Peter Hook & the Light
Enmore Theatre
Sydney, Australia
19 November 2022
There are few bands on this earthround that despite a short career span comprised of merely four years, have exerted the wide-reaching influence of Joy Division. Having presaged the genre that was to become gothic rock with Peter Hook’s trademark high-pitched bass lines and their idiosyncratic gloomy expressionist sounds, the members regrouped after the untimely departure of Ian Curtis to form New Order, which integrated electronic dance music into the mix and thereby established a slow-burning career, resulting in not merely becoming one of the most acclaimed bands of the 1980s but influential legends in their own right.
With Peter Hook & the Light being an entity with the authenticity of one of the founding members, formed to keep the legacy of both Joy Division and New Order alive, it shall go without saying that the announcement of their rare incarnations on terra australis resulted in the Australian leg being sold out almost instantaneously.
Easing us into the proceedings, the first component of the evening was comprised of an eclectic melange of synth-poppy New Order hits, before both of Joy Division’s stellar albums, i.e. the energetic yet melancholic Unknown Pleasures and the panic-ridden and passionate classic Closer, were celebrated in all their timeless glory with a spirit-filled, on point and dedicated performance.
With the ode to nostalgia being divided into four well-calibrated and curated parts, Peter Hook & the Light sounded tighter and more powerful than ever with Hook’s vocals being particularly impressive.
While not wasting an outrageous amount of energy on crowd interaction, the note-perfect fitting tribute performance elicited a sense of reverberating euphoric elation in the audience, including raving going on in the seated section and omnipresent anthemic sing-a-longs galore culminating in an emotional rendition of "Love Will Tear Us Part."
A fantastic evening and befitting tribute to the sound that has revolutionised music and a performance that was testament to the fact that the songs have only grown in appeal and esteem.
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photos courtesy of @k.a.vv
