This book adds flesh to the band’s story, showing that there was a ‘Joy Division’ before there was the Joy Division. They are just voyeurs to the folklore of the band like we are as fans and painting a series of debauched and fatal events doesn’t tell us a lot. It’s that they can never quite capture honestly the spirit of Joy Division. I thought, ‘I’m going to put that right'.įor Joy Division biographers before, the problem isn’t just their books are post-dated or a posteriori. Following the success of 'The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club', Hook had the confidence to write what probably should have been written first, 'I was sick of reading books about Joy Division from people who weren’t there and weren’t involved and it wasn’t fair. Still, playing Joy Division songs live is one of two things that he doesn’t regret doing ('especially Closer – we never got to play it because Ian died').The other is his new book release, 'Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures'.

He says ‘Oh no because he played the LPs, I played them separately’, I don’t really see the big difference to me, I’m sorry.' But they were playing it before us as Bad Lieutenant – I don’t – you’d have to sit them down and ask them the question. Sure, your inner-tribalism will have you fighting an impassioned battle for one side or the other, but this fight encompasses the clock’s hapless stroke into post-punk’s most bitter war of ownership, 'they use the justification for doing New Order without me by saying I stole Joy Division from them. Did Peter Hook ever imagine himself in this punishing state, segregated from his former band mates of over 4 decades? Probably not, 'I’ve known Bernard since I was 11, you get less for murder!' he says with a wry laugh.

Inside joy division