The Diary: A New Order
NO sooner had it been revealed they'd split up, than New Order were back together - for the world premiere of Ian Curtis biopic Control at the Cannes Film Festival.
"It was a bit tetchy, to say the least," reveals bassist Peter Hook.
“It was the first time we’d met up since we split up. “I mean the thing is, we’re 50 years old, not 15, if things don’t work out, or someone’s not happy you get on with it, you have to."
But the success of the Anton Corbijn-directed movie, which follows the life and tragic death of Joy Division frontman Ian, is providing comfort to Hooky.
He says: "I think it’s wonderful really that Control is doing so well, it’s certainly cheered me up because not having New Order is not the easiest thing in the world, it’s like a bereavement to be honest. So it helped me, if you like.
"The band had already seen the rough-cut, ahead of the festival.
“But the premiere itself was one of the weirdest moments of my life. The film is so powerful, and it’s not just me saying that, Anton has such a powerful way of telling the story. At the end, when you’ve had your heart ripped out and someone’s stamping on it, everyone started clapping. It was a very surreal moment. Anton and the actors got a standing ovation, and I was sat there thinking, b***** hell, I lived that. I suppose it’s like anybody who’s had a film made about them, it was a bizarre surreal moment. I am really proud of what Anton has done. I had a feeling he was really going to do something special, and he has done. He was so passionate about the whole thing, so dedicated.”
The remaining members of Joy Division - Hooky, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris - recorded the soundtrack for the film, recording as Joy Division once again.
Hooky says: "The soundtrack sounded fantastic, yes, the idea was to do it as Joy Division, so the three of us did the soundtrack as opposed to with Phil as well.
"The remainder of Joy Division did it, I was delighted with it to be honest."
Since Cannes, the movie has been signed up by mega American film distributors the Weinstein Company, and will go on general release in the UK later this year - probably September.
Hooky says: “It’s been picked up for a lot of territories, it’s been signed up for nearly every big territory, a lot of people have been on from America congratulating me.
“The best way you can tell about a film, the true review is how many people go for a pee. If loads of people go for a wee, it’s not grabbed them. But [at the premiere] only two people went for a pee – and one of them was Bernard! This film was really holding people’s attention.
“It’s in black and white as well, and I never noticed. It’s quite difficult for me to say whether people are going to like it because I’m so involved in it. It’s quite difficult for me to be objective. But the feeling that I got, and a thousand people watched it in Cannes, you really could feel that it actually meant something. It was scary."
The film has won rave reviews from those who saw it - and unknown actor Sam Riley, who plays Ian in the movie, has been singled out for particular praise. Sam is pictured here with his co-star in the film, Alexandra Maria Lara.
Peter says: "Sam is in a group, he was a bit of a fan of Joy Division so it’s been a bit surreal for him. They were all really nice kids. The guy who played me, he wasn’t at the premiere cos he’s got a job in Hollywood so I said to the kid who played Bernard, “here ‘ya you should have played me and you’d be over in Hollywood.” So I like to think it was because he played me that he got that part in Hollywood.
“There is talk of doing a premiere in Manchester and I think it could be quite an occasion. It’s one of those things. I think Joy Division, very quietly, is very highly thought of by us all in Manchester.
"There's a fantastic scene in the film where we’re all in the pub drowning our sorrows after his death and [band manager] Rob Gretton by way of cheering us up said don’t worry lads, you’re going to be really big in 10 years time. And lo and behold, 10, 20 and 30 years on Joy Division are bigger than when Ian actually died.”
Hooky is now busy working on the Hacienda Exhibition, celebrating 25 years since the Manc superclub opened in the city.
He says: " It’s quite nice really you only realise the importance of the Hacienda to people afterwards."
Excerpts taken from Manchester Evening News.
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