PETER HOOK ON HACIENDA CLASSICAL: “THE THING ABOUT ME IS, I’VE BEEN RIPPING OFF ORCHESTRAS ALL MY MUISCAL LIFE, FROM JOY DIVISION WITH MARTIN HANNETT TO NEW ORDER”
It’s a rainy February day when I sit down to interview Peter Hook, aka Hooky as he is fondly known. Pet dog Millie jumps onto his lap and makes a lovely introduction. She’s happily wagging her tail as our interview begins. Fresh from rehearsal for his Peter Hook and the Light tour of New Order’s album ‘Get Ready’ in April, Hooky is bursting with energy and in high spirits.
The forthcoming Hacienda Classical 2025 live event in Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl in June is on the horizon. As part one of our interview begins, he lays bare his incredible story and his unconventional marriage of classical music to clubbing that Hacienda Classical is all about. From an unexpected start, it has transformed into a cherished cornerstone of Manchester’s musical heritage.
“I find Hacienda Classical quite fascinating,” Hooky begins. “It was first created by David Morales in America. He made a very small orchestral arrangement featuring classical interpretations of tracks we all know and love. You know, all the one-hit wonders. Graham saw what David had done and suggested we try something similar. At first, I was like, ‘Not a chance, why on earth would you want to do that’ but Graham worked hard to convince me, and eventually, we decided to give it a go.”
Hooky reflects on the unique experience of attending a club night with this kind of music. “The interesting part is that when you attend a club night featuring these tracks, its seamless there’s none you don’t know, you hear some amazing records, songs that evoke a sense of love and nostalgia. This was essentially Graham’s approach for the hour and a half of Hacienda Classical. I know there are loads of similar classical arrangements now, but it seems like anyone with two violins has suddenly become a classical.”
Hooky is keen to emphasise what sets Hacienda Classical apart.
“It’s still unique because it’s the only one that does it to a club mix. Pete Tong is more like a concert, there are stops and starts, and someone talks in between. The Hacienda is still the only club night. He presses go, and then we all stop an hour and a half later, exhausted because we never let up.”
With a sly grin, he adds, “The thing about me is that I’ve spent nearly all my musical life ripping off orchestras, piano, cello, we’ve been borrowing from them right from Joy Division we did it with Martin Hannet, and New Order without paying for years (laughs). Anyway, this is a nice way of turning the tables. What I soon realised, especially with the reactions from the Hacienda nights, was that when four or five people play in a group, they get a great reaction. But the reaction seems to be amplified by how many people are doing it, which is something I hadn’t realised.”
Discussing the technical challenges, he notes, “We had a 70-piece orchestra, which means there were 70 people involved. The actual sound was challenging to balance on a mixing desk to play live because of the delicate nature of these instruments, unlike rock guitars and basses banging it out. It took considerable technical effort to get it right. Once we achieved it, the feeling, the depth of feeling was incredible.”
Hacienda Classical has featured guest artists like Bez and Rowetta from Happy Mondays, Tim Booth from James, Melanie C, and original Haçienda DJs Mike Pickering and Graeme Park, honouring the club’s legacy with unique performances. This year, the lineup becomes even more exciting as Heather Small from M People and K-Klass join in, adding their iconic voices and dance energy to elevate the experience even further.
“When it comes to guests we have so many options to choose from. We try to change it every year and mix it up. Mike Pickering was the booker for around four or five years and one of the founders of the Hacienda with Rob and Tony, and Heather was in his group. It fits and it’s nice, we’ve got that bit of variety, so there’s the link. We know them well, and it fits. And it’s nice again because there’s a bit of a riot in K-Klass. They are fantastic, not only as DJs but also as a group.”
Hooky continues “Manchester has truly embraced us and taken us to their hearts, as they should,” Hooky says warmly. “I believe Tony Wilson and Rob Gretton would be delighted. We’ve become a fixture at Castlefield Bowl. This is our tenth scheduled performance, though we lost one due to COVID, making this our ninth. We’re the only act that has played this many times, with only one other band playing twice, James. All of our performances have been sell outs, which is wonderful. It’s the best compliment I could receive in Manchester.”
Even though he’s “retired from the hedonistic side of things,” Hooky still revels in the energy of live performances. “I love that there are always so many people around. You get to spend a lot of time with them, and I do it by osmosis.”
He reminisces about a recent experience. “During the last Warehouse Project party, I was delighted on one hand and slightly sad on the other that the youngsters were now outnumbering the older attendees, which is a real strength in Manchester’s culture. I’m so delighted that the Warehouse Projects have sold out three times on the trot. There aren’t many acts that have achieved that. Every time we announce a performance, it’s like one of those awful moments when you start waiting for the fall, but it just doesn’t happen. Everyone is like Hooky stop saying that. It’s just incredible.”
Looking ahead to the future, Hooky muses, “It will be a good celebration, especially since I’ll be turning 70 soon. I’m the only remaining member of the management team. It’s really amazing and quite mind-blowing.”
It’s evident that Peter Hook’s passion for music and creativity is as strong as ever. From his idyllic periods in Joy Division and New Order to his pioneering efforts on such projects as Hacienda Classical, it’s apparent that he is an ongoing search to surpass expectations. Manchester continues to welcome his work with open arms, and with his landmark birthday approaching, Hooky is a cornerstone of the musical legacy of his native city, still inspiring fans, defying expectations, and not missing a beat, or should I say, a bass line.
“We start our next project in March, and with all the commitments we have, I feel like I can’t get old because there’s always so much to do. When I was with New Order, the thing I hated was that they wouldn’t do anything. There was no joy in anything. They just didn’t want to gig, and it was heart-breaking sitting on 300-400 songs that we’d got and not being able to play them.”
“After we split up because of the debacle that became New Order, I started DJing, but I didn’t play New Order or Joy Division because it just didn’t feel right to me. It caused a lot of trouble (laughs). Being paid to play other people’s music was great, but I was really missing playing our own. When I got the offer from Factory Records to open the club and play as a band again, I went for it. That became our new path. When we started playing Joy Division as The Light, and I must admit nothing has made me happier. It felt like being set free because, from 1980 to 2007, people kept saying no to everything on my behalf. Now, I can do exactly what I want and I say yes to nearly everything (laughs), and it’s the best thing in the world.”
Reflecting on disbanding of New Order is yet one more milestone in Peter Hook’s career. The disbanding of the group was a painful process, compounded in-group conflict over artistic vision, fair pay, and inevitable group politics that happen in established bands. The breakup was professional in nature but profoundly personal in that a lot of years of work together established their face in alternative and electronic music.
“Ironically the weirdest thing about New Order, well I don’t even class them New Order anymore, I never will. Was that in our 50s and 60s we’ve toured more now than we ever did in our careers. It’s absolutely bonkers, In that period in the 80s and 90s when we could have made more money than sense, we never did. With New Order, it was like being addicted to anti-success. We’d been with bloody Tony Wilson for so long (laughs), and every time we started getting somewhere, we would mess it up and be like yeah, we’re getting somewhere let’s split up. We just managed to fuck it up. I mean, it’s just one of those things. It was like snakes and ladders.”
“I got a wonderful offer yesterday, which was really great. However, if I’d been in New Order they would have just tended to say no to these things. It’s this freedom that I relish.”
“Now when someone asks me, “What’s the best audience you want to play to?” I always remember when we played at the Tower Club in Oldham as Joy Division and no one was there. The barman swept the floor as we played. Then we performed at Glastonbury for 165,000 people. As long as it’s somewhere in between the two, I’m happy.”
Between these extremes of performing to empty rooms and massive crowds, Hooky’s journey has taken many unexpected turns. Curious about how he navigated these shifts, I asked him to delve further about his venture into DJing, a path that brought its own set of challenges and unexpected lessons.
“Learning to DJ was amazing because I didn’t start out as a DJ. Once, I was working with my partner on a track with the Factory. He said, “You put a second track on the CD.” I replied, “I don’t know how to.” He said, “Well, you better fucking learn because this track’s 3 minutes long. You’ve got 3 minutes to figure it out.” (laughs). God, I was stressed, but I did it albeit badly. It’s tough and people don’t realise how tough it is until they do it.”
“Now the great thing about DJing is that it takes you to some crazy places. I often say that DJing, it’s about having the balls to stand there and do it. I used to fly all around for three or four years, and it was fantastic. But every time you played, you never knew what reception you were going to get. Sometimes it was great, other times not so much. I’d fly to Argentina and there’d be no one there and I’d be like why the fuck you sent me here? (laughs). Then you’d fly home and play Wakefield and it’d be absolutely packed. Then fly to Peru and it’d be rammed and you’d be surprised again. Sometimes I’d fly out, listen to the support DJ and just think I’m doomed. It was heart breaking when you had a bad gig, and you’d just know it. There were times when I’d get there an hour before, and I’d think, “I can’t do this.”
The unpredictability of DJing clearly brought both highs and lows, with each gig presenting its own unique challenges. Hooky recounts the emotional rollercoaster of these experiences. Amidst the uncertainty, there were moments that tested his resolve and patience.
“Once, a kid came up and asked, “Are you going to play this stuff all night?” I said, “I’d only played one.” He went, “Well, you may as well pack up and go. I was after handbag house. Here’s your money and go” That was in London in Mahiki, I once got ejected within three minutes. It was crazy. So, I was leaving out the back door, and he went, “Hey, hey Hooky, come back here.” I thought, “Oh, yeah,” and I went back. Then to my eternal shame, he asked, “Could you sign my copy of Blue Monday?” (laughs) It was quite something and I fucking did. Everyone I’ve told this story to thinks I should have told him to fuck off but I signed it (laughs). So yeah, I’ve had a lot of adventures. I’ve actually started writing a book on DJing, called ‘How Not To Be A DJ.'”
As our conversation continues, I can’t help but wonder how Peter Hook stays inspired and keeps his musical palate fresh. With a career spanning decades and a rich tapestry of genres under his belt, I’m curious about the tunes that currently capture his attention.
“You know, there’s so much dance music now, the whole thing is swamped” he muses. “If you look at the amount of mixes, it’s incredible but its hard to find the good stuff. Many of the DJs we play with do a fantastic job and are true masters of their craft. It’s amazing but can be frustrating for younger talents to get through as there’s so many, but we want to see them shine. There are so many talented DJs now, which is wonderful. We’ve tried so many times to help bring them through, but it’s like when the Rolling Stones get on stage and announce a new song to a 100 thousand people, and the audience start booing. It becomes a challenge. We even call it the ‘Rolling Stones syndrome.” Hooky draws parallels to his own experiences, noting, “Even New Order, at their peak, experienced it, people like familiarity.“
There was a poll by Mixmag of DJs asking ‘What record do you put on when the night’s going wrong? What track will save you?’ Nearly a hundred percent of those asked said it was ‘Blue Monday’ now that is a compliment. Nearly everyone has their go-to track that can save the night. The hilarious thing is that I don’t even fucking play it! (laughs)”
As the first part of our interview concludes, there is no question that Peter Hook’s love of music and experimentation continues unabated. From the pioneering days of Joy Division and New Order to the rich experiment of Hacienda Classical, his resolve to push the boundaries of music is as strong as ever. With new projects and his landmark birthday looming, Hooky is as much a part of Manchester’s vibrant music scene as ever, his fans continuing to inspire and amaze as he keeps raising the stakes. Catch up again soon for part two of our interview when we discuss with Hooky how New Order’s “Get Ready” album and tour were devised.
