Forgive New Order fans if they took the lyric “I used to think that the day would never come” from 1987’s “True Faith” and applied it to the chances of the band ever playing Pittsburgh again.
It has been almost 38 years and counting since the seminal post-punk/dance rock band played Pittsburgh, back on Sept. 5, 1987 at the Civic Arena.
That streak doesn’t show any signs of ending, but Peter Hook did his part to make up for the lengthy absence with a show Friday night at the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks. The co-founder of Joy Division and New Order brought his current band, Peter Hook & the Light, for their first Pittsburgh show.
Quick history lesson: Post-punk pioneers Joy Division, considered one of the first Gothic rock bands, inspired countless bands in their short career, which ended tragically in 1980 when singer Ian Curtis committed suicide at age 23, right before the band’s second album came out and a North American tour. The remaining band members — Hook, guitarist Bernard Sumner and drummer Stephen Morris — created New Order, which incorporated much more dance and electronic music, gaining commercial success with songs like “True Faith” and “Blue Monday.” There have been several band breakups, reformations and lawsuits, culminating with Hook’s departure in 2007.
Nowadays in his own band, Hook plays bass and sings, joined by his son Jack Bates on bass, as well as David Potts (guitar), Andy Poole (keyboards) and Paul Kehoe (drums), who all played in Hook’s side project Monaco.
It would be wholly inaccurate to call this a tribute band because Hook co-founded Joy Division and New Order, with his distinctive bass sound propelling both groups. But Hook paid tribute to both with Friday’s show, which included a full album playback in the first set, as well as selections from both in the second set.
They started off by playing the entire 2001 New Order album “Get Ready,” which drew from their roots in Joy Division with a more guitar-driven sound. Hook described the album as a “second honeymoon” with Sumner, since the band had been put on hold in 1993 before reforming in 1998.
“It’s a pleasure to play it. It really is. I must admit I ignored it for so long,” Hook said. “But to actually sit here with the lads and learn it and play it, I realized how actually special it was.”
Potts and Hook shared and traded lead vocals, with Hook and his son complementing each other with the rare two-bass band. Highlights from the first set included “Primitive Notion,” a grooving guitar solo on “Rock the Shack” and the throbbing bass of “Close Range.”
After a 15-minute interlude, the band returned to the minimalistic stage setup, which only featured their instruments and gear, with an accompanying light show.
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Hook took over most of the lead vocals for the rest of the night, throwing in some loud “yeahs!” as the group first blasted through a run of Joy Division songs, as life pumped back into the crowd. Purposefully noisier than their album counterparts, the Joy Division songs reflected the band’s punk roots. (Hook and Sumner decided to form a band after seeing a 1976 Sex Pistols concert.)
After a high-energy version of New Order’s “Transmission,” Hook honored Curtis before and after a subdued “Atmosphere.”
“And I do wish that he was here to see this tonight. I really do,” Hook said. “Now, I think about (him) every day so this song is for Ian.”
Several synth-driven songs, like “Your Silent Face” and “Touched By the Hand of God,” fit right along a punchy “Ceremony.” Amid all the New Order and Joy Division songs, they slipped in a Monaco cover of “What Do You Want From Me?” with Potts noting their 2000 self-titled album was just reissued Friday for its 25th anniversary.
“Bizarre Love Triangle” started off with a synth intro and no drummer, with Potts handling most of the vocals and Hook chipping in, while “Blue Monday” started with just the bass players and Poole before Potts returned.
The penultimate “Tempation” had Hook venturing off the Roxian’s main stage and ranging as far as he good, throwing in a few leg kicks for good measure.
For the closer, they ended the night with Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” with the crowd singing along as all the instruments dropped out except for the hushed drums.
Peter Hook & the Light play “Love Will Tear Us Apart” on May 30, 2025, in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/olXsZiTSmz
— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) May 31, 2025
