Peter Hook’s The Light Performs’ Unknown Pleasures’

In conjunction with a free exhibition, curated by Peter Hook and Chris Hewitt, which showcased Joy Division memorabilia and artefacts, and with the support of charities, Mind and The Keith Bennett Appeal, The Light took to the stage with the promise of playing ‘Unknown Pleasures’ but ultimately delivered more than expected.

On the thirtieth anniversary of Ian’s death, The Light delivered a taut, tightly wrought set which brought many Joy Division aficionados out. With son Jack, guitarist Nat, Andy on keys and drummer Leadfoot in tow, along with the ever sublimely gorgeous Rowetta, delivering killer vocals on ‘Insight’ and ‘New Dawn Fades’, a respectful but exhilarating set hopefully made sense of the night that awaited.

With an interlude prior to ‘Unknown Pleasures’ which saw The Light kick off with ‘At A Later Date’, take in ‘Warsaw’, ‘No Love Lost’, ‘Leaders Of Men’, ‘Digital’ and ‘Glass’, airing these Joy Division lesser known classics, saw an already appreciative crowd primed for the main action.

Moving on into a sequential run through of the ‘Unknown Pleasures’ album, all members of the band came to the fore, as ‘Day Of The Lords’ and ‘She’s Lost Control’ saw crowd highlights and euphoric reactions. Rowetta in the house for two tracks was typically off the hook, her stunning vocals providing a useful female counterpoint to the evening’s proceedings.

Not that the day was without its worries or anguish, yet in revisiting Joy Division’s back catalogue with such relish and musical dexterity, The Light, in a way that remained matter of fact, proved themselves capable of many a challenge. Hooky himself appeared to enjoy the gig, crowd reaction and general bonhomie, as he swigged from bottles of water, chatted to the crowd and looked cooly satisfied that his decision to commemorate his bandmate was being warmly received.