Wednesday the 10th of June, Peter Hook and The Light performed at the Kelvingrove Bandstand, part of the summer ‘Big Nights Out’ lineup of concerts.
The Venue
I had never been to a concert at the bandstand before, and I was pretty impressed by the venue. It’s nice to hear music in the open air, especially during the summer. It was pretty packed by the time Hook was on stage and most of the crowd were standing. The bar was efficient and well-staffed and the whole place had a relaxed atmosphere, emphasised by the blue June sky and surrounding trees. It was still light outside for most of the set, which slightly dampened the excitement on stage; smoke machines and coloured spotlights just aren’t as effective in daylight.
The Music
Hook opened with Joy Division’s no love lost, followed by Digital. Digital is a great song, and it’s genuinely thrilling to hear Joy Division songs performed live by one of the original members. But about 20 minutes into the set, by the time Hook announced ‘Disorder’ in his Manchester accent, the thrill was starting to fade. There was something slightly uncanny about the music. the band all sounded great, but they were lacking the electricity, the manic energy of the original records.
Something else I found strange; Hook didn’t actually play the Bass much. The Light has two bassists, Peter Hook, and his son, John Bates, who seem to be taking turns on the instrument. Why is one of the most famous bassists in Uk music barely playing the bass? Hook mostly sung, and when he started to play his guitar, Bates then stopped playing and sauntered off to the back of the stage.
Hook cycled through more Joy Division hits (Transmission, She’s Lost Control, Atmosphere), then played a couple of songs from his band Monaco. With the opening bars of Shine, the gig immediately livened up, as Hook stepped back and actually played the bass, letting guitarist David Potts take over on vocals. Hook followed Shine with Monaco’s other single What Do You Want From Me? an upbeat electric track tinged with melancholic lyrics, played with a frenetic, almost aggressive energy from Hook and the rest of the band. For me personally, the two Monaco tracks were the best in the whole set, and after this gig I went and listened to Monaco’s 1997 album Music For Pleasure, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a fun electronic album, with a clear New Order influence but still maintains its own individual sound via the more rock-oriented guitar riffs.
Unfortunately, by the time Hook started covering New Order, I was considering leaving early. The flat, dull sound that punctured some of the earlier Joy Division covers in the set made a return, perpetuated by the unenthusiastic synth player and Hook’s lacklustre vocals.
The Performance
It was a slightly disappointing experience, but to his credit, Hook is still a great performer, with strong stage presence and an ability to interact with the audience and really get them riled up. My lack of enthusiasm was clearly not reflected by the rest of crowd, all of whom were up, dancing and screaming along throughout the gig.
Reflections
I left the concert feeling genuinely confused more than anything else. With Monaco, Hook has a whole catalogue of his own original work, songs that sound great live, and he’s choosing to perform as what is essentially a Joy Division tribute act. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s an attempt to capitalise on nostalgia, maybe he just genuinely prefers performing Joy Division/New Order songs. If that’s the case, then fair enough, but I can’t help feeling like it’s a bit of a waste of a good band. I’d much rather go to a Monaco concert.
Image credits: Lucy Rossiter
2nd Year Film+ Media and Journalism student.
