Hook and his New Order bandmates were locked in legal battle over royalties, but settled in 2017
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Peter-Hook-ofPeter-Hook--the-Light-performs-onstage-042226-a8df7b4827df4769a8bfcb6c0e5c15cc.jpg "Peter Hook of Peter Hook & the Light performs onstage during a concert at OVO Arena Wembley")
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NEED TO KNOW
- Peter Hook says he will not stand with his former New Order bandmates at the Rock Hall induction
- Hook left New Order in 2007 and was later in a legal battle with the band over royalties and assets
- The bassist said the likelihood of a performance together “doesn’t look good”
Joy Division and New Order are being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with a heavy emphasis on division — and not so much joy.
Peter Hook, the founding bassist for both groups, has not spoken to his former bandmates in years, and told Rolling Stone in a new interview that he does not plan to stand beside them during their Rock Hall induction.
“No. No. Not after what they did to me and my family, no,” Hook, 70, said of bandmates Gillian Gilbert, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner. “I won’t stand with them. No. I couldn’t give a s–t [how it would work]. I’m not bothered. You’ve got to have morals.”
Hook left New Order — which the three surviving Joy Division band members formed after the death of frontman Ian Curtis in 1980 — in 2007, saying in an interview last year that he believed the band was breaking up. Instead, they reunited without him in 2011 and a legal battle over royalties ensued.
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Though the disputes were settled in 2017, Hook has continued to speak out against New Order, and has criticized the quality of the band’s music without him.
“It’s hilarious because [fans] come to me complaining about [the current lineup]. I go, ‘What the f–k? Why do you think? I’m here and they’re there. Just don’t go!' The answer is, don’t go,” he told Rolling Stone. “If it annoys you, don’t go. Don’t give them your money. It’s a very strange predicament to be in.”
Hook told the outlet that he is looking forward to his Rock Hall induction in November “for many, many reasons… not one other member of the band is a reason.”
When asked whether his bandmates will show up, Hook said he’s heard “rumors,” but doesn’t feel it’s his place to say. He also rejected the thought of performing with them, saying what happened between the musicians is “very sad.”
“It doesn’t look good, mate,” he said of the possibility of a performance. “I’m sure there’s someone you can’t stand, and you don’t see him or her or whoever. You think you’d kill her if you came across her. And chances are if she came up and gave you a hug, you’d go, ‘Ohhh.’ So how the hell do I know?”
He continued, “If Bernard pops his head around and goes, ‘Hey Hooky, sorry about that eight-year legal battle that cost you six years’ wages. I’m really sorry about it. We should maybe have just had a chat about it.’ So you never know, dear. Life is full of surprises. I’m sure that could be a lovely one.”
The bassist then quipped that Liam and Noel Gallagher, brothers who put their longtime squabbling aside for a successful Oasis reunion tour last year, could serve as “mentors” and “intermediaries” for New Order.
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“You can’t just go ‘truce for the night’ after what we’ve been through,” he said. “If you knew what we’ve been through, you wouldn’t even suggest it. That’s the thing. Nobody knows what you went through. There’s a lightness to it in that respect… There’s a lot of bad blood under that very big bridge. "
Hook said he hasn’t spoken to Sumner, 70, in 15 years, Morris, 68, in four or five and Gilbert, 65, in 15 years.
When the group settled their legal disputes in 2017, New Order said in a statement that the battle was “based upon Hook’s use of various New Order and Joy Division assets on merchandising and in the promotion of shows by his new band, and the amount of money he receives from the use of the name New Order by his former colleagues since 2011," according to the Guardian.
In a statement shared to Instagram after the Rock Hall inductees were announced, New Order shared a statement expressing gratitude for the decision.
“From our beginnings as Joy Division to the evolving journey of New Order, this accolade reflects the resilience across nearly five decades that has defined our path alongside our fans, our collaborators and those sadly no longer with us,” the band wrote. “Also to everyone who has listened, supported and continued to carry our music forward. Not bad for a couple of bands that were never entirely sure what they were doing…”