Peter Hook and his former bandmates in New Order still have a ways to go before they reach the toxic levels of acrimony keeping The Smiths permanently dissolved—no one’s dared to play the “Using the title of a band biography to deny the rhythm section a bigger cut of the royalties” card yet—though Hooky’s recent interview with Spinner will probably put the kibosh on a full-on New Order reunion for at least five more years. As you may recall, the bassist—who announced the band’s demise in 2007—was a touch put out by his old mates’ decision to play a pair of charity dates without him, writing in his personal blog that the plans for the reunion gigs were made without his consent. Hook reiterates that point in the Spinner interview (conducted before a performance by his back catalogue-plying band The Light), while lobbing some additional bombs, reprinted below and intended to be read in a fully patronizing, Republic-belittling British accent:
- On playing Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures with The Light: “[…] it actually scared off a lot of the people I wanted to work with, which made me all the more determined. It’s the same thing with New Order deciding to tour without me—[it] makes me all the more determined to fuck New Order over in any possible way I can. If they think I’m just going to scuttle off to a cabin in the woods, they’ve got another thing coming. They’re dickheads.”
- On keyboardist Gillian Gilbert’s return to New Order: “She’s not a very good musician, I’m afraid, and she didn’t add that much to the band.”
- On the public back-and-forth between guitarist-vocalist Bernard Sumner and Hook: “Musicians are renowned for focusing on stupid, petty arguments. The things that Bernard and I are arguing about are absolutely fucking pathetic, and I’m hoping that some grownup will come into the schoolyard and stop it.”
- On whether or not he’d rejoin New Order, if asked: “Oh, 100 percent yeah. I’d get a picnic and go around their house as well, so we could spend the day together.”
So, to reiterate: The members of New Order weren’t getting along when they were together, and they continue to not get along—as is probably the case with every other band you ever liked. But not all of those bands weathered a tremendous personal tragedy to become a bigger (and some might argue better) band, so this one stings a little more.