Peter Hook was in not just one, but two bands that deserve serious consideration for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The first was the mighty Joy Division, the seminal English post-punk band that formed in 1976 and went on to release two of the best albums of all time — the landmark debut “Unknown Pleasures” from 1979 and the brilliant follow-up “Closer” from 1980. Hook’s powerful bass playing was a key part of the band’s moody, atmospheric sound, which, for our money, really marked the beginning of modern rock as we know it.
Then, after Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis died in 1980, Hook and the two other bandmates — guitarist Bernard Sumner and drummer Stephen Morris — went on to form the vastly influential synth-pop act New Order and release an impressive string of hits, including the iconic “Blue Monday.”
Hook will celebrate the legacies of both of those legendary acts when he visits The Warfield on Sept. 21.
The amazing bassist’s current band — dubbed Peter Hook and The Light — will be performing the two Factory Records “Substance” compilations albums during this San Francisco gig.
Released in 1987, New Order’s “Substance” featured all of the band’s singles up to that point — including “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “Temptation,” “Shellshock,” “True Faith” and, of course, “Blue Monday.”
Hitting shelves one year later, Joy Division’s “Substance” features the singles that didn’t appear on the band’s two studio albums — including “Transmission,” “Atmosphere” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart” — as well as numbers from the “An Ideal For Living” EP and the Factory Records sampler.
It should be a greatly pleasing, and diversely appealing, evening of music. Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets start at $54, axs.com.
.
