Peter Hook & The Light don’t let a shoulder injury disrupt a lively night in Coventry

hmv Empire, Coventry, 8 November 2025

Era tours are in fashion at the moment, and Peter Hook certainly has a more varied career than most.

The iconic bassist behind Joy Division and New Order, Hook brought a varied set of seventies and eighties tunes to Coventry’s HMV Empire on Saturday night, performing a catalogue that spans over 50 years.

Hook first gained notoriety in the 70s as the bassist for Manchester post-punk band Joy Division, until the death of frontman Ian Curtis. The remaining members, alongside keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, went on to form New Order, a synth-pop band that enjoyed almost 30 years of success.

As a bassist, Hook is renowned for his use of a chorus pedal, as well as preferring to play further up the bass than most. He also likes to unconventionally use his bass as a lead instrument, rather than a guitar, as the majority of other bands would. This desire to put his bass playing front and centre, alongside the treble-heavy tone he creates, allows his intricate playing to be much more recognisable than the majority of bassists, who will often have their best work hidden in the mix.

The evening concludes with an enjoyable rendition of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’

The set opens with a full performance of New Order’s 2001 album Get Ready. Backed by his band The Light, Hook launches into the album with ‘Crystal’, the album’s standout track, beginning with a quiet intro of layered synths, before the heavy drums and guitars kick in. Hook then makes his entrance to burst into the song’s thumping bass riff.

The crowd may be on the older side, but it is not stopping Hook from taking them back to the 80s. What to many may sound like a time we wish we could have experienced, is a night where they could live their youth all over again. The venue may be cozy, but it is packed both with people and sound.

Despite nursing a shoulder injury that limited his ability to play some of the more intricate bass parts, Hook remains front and centre throughout the night. His performance is energetic and assured, a contrast to his time in the background during his earlier years with Joy Division and New Order.

After a brief intermission, Hook returns for a second set that pulled from across his varied discography. The evening concludes with an enjoyable rendition of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ – the Joy Division anthem that has certainly stood the test of time.

For one night, everyone gets to pretend they were back in a much simpler time

Hook then completes the show by emphatically tearing his shirt off, a move that may have been more Morrissey than intended, but it reminds us all that this was a man who did not take himself too seriously. He knows it is no longer the 80s. Everyone in the room knows it is no longer the 80s. But for one night, everyone gets to pretend they were back in a much simpler time.

Even if a few signature Hook songs were absent (I would have loved to have had a ‘Blue Monday’ feature), with multiple band’s discographies to balance, it’s fair to see how some favourites might slip through the cracks.

As for the future, there is the possibility of Hook touring New Order’s Waiting for the Sirens’ Call or exploring deeper cuts from his solo work. Irrespectively, Saturday’s performance made one thing clear, even if Hook’s most celebrated work lies in the past, he remains a strong performer on stage.

I’m sure he’ll be back to the West Midlands soon, hopefully with a fully operational shoulder.

★★★★