Every now and then you can stumble upon a show that you start with little expectations and end gobsmacked. Peter Hook and the Light was one of those experiences.
Everything was right about this event. For starters, it was held at Testing Grounds in Melbourne. Essentially, Testing Grounds is a vacant block along City Road, Melbourne behind the Arts Centre. A makeshift stage, a pop up bar and a food van created one of the most atmospheric shows the city of Melbourne has ever played host to.
Former Joy Division, New Order bass player Peter Hook is in Australia with his new band The Light to perform two classic New Order albums ‘Brotherhood; and ‘Low Life’ from start to finish. For this show he threw the format away and proceeded to play a totally unique set starting with 75 minutes of Joy Division and then an equal amount of New Order.
This quickly became one of those “you had to be there” shows but for a lucky few (maybe 200) it was a special occasion. Despite the perfect weather, totally distinctive location and a chance to see one of the UK’s innovators of dance rock music, the majority of New Order fans had elected to see Hook perform the next night at the Corner Hotel. That show was a sell-out while this rare experience was witnessed by maybe 200 people.
Hook 
dug deep for the Testing Grounds audience delivering both Joy Division classic ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ and the New Order signature song ‘Blue Monday’ at this show, for the first time on the Aussie tour.
Joy Division’s ‘Transmission’ opened one of the Sydney sets. New Order’s ‘Temptation’ also made this show.
Peter Hook and The Light were performing as part of Summersalt, an initiative by Arts Victoria. Like Sydney’s Vivid, Summersalt brought rare arts experiences to the City of Melbourne. For the lucky few who witnessed Peter Hook and The Light at Testing Crowd, you were really treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Peter Hook and the Light, Melbourne, February 20, 2015
Joy Division set:
No Love Lost (from an Ideal For Living EP, 1978)
Leaders Of Men (from an Ideal For Living EP, 1978)
Digital (A Factory Sample EP, 1978)
Disorder (from Unknown Pleasures, 1979)
Twenty Four Hours (from Closer, 1980)
Transmission (single, 1979)
Insight (from Unknown Pleasures, 1979)
Atmosphere (single, 1980)
Heart & Soul (from Closer, 1980)
Wilderness (from Unknown Pleasures, 1979)
A Mean To An End (from Closer, 1980)
Dead Souls (from 1979 Licht und Blindheit sessions)
She’s Lost Control (from Unknown Pleasures, 1979)
Shadowplay (from Unknown Pleasures, 1979)
Decades (from Closer, 1980)
New Order set:
Ceremony (single, 1981)
Dreams Never End (from Movement, 1981)
Love Vigilantes (from Love Life, 1985)
Cries & Whispers (from Substance, 1987)
Age of Consent (from Power Corruption and Lies, 1983)
Sooner Than You Think (from Low Life, 1985)
Way Of Life (from Brotherhood, 1986)
Your Silent Face (from Power Corruption and Lies, 1983)
Everything’s Gone Green (single, 1981)
Bizarre Love Triangle (from Brotherhood, 1986)
Thieves Like Us (single, 1984)
The Perfect Kiss (from Low Life, 1985)
Blue Monday (single, 1983)
Encore:
True Faith (from True Faith, 1987)
Temptation (single, 1982)
Love Will Tear Us Apart ((single, 1980)
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