a book called Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division. This book tells his story of being in the band. In November 2015, news reports said that Hook was taking legal action against his former bandmates for using the name New Order. They later settled this outside of court.
On 6 October 2016, he released another book, Substance: Inside New Order. In April 2020, he worked with the virtual band Gorillaz. He was featured on their song "Aries" along with musician Georgia.
Peter Hook's Family Life
Peter Hook has two children from his first marriage: a son named Jack and a daughter named Heather. In 1994, he married comedian Caroline Aherne. Their marriage ended in 1997. He later married Rebecca Jones, and they have a daughter together. His son Jack has been the touring bassist for The Smashing Pumpkins since 2015.
In July 2012, Peter Hook received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire. This was during the graduation ceremony for the university's creative art students.
Peter Hook's Playing Style
Peter Hook has explained how he developed his unique high bass lines. When he first started playing with Joy Division, his speaker was not very good. He had to play the bass notes higher up on the guitar so he could hear himself. This was because Bernard Sumner's guitar was very loud.
As New Order started using more electronic sounds and sequenced synthesised bass, Hook's bass playing became even more melodic. He often used the higher notes on his bass guitars. Hook also sang backing vocals on many Joy Division songs during concerts. He sang co-lead with Ian Curtis on Joy Division's song "Interzone." He also sang lead on two New Order songs from their first album, Movement. These songs were "Dreams Never End" and "Doubts Even Here."
Peter Hook's Equipment
Bass Guitars
- Gibson EB-0 copy – This was Hook's very first bass guitar. He bought it in Manchester in 1976. He used it live with his early band Warsaw in 1977. He still owns this guitar today.
- Gibson EB-1 – He used this bass after his EB-0 copy. He later sold it.
- Hondo Rickenbacker 4001 bass copy – Hook used this bass for Joy Division's recordings from 1978 to 1980. He also played it live with Joy Division during those years.
- Shergold Marathon six string bass – He used this with later Joy Division and New Order.
- Eccleshall 335 Style Hollowbody 4 string bass – Hook has used this bass with New Order since the early 1980s. It has a hollow body, similar to another type of Gibson guitar. It has two pickups and controls for tone and volume.
- Yamaha bass guitars BB1200S and BB734. He currently tours with the newer BB734 model. In 2020, Yamaha released a special Peter Hook Signature Bass. It includes features from his BB1200S and BB734 models.
Amplification and Effects
In the early days of New Order, Peter Hook used a special setup for his sound. This included an Alembic F-2B preamp and a Amcron DC-300A power amp. These were connected to two large custom-built speaker cabinets. These cabinets can be seen in the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" music video.
In the earlier days of Joy Division, Hook used a Sound City L120 head and then a Hiwatt Custom 100 Watt head. He used these with a Vox Foundation speaker cabinet.
A big part of his unique sound comes from a special effect pedal. This is a chorus pedal, specifically an Electro-Harmonix Clone Theory. From 1990 onwards in New Order, Hook used Hiwatt 200 watt heads with Hiwatt speaker cabinets. When playing live with Revenge and Monaco, he used an Ampeg SVT amplifier. He currently uses an Ampeg SVT-CL with an Ampeg cabinet.
Peter Hook in Films
Peter Hook has been shown in two films.
- In Michael Winterbottom's 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, Peter Hook was played by Ralf Little. This movie focused on Factory Records.
- In Anton Corbijn's 2007 film Control, which was about the life of Ian Curtis, Peter Hook was played by Joe Anderson.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Peter Hook para niños
