Festival MUSIC
PETER HOOK The Joy Division and New Order bassist shares some Unknown Pleasures
H ooky has, of late, reinvented himself as the Stephen Fry of British post- punk. From behind his low-slung bass guitar, he has seen it all, buried the bodies and collected endless warrior tales about the hairier moments, from the industrial grimness and existential malaise of Joy Division and Factory Records, through the acid upsurge and global renown of New Order, to a third act as DJ, indie statesman and scandalising raconteur of no mean ability. In the typical Hook anecdote Bowie and Iggy Pop might run into Johnny Rotten on the set of Coronation Street.
Dysfunction, treachery and madness abound in his accounts of nearly four decades at the pointy end of popular music, each one
66 THE LIST FESTIVAL 8–15 Aug 2013
being a condition the plain-spoken Hook rarely shies from describing in lurid detail. Now estranged from his former New Order bandmates and entrenched firmly in the heritage racket, Hook, more than ever, is a loose cannon, blowing a hole in the carefully- maintained facade of British pop with a certain Saxon brutality. In discussion with fan and contemporary Ian Rankin, this should be a masterclass in power, corruption and lies, Hooky-style. (Allan Brown) Peter Hook appears as part of Edinburgh International Book Festival, to discuss his book, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, 10 Aug, 8.30pm.
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HITLIST THE BEST ROCK, POP, JAZZ & FOLK
✽ Doogie Paul Memorial Concert Mogwai (above) headline this charity fundraiser in
memory of bassist Doogie Paul. King Creosote and Paul’s ex bandmate James Yorkston are also on the bill, with Ian Rankin covering MC duties. Assembly Rooms, 8 Aug, 9pm, £18.
✽ La Belle et La Bete/ The Poet Speaks Phillip Glass presents his classical soundtrack
to Jean Cocteau’s black and white film, La Belle et La Bete, then performs a night of music and poetry with Patti Smith in tribute to Allen Ginsberg. See feature, page 20. La Belle et la Bête, Playhouse, 524 3333, 10–11 Aug, 8pm, £12–£35; Conversations: Philip Glass and Patti Smith, The Hub, 473 2015, 13 Aug, 12pm, £6; The Poet Speaks, Playhouse, 524 3333, 13 Aug, 8.30pm, £12–£35.
✽ Sparrow & the Workshop Glasgow
folk rockers (right), with support from Siobhan Wilson and the Rosy Crucifixion. Henry’s, 10 Aug, 7pm, £5.
✽ Festival Record Fair A vinyl sale – with treasure from the 1950s til now. Trawl jazz,
folk, punk and rock records, plus a special bargain section. Roxburghe Hotel, Charlotte Square, 9 Aug, 11am, 10–13 Aug, 10am.
✽ Mitsuko Uchida Often referred to as a ‘poet of the piano’, Japanese pianist Uchida plays two EIF concerts. Read a review next week on list.co.uk. Usher Hall, 13 Aug, 8pm, £12–£34; with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, 11 Aug, 7.30pm, £12–£42.
✽ Swans Ecstatic rockers, Swans, fronted by Michael Gira. See preview, page 69.
Liquid Rooms, Tues 13 Aug, 7pm, £22.50.
✽ Saint Seven Daniel Padden’s One Ensemble perform a dramatic blend of folk,
chamber and experimental music. See Vimeo for a taster. Summerhall, 14 & 15 Aug, 10pm, £9 (£7).