It’s always important to know before you book a ticket that Peter Hook and the Light concerts are never for the faint-hearted. 30 songs and 150 minutes of music is a mammoth feat for any band, but not least for a man who has been in the music business for quite as long as Peter Hook. It shows a true dedication to the fans, but it also requires a fair amount of stamina from audience and performers alike. But stamina has never been a problem for The Light.

In a tour that has taken them to some of the more obscure venues across the country (I love Holmfirth, but how often do you see New Order heading there?) The Light could be forgiven for showing a little wear and tear. At most, the only sign of their slowing is Hooky’s shoulder injury, still not entirely recovered and requiring the presence of a third bass player on stage. It is slightly disappointing not to see such an icon of the instrument playing his own parts but, unlike other similar icons, Hooky has the voice and the stage presence to make up for being temporarily incapacitated. And we still got to see the genius in action, just not as much as we could have perhaps enjoyed.

“Hooky has the voice and the stage presence to make up for being temporarily incapacitated”

Listening to New Order’s 2001 album, Get Ready, in the run-up to the interview with Hooky earlier this term, I will admit that I was somewhat sceptical of its transposability onto the stage. It was passed over by the band soon after its release, in favour of the ‘classic’ New Order songs for their setlist. Yet Hooky’s new project demands that each album be played in full on one tour, and this time it is Get Ready’s turn.

My fears were allayed soon after the band came on stage. ‘Crystal’, although not as famous as, say, ‘Blue Monday’ has an undeniable energy that started the set off on a strong note. While the first set, largely comprised of songs from the album as well as a few more obscure New Order tracks, suffered from some unfamiliarity among the crowd, the musicians performed so well that they still delivered a cracking set. I think it hard to believe that they did not push a few audience members (myself included) towards an appreciation of Get Ready as one of the better albums by the second successful iteration of the band.

“While the first set suffered from some unfamiliarity, the musicians performed so well that they still delivered a cracking set”

It was in the second set that the Joy Division songs came out. Hooky reckons that his crowds are often split into those who come for the New Order tracks, and those who come for Joy Division. In this second set, it at first seemed that the Cambridge audience was leaning towards the latter, but, as the more famous New Order tracks also began to appear, the energy quickly picked up.

Hooky shines on the Joy Division tracks – they seem to gift themselves better to his voice, and they allow a better appreciation of the complexities of his distinctive style. ‘Isolation’ is not perhaps one of the first tracks to which you would turn with the band (although certainly not one of the last, either) but it was the unintentional centrepiece of the second set. As an English student, I am often drawn to the lyrics over the music itself, but the song built up to such an impressive climax that it drew me away from my usual path and refocussed my attention on the power of the songwriters.

“‘Atmosphere’ is always a moving track, but the recency of the loss made it all the more powerful”

The performance took a sad turn in the dedication of ‘Atmosphere’ to “someone who has always been the life and soul of everything”. Late November saw the shocking death of Stone Roses and Primal Scream bass guitarist Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield. Alongside Andy Rourke, who died in 2023, and Hooky, Mani completed the impressive triumvirate of distinctive Mancunian bass guitarists in the band Freebass. Each of the members redefined the instrument in their own way, creating distinctive sounds that later musicians have only ever been able to imitate and envy. ‘Atmosphere’ is always a moving track, but the recency of the loss made it all the more powerful.

The show came to a close with the classic New Order tracks ‘The Perfect Kiss’ and ‘True Faith’, followed by ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’. If Hooky, Joy Division and New Order are to be remembered for anything, it will be that last track. Perhaps aficionados will resent its popularity – and the fact that most people only know the chorus – but the truth is that it will always be a classic. The Light’s setlist covers everything a fan could want, from obscure gems to the songs that you don’t even have to know the bands to love. At the heart of The Light’s gigs are the fans, and it only makes the experience more special.