Peter Hook isn’t budging.
The former Joy Division and New Order bassist flatly ruled out any reunion with his ex-band mates, even for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honor. Hook made clear he has no interest in standing alongside his former band mates at the upcoming November ceremony.
“No. No. Not after what they did to me and my family, no,” he told Rolling Stone, before adding, “No. I won’t stand with them. No.”
Hook explained he doesn’t really care how the ceremony would work if he wouldn’t stand with the entire group for the award. “I couldn’t give a s–t. I’m not bothered,” he told the outlet. “You’ve got to have morals.”
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The fallout from a yearslong legal and personal feud still runs too deep for Hook, who reiterated that there is no situation in which he’d change his mind.
“It’s very sad, but that’s what happened. They did it. They decided to take the New Order name,” he explained. “I felt it was wrong, and I still think it’s wrong.”
The group initially launched as Joy Division in 1978 with Hook, Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris. Curtis’ death by suicide in 1980 led the group to change the band’s name to New Order. Hook later left the band in 2007, believing New Order was done.
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However, the band reunited in 2011 without Hook but chose to keep the name. Hook sued the band in 2015, claiming he was losing millions in royalties. He claimed the band restructured financially in 2011 upon reformation and shorted him $3.5 million, according to Pitchfork.
The business dispute was resolved in 2017 with an undisclosed settlement.
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According to Hook, he hasn’t spoken to some of his former band mates in 15 years, and he doesn’t plan on reconciling any time soon. But acknowledged — you should never say never.
“If Bernard pops his head around and goes, ‘Hey Hooky, sorry about that eight-year legal battle that cost you six years’ wages. I’m really sorry about it. We should maybe have just had a chat about it.’ So you never know, dear,” Hook told Rolling Stone. “Life is full of surprises. I’m sure that could be a lovely one.”
A truce for one night for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, even in honor of Curtis, wouldn’t be enough though.
“They’d have to do more than that,” Hook explained. “They’d have to reach out and try and form some kind of relationship. You can’t just go ‘truce for the night’ after what we’ve been through. If you knew what we’ve been through, you wouldn’t even suggest it. That’s the thing. Nobody knows what you went through. There’s a lightness to it in that respect.”
