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THE STRUTS INTERVIEW: YOUNG, DANGEROUS AND WORKING IT ALL OUT 0

Pic by Anna Lee

AM’s Greg Phillips spoke to The Struts singer Luke Spiller and guitarist Adam Slack ahead of their current Australian tour

Just as their name implies, UK glam-rockers The Struts are brash, confident and hungry for success. However, none of the significant inroads made by the band to date in their quest for megastardom have effected the size of their heads … they’re grateful for the opportunity to travel the world playing music with their mates, know that hard work is the key to longevity and seem like genuinely nice blokes. Today charismatic frontman Luke Spiller and talented guitarist Adam Slack are slightly delirious, having flown into Australia from Japan hours earlier, yet know that media commitments are all part of the deal in pushing The Struts brand forward and are happy to chat.
“Playing shows is something we really enjoy doing and my god we play a lot, so it’s a blessing and a curse,” Adam responds when I ask what the best thing about being in The Struts is. “We love traveling the world and seeing different countries and playing shows in them. We miss home sometimes but it’s a dream for sure to be able to do it and call it a real job.” Luke chips in too. “All the best parts of being in The Struts are also the worst parts,“ he says referring to the jetlag they’re feeling.

The Struts is such a classic rock ’n’ roll band name that you’d think that someone would have already claimed it but the British quartet lucked out in that regard. The Devon Bridge Society and Baby Strange were also named under consideration before their manager at the time suggested The Struts as a name because Luke was always ‘struttin’ around’.

Such is the work ethic of The Struts that they’re back in Australia merely six months after their last trip. On that occasion, they were supporting another global ‘buzz band’ Greta Van Fleet, who had to cancel gigs after their singer had come down with laryngitis. Rather than sit around in their hotel suites waiting for their departure date, The Struts decided to play a couple of now-famous free gigs in Melbourne, one at the legendary Cherry Bar and the other at sister club Yah Yahs. It was a week that fans and the band remember fondly. “The memories are great ones,” says Luke without hesitation. “We took a bad situation and we flipped it on its head and in doing so had a couple of really special shows. I remember the walls literally sweating, that’s how hot it was.”

While The Struts come across as a band very much on a mission, you get the feeling that in their relatively short two-album career, they’re still very much trying to work this whole international touring and recording thing out. When they talk together as a band and discuss the future and goals, I wondered what the key elements were that kept coming up?
“Money!” states Luke quick as a flash as the band, listening in the background break into laughter. “In all honesty, the music side of it … that’s not really the challenge. There’s always songs floating around, there’s always ideas. It is not like we are at a point where we are not driven musically. Most of the meetings are usually about things like … if something has happened or something in the show was not working, it’s normally all quite constructive really. It usually all four of us at a pub or bar and we end up talking about something.”

One of the other current topics of conversation is the next album, the follow up to their acclaimed second disc Young & Dangerous. Where are they at with that project? “Nowhere really,” jokes Luke. “We are kinda accumulating ideas but it is really difficult to say. We are kind of in a slightly limbo kind of situation. When I say that, we are basically trying to figure out … do we consolidate these four weeks on this side of the year into trying to make an album or do we spend four weeks with no additional pressure but maybe try and come up with two or three really great songs instead of 10 and see where that goes? It is kind of starting but officially it hasn’t, if that make sense?

We were there mental notes made or lessons learned from Young & Dangerous that they would take into the next recording?
“I think the second album was pretty horrible to make at times but no mental notes really,” says Luke on reflection. “I think there were a few things in there that we could have done better. On the whole we are really proud of it but because of the constant touring and the fatigue and sheer amount of songs that were written in a short space of time, it kinda clouded judgement at times, which is something that I don’t think we want to repeat. So maybe relying on our gut instincts a little more is something that we could take awy from that.”

“Another thing we take away … is carving some time out to actually write and record instead of just getting off a 15 hour flight from Quebec and then trying to start writing a song for two days, record it and leave again … which is what we were doing,” Adam adds. “We are going to LA in November for a month and we’re just going to sit down and write some stuff, ”

It seems I’d hit a nerve and Luke gets quite animated as he recalls just how hectic their lifestyle has been. “Yeah, we’d come back to the UK after being on the west coast of the US and then we’d be in the studio the day after we landed. I remember we were recording a song … Adam was playing this riff and I fell asleep at 1pm in the afternoon, I couldn’t keep my eyes open and I woke up and he was still playing it. So fuckin hell mate, we don’t want to do that again. Although we probably will. We always say the same shit, we won’t do this many shows again or don’t worry mum and dad and family, I am not going to let people walk over me and then bang, before you know it, we are touring 395 days of a 365 day year.”

For me, the best things about watching The Struts perform on stage are both the level of energy that the guys create and the simplicity and flexibility of their shows, the old three chords and the truth approach as opposed to being prisoners to pyrotechnics or lighting cues as many of today’s bigger bands are. However Luke is quick to shoot that philosophy down in flames.
“Well it has only been simplistic just because of money really,“ he says bluntly. “We did a show in New York at Pier 17, which is where I think the band should be heading, we had pyrotechnics, flame throwers, sparks. I rode a Harley Davidson out on stage. If your impression of us is that we keep the production minimal for artistic reasons, then I’m afraid you’re gravely mistaken. It’s simply because we can’t afford it.”

What is an indisputable fact however, is that The Struts possess an enticingly loud, chunky and rich rock ’n’ roll sound. A large part of that is due to lead guitarist Adam Slack’s tone. Growing up, Slack was a major fan of Brian May’s Red Special sound and also Keith Richards’ Telecaster tones. While Adam does own a couple of Red Special replicas, it’s been the Les Paul sound that he has gravitated to.
“Being the only guitar player in the band .. I have a Tele and I do play it sometimes but it doesn’t fill the space I need to fill being the only guitar player,” he explains. “A lot of the songs on the record have multiple guitar parts. I have gone to other guitars because I love the tone of the Teles. In the studio I use them a lot. When I play live I always gravitate to this one Les Paul, which is 59 replica of Mike McCready’s (Pearl Jam guitarist) Les Paul. I played about ten of them in the Chicago Music Exchange and I didn’t know the price of any of them and that one was amazing and sounded incredible. Of course, it was the most expensive but I got it and have used that in the studio since I’ve had it and taken it around the world with me and I love it. You can do everything on it and especially live … our sound guy absolutely loves it. Whenever I play anything else, he’s like yeah it good but the Les Paul is awesome… I have just got a new set of amps too. I’ve still got the AC30 but now I have a Marshall replica of Angus Young’s 67 Blackface from this company called SoloDallas. It’s a guy who lives in the Newport Beach area of California who is obsessed with AC/DC. He’s been nerding out over Angus Young’s wireless kit that he used in the studio for Back in Black, it compressed the tone. Anyway he has made that into a pedal and I have got the pedal and I saw that he made the amp and I got one too and it’s the best amp purchase I have ever made. So I have an AC30 blended with that Marshall and then I also have a little 12 inch Supro amp mixed in. Mainly it’s the Les Paul and then I have a couple of juniors that I really love, which is Keith Richards to me as well … the TV yellow double cut, which he called Tumbling Dice.”

If you’re looking for the ultimate example of The Struts great rock ’n’ roll tone, look no further than their cover of The Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz, which they recorded for the 2016 movie Edge of Seventeen. It has all the excitement of the original glam rock classic yet invigorated with modern day production, offering much fatter riffs and bigger bottom end. I suggested that 70s glam rock is a largely untapped treasure trove of potential hit cover versions.
“Absolutely,”says Luke. “That’s kinda where we are coming from to an extent. We’ve covered Get It On by T Rex live numerous times and Rebel Rebel. Maybe we could do Tiger Feet (Mud) or Mickey (Toni Basil),” he throws up as recording possibilities but in the same breath suggests, “Sorry man I am delirious, I am knackered and have no idea what I am saying.” On that note I left the band to grab whatever rest they could before hitting the stage later that night at The Corner Hotel to further enhance the band’s fine reputation.

The Struts website

BLUESFEST 2020 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: DAVE MATTHEWS, PATTI SMITH, CROWDED HOUSE & GEORGE BENSON 0

A few surprises and a host of returnees will make Bluesfest 2020 one to look forward to. Held at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm – just 10 minutes north of Byron Bay, Bluesfest 2020 runs from April 9-13. Among the headliners for next year, Dave Matthews band is back for their 3rd Byron Bay stint. “Dave Matthews Band is one of the top-grossing, most in-demand bands in the world – and finally they are coming back to Bluesfest. This is going to be magical and unmissable,” says Bluesfest Festival Director, Peter Noble.

In a major surprise, Patti Smith and band are back too after the Godmother of punk suggested her 2017 tour would be her last. Anyone who witnessed Patti’s 2017 performance will be thrilled to relive that energy.

Taking time off from his Fleetwood Mac duties, Neil Finn will be at Bluesfest next year fronting Crowded House in an exclusive Australian performance. Their anthems such as “Don’t Dream It’s Over’, ‘Weather With You’ and ‘Better Be Home Soon’ still resonate with a global audience of all ages.

One of the biggest surprises is the inclusion of guitar and vocal legend George Benson. Since 1977, George Benson, who is recognised as one of the world’s greatest guitarists, has won 10 Grammy Awards – and has been nominated for an additional 15. It’s been quite a while since we’ve had the opportunity to see George play in Australia.

Here’s the full list of artists in the Bluesfest 2020 1st announcement.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
CROWDED HOUSE 
PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND
GEORGE BENSON
BRANDI CARLILE
JOHN BUTLER
XAVIER RUDD
THE CAT EMPIRE
MORCHEEBA
JOHN PRINE
JENNY LEWIS
FRANK TURNER
JOHN MAYALL
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE
THE MARCUS KING BAND
WALTER TROUT
CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS
LARKIN POE
THE WAR & TREATY

Bluesfest 2020 is being held from 9 – 13 April 2020. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.

WWW.BLUESFEST.COM.AU

ALICE COOPER TO TOUR IN FEB WITH AIRBOURNE AND MC50 0

The original shock rocker Alice Cooper is returning to Australia in February 2020 with his all-new “Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back” show.  On his last tour of Australia in 2017, Cooper showed that he still has what it takes to present a rockin’ fun night of hits. This tour will be additionally appealing as special guests on the Australian leg of this international tour will be Aussie rock stalwarts Airbourne along with MC50, featuring Wayne Kramer of the legendary MC5 with an all-star band performing MC5 classics. 

Having shocked and delighted fans in equal measure for five decades, Alice Cooper’s new outlandish stage show incorporates a setting inside his Nightmare Castle and features not only the return of FrankenAlice but also the new Billion Dollar Baby. With a revamped setlist which includes not only the classic hits but some select deep album tracks and new music, Australian fans are in for a real treat when Alice Cooper takes to the stage in early 2020.

Pre-sale tickets for “Ol’ Black Eyes Is Black” Australian tour will be available via Telstra Plus from 11 am (local) Thursday 15 August, before the general public on-sale at 2.00pm (local) Wednesday 21 August 2019 from Ticketek.

Known as one of the hardest working people in music, Alice Cooper also records and tours with The Hollywood Vampires with pals Joe Perry and Johnny Depp, while continuing his long-running nightly syndicated radio show “Nights With Alice Cooper,” heard worldwide on over 100 radio stations, including Australia.

New music from Alice Cooper is also imminent, with the announcement of the September 13 release of mini-album “The Breadcrumbs” from (earMUSIC), a tribute to his Detroit rock origins, recorded in Detroit with Detroit musicians, featuring covers of classic Detroit-originated songs.

Special guests to Alice Cooper are Australian Rock ‘n’ Rollers, Airbourne. The loud and proud musicians have played around the globe and performed on the main stage at Download UK and co-headlined the Wacken Festival.

Joining them is Detroit’s proto-punk/hard rock band MC50, who will bring their ‘Kick Out The Jams: The 50th Anniversary Tour” to Australia.  Known as MC50 for the forthcoming “Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back” tour, the supergroup features MC5’s Wayne Kramer joined by guitarist Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), drummer Brendan Canty (Fugazi), bassist Doug Pinnick(King’s X), and frontman Marcus Durant (Zen Guerrilla).

Pic by Jason Rosewarne’s from Cooper’s 2017 Australian tour

ALICE COOPER
“OL’ BLACK EYES IS BACK“
AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2020

Saturday 8 February             Perth, RAC Arena
Tuesday 11 February            Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
Friday 14 February                Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
Saturday 15 February           Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena
Tuesday 18 February            Brisbane, Entertainment Centre

ALICE COOPER FAN CLUB PRE-SALE
9.00am Wednesday 14 August – 9.00am Thursday 15 August (local)

TELSTRA PLUS PRE-SALE
11.00am Thursday 15 August – 11.00am Monday 19 August (local)

VISA PRE-SALE
1.00pm Monday 19 August – 1.00pm Wednesday 21 August (local)

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
2.00PM WEDNESDAY 21 AUGUST 2019 (local)
www.ticketek.com.au

RED HOT SUMMER 2020 TOUR ON SALE TODAY WITH EXTRA SHOWS 0

(Photo by Martin Philbey, Story by Australian Musician) 

The RED HOT SUMMER TOUR celebrates 10 years of Red Hot Rock in 2020 and in true style, organisers have put together an incredible all Australian line-up for a massive four-month series of dates. In an incredible coup for music-fans, ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Hunters & Collectors are reuniting to headline the 2020 tour, bringing with them special guests James Reyne, The Living End, The Angels, Baby Animals, Killing Heidi and Boom Crash Opera.

Promoter Duane McDonald launched the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR in 2011 with a line-up of three artists on the bill and six shows throughout Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Fast forward a decade, and the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR is one of the hottest tickets on the summer music calendar. In 2020, the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR will visit Queensland, both the metro centre and the Tropical North, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania, fully realising Duane’s original dream of ensuring the music-loving public around the country had to access to top-quality festivals.

“The past 10 years have gone so fast and we have been so proud to see the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR continue to grow each year,” says Duane. “The support we have received from audiences has been phenomenal. To everyone who has attended a RED HOT SUMMER TOUR show over the last decade – thank you. You are the reason we do what we do and will continue to bring you the best quality music experience, every year. We can’t wait to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Red Hot Rock with music fans around the country.”

Reforming for this special 10th anniversary of the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR, Hunters & Collectors performances are a rare thing indeed and a huge coup for music fans. The legendary band disbanded over two decades ago and have only performed again a handful of times since – notably at The Sound Relief Concert in 2009 and a brief run five years ago. Banding together again specifically for the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR is apt, considering that Hunters & Collectors voracious live performances are so well suited in a festival environment. With the smash hit songs such as When The River Runs Dry, Say Goodbye, Do You See What I See, True Tears Of Joy, Holy Grail and the anthemic Throw Your Arms Around Me, Hunters & Collectors have sold over one million albums spawning 19 hit singles.
“The lads are very excited to be getting out into all the regional towns that made them welcome when they were touring at their peak throughout Australia,” says Hunter & Collectors lead singer Mark Seymour. “This tour is going to be huge.”

James Reyne has been treading the boards in the rock halls of Australian music for decades. From his time fronting the legendary Australian Crawl through to his successful solo career, James’ music is part of Australian history. As a prolific songwriter and strong vocalist, it’s no surprise that James has won accolade after accolade for his contribution to music. When Australian Crawl split in the mid-1980s, James embarked on a successful solo career. James Reye stands alone within an elite cluster of exclusive Australian performers.

The Living End are considered Australian rock royalty, and for good reason. Their blistering live performances have seen them perform far and wide, and their reputation precedes them, they rock from the first note to the last. When The Living End first smashed onto the scene in 1997 with their double-A single Prisoner of Society and Second Solution, they embraced a new Australian sound and fans and critics sat up and listened. Since then they have released seven studio albums, two of which have debuted at #1 on the ARIA Chart – four of those are Platinum and two are Gold. They have been nominated for an incredible 27 ARIA Awards. They released their eighth studio album Wunderbar in September 2018, and audiences at the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR will get to see the band in full flight!

When it comes to great Aussie rock, it doesn’t come much better than The Angels. It’s been over four decades since brothers Rick and John Brewster co-founded the iconic band and have penned some of Australia’s most anthemic tracks. The Angels are widely reputed for their killer live shows. With hits like Long Line, Marseille, Be With You, After the Rain, Shadow Boxer and Mr Damage to name a few. Audiences have always loved seeing The Angels on the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR and 2020 promises to really rock!

Baby Animals burst onto the Australian scene in the 1990s with a solid rock force and a sassy lead singer. Suze DeMarchi proved that girls could rock just as hard as guys and the Baby Animals soon kicked some impressive rock butt with hits such as Rush You, Early Warning and One Word. The band scored themselves ARIA awards for best album and toured the globe. When they split in the mid-1990s they ended a special era of Australian music. The band’s recent reformation and inclusion again on the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR line-up is an opportunity for music fans to see their original rock at its best.

Killing Heidi also celebrate an auspicious anniversary in 2020, two decades since the release of their rock-pop debut Reflector. The smash-hit singles – including Weir and Mascara – embedded the album in Australian music history, took out four ARIA awards and reached four times platinum status. It also catapulted Killing Heidi and its teen musicians – Ella and Jesse Hooper – into international superstar status. The Hooper siblings were revered for their songwriting prowess and their subsequent albums earned them critical acclaim.

Marking another milestone on the tour, Boom Crash Opera celebrates the 30th anniversary of their ARIA Top 10 album These Are Crazy Times, which spawned smash singles such as Onion Skin, The Best Thing, Talk About It, Get Out Of The House and Dancing In The Storm. To make the occasion even more special, the band – Peter Farnan, Peter ‘Maz’ Maslen and John Favro – are excited to welcome back Dale Ryder who will lead the vocal charge. Audiences will be treated to all the hits, including Hands Up In The Air, Her Charity, Love Me To Death and Great Wall to name a few. Boom Crash Opera have a lot to celebrate and what better place to do it than on the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR in 2020.

The RED HOT SUMMER TOUR is always a sell-out series and the 10 Years of Red Hot Rock in 2020 will create Australian music history. Don’t miss these very special shows.

Tickets are only available through authorised ticket outlets listed. Patrons are advised not to purchase tickets from Viagogo or other Third Party Sellers, as fraudulent tickets will not be honoured.

Apple Music’s editors have created a playlist of Red Hot Rock for the 2020 RED HOT SUMMER TOUR. Stream it now on Apple Music here: www.applemusic.com/Redhotsummer

Saturday 4th January 2020
Bendigo Racecourse, BENDIGO VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 5th January 2020
Old Mount Gambier Gaol, MOUNT GAMBIER SA
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Old Mount Gambier Gaol 08 8723 0032

Saturday 11th January 2020
Mary Ann Reserve, MANNUM SA
Sounds By The River
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Mannum Visitor Information Centre 1300 626 686

Sunday 12th January 2020
Sandalford Estate, SWAN VALLEY WA
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 18th January 2020
Mornington Racecourse, MORNINGTON VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 25th January 2020
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, HOBART TAS
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 26th January 2020
Country Club Lawns, LAUNCESTON TAS
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 1st February 2020
Westport Park, PORT MACQUARIE NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Glasshouse www.glasshouse.org.au

Saturday 8th February 2020
Cockatoo Island, SYDNEY NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 15th February 2020
Roche Estate, HUNTER VALLEY NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 16th February 2020
Bella Vista Farm, BAULKHAM HILLS NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 22nd February 2020
Sandstone Point Hotel, BRIBIE ISLAND QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 23rd February 2020
Queens Park – Frogs Hollow, TOOWOOMBA QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 1st March 2020
Harrigans Drift Inn, JACOBS WELL QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 7th March 2020
Mackay Park, BATEMANS BAY NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Batemans Bay Visitors Centre 1800 802 528

Saturday 14th March 2020
Kiama Showgrounds, KIAMA NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Kiama Visitor Information Centre 1300 654 262

Saturday 21st March 2020
Gateway Lakes, WODONGA VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 28th March 2020
North Gardens, BALLARAT VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 29th March 2020
Seppeltsfield, BAROSSA SA
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 4th April 2020
Lazy River Estate, DUBBO NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Dubbo Visitor Information Centre 02 6801 4450

Saturday 11th April 2020
Darwin Amphitheatre, DARWIN NT
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 18th April 2020
Barlow Park, CAIRNS QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

For more information, please visit www.redhotsummertour.com.au

PETER HOOK: THE ‘JOY DIVISION ORCHESTRATED’ INTERVIEW 0

It’s impossible to think of early 80s post-punk music and not remember the impact of the bands Joy Division and New Order. It’s also one of the most tragic stories in rock ‘n’ roll history. Just days before leaving for America on their first international tour and on the verge of an international breakthrough, armed with a powerful new single Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division singer Ian Curtis took his own life. Left to pick up the pieces the remaining members, guitarist Bernard Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris, and bass player Peter Hook went on to form New Order and enjoyed massive global success with hits such as Blue Monday, Bizarre Love Triangle and True Faith, until they broke up (twice) with the final blow coming in 2007. Sumner and Morris then reconvened the band in 2011, however, didn’t include nor inform Hook and communication since between the former childhood mates has been through lawyer letters only. Though unimpressed with proceedings, Peter Hook took stock of his life, formed his own band Peter Hook and The Light and has happily toured the world for the last nine years playing material by both Joy Division and New Order, mixed in with his own newer songs. Then having witnessed the success of the crossover dance music/classical music project Hacienda Classical and being badgered by its creator Tim Crooks to give Joy Division’s music the Hacienda treatment, Hook finally caved and now is about to tour Australia with his ambitious new show Joy Division Orchestrated, which features that band’s music played by a powerful 44 piece orchestra.

Ahead of the upcoming tour Australian Musician editor, Greg Phillips gave ‘Hooky’ a call to discuss the tour, as well as his past, present, and future.

I believe that Australia was one of the first countries to get behind Joy Division and Love Will Tear Us Apart in particular, is that true?
I think it was late ’81 or early ’82 that we first managed to get to Australia (as New Order). We were brought over by Viv Lees and Ken West who went on to do the Big Day Out. Triple J was the one in Sydney that I think voted Love Will Tear Us Apart as the best song ever for 15 years or something. Watching that from the ashes of Joy Division was very gratifying.

When did the idea come up for you to do Joy Division Orchestrated?
I was working with Tim Crooks who was the conductor and arranger of another classical project, which was a dance music interpretation of the Hacienda (a Manchester nightclub which New Order financed) tunes with an orchestra which has proved to be very, very successful. Over about four years, every year Tim would say … oh, I would love to get my hands on Joy Division. I was like, in yer dreams mate! Over the years after being very skeptical from the start, now the interpretation is so powerful … we just did a sell-out concert in Manchester with 14, 15 thousand people, an absolutely wonderful night with the Hacienda Classical. It came through that … I realized.. when I was honest with myself that I’d been ripping off classical sounds with Joy Division with Martin Hannett with the strings, the brass, oboe sounds, these were elements that we were putting into Joy Division. I mean we didn’t understand it at the time. Then when we moved into New Order, we were able to sideline the musicians and synthesize them quite easily. If you listen to a lot of New Order’s Music … Blue Monday … there’s strings, brass, oboes, we were ripping them off a long long time ago. So I suppose in a karma kind of the way we are paying back our dues with this. I must admit Malcolm McLaren was a wonderful inspiration, obviously he sold me my ticket to go and see the Sex Pistols on the 4th of June 1976 for 50p, then 40 years later he ended up sampling Love Will Tear Us Apart for an LP project he was doing and put it together with Captain and Tenille’s Love Will Keep Us Together, which I thought was a wonderful compliment. So I am able to to use that version in our show to pay homage to Malcolm McLaren for his role in giving me what has been a fantastic life. One of the nicest things about doing this alone is that I don’t have to do it by the committee and this is very much my interpretation, in the same way, that the others have done their interpretations over the years. I must admit, that it brings an air of melancholy out in me. I obviously get reflective about what happened to us in Joy Division, so I am able to indulge in shall we say the fabric of it and in the end, use the music to elicit hope and power in going forward which, whether we like it or not we all have to do in this world. Without hope really we have nothin’.

What do you reckon Ian would have made of this orchestral project?
When we were together as Joy Division, his greatest wish was to take Joy Division around the world. I always swore in a funny way that I would do everything to keep Joy Division going. Joy Division didn’t work well within New Order. Bernard, in particular, tended not to enjoy playing Joy Division so we did very, very little. It was only in 2010 that I decided to celebrate Ian’s life with Peter Hook and The Light that I actually got that wish. Peter Hook and The Light went around the world playing everywhere, all the places where Ian never got to go. So I like to think that it fulfilled his ambition from that point of view. If he were here he’d probably stop me and the others from arguing. But yeah I think he’d be Ok with it, he was pretty easy going Ian. The only thing he wanted to do was to make you happy, which was probably one of his problems really. Instead of looking after himself, he was fixated on worrying about everyone else. I’d like to think that he’d be up there smilin’. This is very much a celebration and a thank you to Joy Division from me. I’d like to think that with the fans, we can share it together.

Is there one particular song that you think benefits more than others by the orchestra treatment?
The whole thing is done as an art piece if you like. It starts in a particular way with a piano version of Love Will Tear Us Apart and finishes with what I think are two of our most powerful tracks. It tells the story of Joy Division from start to finish with the orchestra. So tugging at the heartstrings is the way to describe it. It’s very sad what happened to Ian and sad what happened to Joy Division. That fact is that just as we were about to make it, the pressures involved … we were very clearly thwarted in what was very clearly looking like a successful career, it was beckoning shall we say. There’s always that sense of loss of a great friend, the sense of frustration that we always feel whenever anybody commits suicide. So you are bringing those elements out again but hopefully putting out an upbeat, hopeful message.

You say in your book Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, that you never really dealt with Ian’s death properly at the time and it was only when you went back to an old rehearsal studio that it really hit you. Could you explain what you meant?
Yeah, that’s true. I mean as kids, we were allowed to ignore it. You know that thing when you are young and the adults go off to a funeral and we’d just be left at home wondering what the hell is going on. We just went to the pub and drowned our sorrows. We got a lot of strength from being together at that time and carrying on as New Order. The truth is that we threw ourselves into New Order completely to obliterate the grief and the frustration that we felt in leaving a great friend in Ian. It never really struck me until a long time after. It was The Swan in Salford, which was a pub where we used to practice upstairs. As long as we bought a pint and a pie the landlady would let us practice upstairs. I went back and stood in the room that we started in, you know, in 1976 and yeah it was a wild, wild moment and then I did realize, especially as I’ve got older that we should have grieved, we should have taken some time off and done it properly as most normal people deal with grief. Because we were in a group, we were encouraged to carry on writing, get going and put it to the back of your mind. Now I know it was the wrong thing to do. Now I’ve had 43 years as a musician, I realize I could have taken 6 months off back then to make sure we coped. When you are young you always think that somebody is going to come and seize it from you, take it away and you are desperate to cling on. Now you have a completely different way of looking at life. It’s a shame. I mean it worked, New Order was much more commercially successful than Joy Division were because of the effort we put into New Order by ignoring Joy Division. It was literally 25 years later when someone… I think it was me … decided we should do a Joy Division song for a charity concert we did in Manchester. We did our first Joy Division track, which must have been about 2004 and Bernard, in particular, didn’t enjoy it. He really didn’t enjoy singing Joy Division songs and we sidelined it after that, we only did it once more and went back to New Order, which is perfectly understandable and perfectly logical. It’s only since I started playing Joy Division more or less full time, that the others decided to amalgamate Joy Division into their set in Joy Division Forever. Maybe they think I have taken it off them somehow, which is not true. But let’s face it, it’s good for the fans!

What’s the most disappointing thing about the situation with Bernard and New Order, is it that you can’t make music together now or is that you don’t have that friendship anymore?
No we certainly don’t have the friendship. The rivalry seems to be … over the years I must admit since we split up in 2007 and they decided to get back together in 2011 without informing me or giving me any say in any of the negotiations or arrangements that were made … I tried to instigate an agreement between us. The only reaching we ever did was with all of the lawyers present, which has made things very antagonistic and very uncomfortable for everybody, so we have never managed to get a relationship back. From that, I think I can very safely say that the relationship at the moment is as bad as it ever was since 2011 and it is an absolute tragedy … now we have to sit there every day being very vocal against each other, which at our age is absolutely ridiculous. We’ve had a great life with both bands. I play New Order’s music, they play New Order’s music. It’s still very, very appreciated what we did and about the only people who can’t appreciate it are the people who made it. I mean really what we need to do is what most normal people would do … sit down, have a pint, hash it out, let lose a few tears and a little bit of anger and get on with your life and stop annoying each other. It’s a weird thing with the way the legal system works in England where lawyers basically profit from the altercations, so in a funny way, I suppose you are not going to get a lawyer saying, oh why don’t we all just meet in the pub and put this behind us.

I know with a lot of the Unknown Pleasures album, you weren’t happy with the mix at the time and there were bass parts that you weren’t happy within some songs, does this new project offer you an opportunity to play the music the way you always wanted it to be played?
You know what? The answer there would be no! The simple reason that I was unhappy with Joy Division albums at the time was that they sounded otherworldly, they didn’t sound like me. I wanted to sound like The Clash. In my head I was playing songs like The Clash, you know London Burning or The Sex Pistols. Martin Hannett didn’t capture that … but .. he caught something far more important, which is something I have realized over the years. We gave him a gift and he gave us a gift. Martin Hannett was right and we were wrong. So I am very glad that I and Barney didn’t get our way on the production of Unknown Pleasures or Closer because he gave it … an aura and they are very adult, shall we say accomplished songs but as he puts it, written by idiots! No one was more puzzled than Martin Hannett about how us idiots .. because he loved Ian, he thought Ian was incarnate in wonderful artistic impressions but his impression of me, Barney and Steve was that we were just idiots (laughs). One of his greatest frustrations was how these three idiots make music as powerful as this.

Have you had to change the way you play at all on this tour because you are playing with an orchestra?
Yeah, we have to be more delicate because we have to respect the amount of volume that the orchestral players have. We are used to turning up but we have to turn down so we are level with them acoustically, which is fine actually. It is actually nice. Over my work with the orchestral projects with the Hacienda in England I have learned respect, shall we say. A lot of musicians, me included, the answer to everything is to just turn up to eleven. To actually have to turn down to make sure we have a level with everybody else from the piccolo to the double bass, we have to be much more disciplined in our approach. I mean not disciplined in playing. They are very studious in their approach to the music whereas we are able to ad-lib because it is in our blood. There is a difference in those two aspects of it. We have to be much more respectful of the acoustics involved. Playing with 4 people has its wonderful moments, to play with 44 people and have wonderful moments is a completely different feeling and very powerful for that. At the Royal Albert Hall, the reaction … was such a wonderful compliment because nobody had ever heard it before.

What basses are you using on this tour?
From a bass point of view, I have now been given my own bass guitar by Yamaha which is the Peter Hook signature bass guitar. I have used a Yamaha bass in every incarnation from Joy Division for every song to New Order to the current day with the orchestra. Love Will Tear Us Apart was written on a Yamaha BB600. Then Yamaha got in touch a couple of years ago and said they’d like to do a Peter Hook signature bass, which was a wonderful compliment. I am using the Peter Hook signature which is a copy of my BB1200, my original bass guitar from 1980 that I have played for 40 odd years. It’s funny, even though we have our problems in Joy Division and New Order still, you do get your wonderful moments in your career where you realize that whatever happens, it is just part of your career. Moments like being given the honor to have a signature model with Yamaha makes life worthwhile. And the shit? You just have to put up with it because life for everybody is like that. I am sure you’re no different!

What are you most proud of in your music career?
My god, what am I most proud of? Well, the fact that I am still here! I’m still rockin’ which is a great compliment, you know to my mother and father. This business is funny. I have learned more about this business since New Order split up than I ever knew before and it is not a pretty business. It really isn’t. If anyone was going to get any advice from me, they would be getting a lot of, shall we say, warnings about the people in this business. I thought I had loads of friends in this business. When New Order split up and got together again, I found out I didn’t. It is called show business for a reason, it’s not called show friends. The worst thing that ever happened to me was that part of my musical career. Luckily I was able to get over it. Working now with The Light is very satisfying because I’ve got to be honest, it’s because of what I have now with my bandmates. My wife is the greatest advocate for every time I do a gig now, she says I come home with a smile on my face, I just wish that was the case for everybody. As to who is to blame we will never know. You can read the books and you can read everybody’s interpretation of what happened and you have to make your own mind up.

Joy Division’s legendary bass player Peter Hook is set to tour Australia with The Metropolitan Orchestra this August for a string of five concerts which will see him, special guests and a full orchestra perform the band’s seminal post-punk repertoire with classical elements.
 
Friday 2nd August 2019        Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Friday 9th August 2019         Perth Concert Hall, Perth
Sunday 11th August 2019      Plenary Theatre, Melbourne

Tickets: https://www.wearenice.com.au/tours/joy-division-orchestrated

HARTS, FRENZAL RHOMB, DELTA RIGGS + MORE FOR BYRON BAY GUITAR FEST 0

The Byron Bay Guitar Festival (BBGF) is returning on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October 2019 at the Byron Bay Brewery for its third year.

Headlining is Aussie punk-rock royalty Frenzal Rhomb, guitar hero protege Harts, and The Delta Riggs, who will have their much anticipated third album released in September.

Byron Bay Brewery will be turned into a guitarists heaven with performances and seminars by Torres Strait’s ‘Magic Fingers,’ Chris Tamwoy, industry legend Peter Northcote, bluesman Claude Hay and Australian guitar icon Nathan Cavaleri who makes his return to the stage on the back of his Demons album tour.

There is something for all music lovers from soul and funk band The Soul Movers, international supergroup – The Sidemen, as well as local favorites Marshall O’Kell & The Fro, Minnie Marks and many more! Sunday will kick off with Bunny Racket for the little rockers and schedule is a long list of family activities, hosted by Murray Cook (The Soul Movers/The Wiggles)

Produced by Byron Music, the event features 25+ live performances on two stages, as well as a Guitar Market showcasing some amazing instruments and craftsmanship from the world’s favorite manufacturers and Australia’s finest luthiers. There will be workshops and seminars presented by artists and manufacturers on both days.

Festival Director Nick Sergi says “ The guitar is alive and well! We are celebrating an instrument that has truly revolutionized music for over a century! In the digital age of music, we are still seeing the guitar as the principal songwriting tool for a new generation of artists. This year we are returning bigger and better again, with a diverse lineup that recognizes both the legends and the new wave of guitar heroes. ”

The Byron Bay Guitar Festival has been successful in bringing to the local community an accessible event embraced by artist and audience alike. In the past, the festival has presented acts including the late great Phil Emmanuel, Ash Grunwald, British India, Kevin Borich, Dallas Frasca, Hussy Hicks and has had a strong emphasis on recognizing and showcasing emerging talent as Tash Wolf and Taj Farrant.

Byron Bay Guitar Festival is an all-ages event and supports the charity Be Happy Music Club.

Full 2019 line up:
Frenzal Rhomb I Harts I The Delta Riggs I Nathan Cavaleri I Chris Tamwoy I The Soul Movers I The Sidemen I Marshall O’Kell & The Fro I Claude Hay I Creek I Stoker I Minnie Marks I The Fergies I Peter Northcote I Majelen I Nicole Brophy I Brave Gulf I Fergo & The Burden I Sarah Koppen I Bart Stenhouse I Soren Carlbergg Blues Band I Ben Jansz I Bunny Racket I special guest Murray Cook

General festival and Ticketing info:
The 3rd Annual Byron Bay Guitar Festival
Dates: Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 October 2019
Venue: Byron Bay Brewery, Byron Bay
Tickets at: https://www.byronbayguitarfestival.com/