‘An Evening Of Unknown Pleasures’
Andrew Lloyd Webber Watch Out
Compered by the legend Mr Howard Marks
Hi Hooky, nice to speak to you again dude. Great looking Theatre Tour coming up…
“It’s nerve racking to say the least Dan. When I was asked to do it, I said I can’t do this, I thought I’d feel too naked up there on stage. But then I thought shit, I’ve done all this in the past with all the ’24 Hour Party People’ film signings, interviews and press calls. But I didn’t get paid for any of that, so here we go…
So Howard Marks, is he a bit of a back up for you in front of the audience if you’re nervous…?
“Fuck off you’re joking, he’s more nervous than me. He said to me when we started to talk about the whole project, well what are going to talk about? I said we’ll just wing it on the night. I just hope people don’t throw their popcorn at us if we’re crap. I’m worried that we’re not going to get full house’s, there’s nothing worse than putting on a party when nobody turns up. To be honest, we’re expecting a crowd of people of grown up’s who grew up with New Order and Joy Division, who maybe don’t go to stand up gig’s anymore.”
So part of the evening is an opportunity to show the public music memorabilia never seen before. What’s your most important piece?
“Maybe the gun that was found that shut The Hacienda down. Ha ha, joking Dan. Maybe my Sex Pistols tickets, one thing that did get away was Ian Curtis’s macintosh. One of my roadies came up to me one day and said Ian had left his mac behind after a recording session. I said to him, have you still got it? – he said, well I chased after his car with it in my hand but he didn’t look back. So ‘where is it? I asked him, oh I gave it to a charity shop he replied. Can you imagine that, Ian Curtis’s mac? I have a lot of fantastic artifacts from my past that have been sitting in a lock up gathering dust over the years, I just thought it about time it all had an airing. I’m just worried I’m going to see some fucker running down the street with my Sex Pistols tickets – that’s my retirement fund.”
So another new venture, Peter Hook’s ‘Unknown Pleasures’, a 16 date theatre tour which you are doing mid April across the UK with a certain Howard Marks acting as compere. First off you will be playing some bass numbers, what sort of tunes will be belting out?
“A couple of New Order and New Division tunes, I’ll prattle on for a bit as will Howard.”
What will the film experts be bringing us, some exclusives?
Yeah some exclusive bits and pieces, things that will hopefully jog people’s memories.”
Mr Marks, you’ve known him a long time – he’s had, let’s say an interesting life. Craziest night you’ve ever had with him?
“Dan, i cannot tell you. It was too wild. We’re trying to be grown up now. We’ve lost a few on the way and had the madness. However, I’ll answer anything on stage live, so come along and ask away.”
Tell us about the new club The Factory in Manchester based in the old Fac 51 offices. What’s your involvement there?
“I’m a Partner, Director and Shareholder. It’s doing bleeding well. We were obviously ahead of our time with The Hacienda! I’m waiting for the six years of tumbleweed we had at The Hacienda when it was a ghost town, but it looks like the clubbers of Manchester have taken it their bosom. February 5th was a great opening night that I opened under my new guise The Light. I played 18 songs, some New Order, Joy Division and of course some new tracks – you could say I saw the the light!”
Have you got a TV station on board filming for the tour?
“Ha, with me and Howard it would make a great reality show. Not had a chance to think about it. my career has taken so many twists and turns, it’s going to be funny talking about my life, never thought I’d be doing this. I’ve got this feeling that 50% coming out to see me will be embracing me and the other half will think I’m just doing it to make some money out it all. Saw a quote on a web site on Sunday which said that I ‘had my hand in Tony Wilson’s wallet’. Which I didn’t.”
You have come up with some brilliant quotes over the years…
“I’d rather have ten people who are mad for it than ten thousand who aren’t.”
“Sarcasm is a Manchester trait.”
“I love dance music, it started with me in ’88 and has never left me. It’s what I consider to be my driving music, whenever I’m in the car!”
“Nobody is the same. If we were all the same it would be bloody boring.”
“It was an amazing mistake to lose 10p on every copy because your sleeve is so expensive.”
I love all that.
Tell us about Canada when one time somebody caught you wrongfooted with a question that left you with nothing to say, which I presume you took with a pinch of salt…
“This kid said ‘you’ve been a musician for 30 years – the first 15 you never said anything (which we didn’t because we were very shy) and the last 15 you won’t shut up. Why?’ So you do leave yourself open, but that shows your personality.”
Are you worried what Howard will say up stage?
“Not at all. He’s more worried about what I’m going to say.”
Do you think you are going to a lot of banter at The Lowry in Salford, Manchester on May 1st? Or is just one big Manc family getting together again?
“Well we’ll soon find out won’t we. It’ll be great, the thing is about the people from Manchester is that they think they all know me so I am sure there will be a few cheeky questions. Funny one though, when I was doing the tour around the world promoting ’24 Hour Party People’, I was in Athens this one time and the compere walked onto the stage in front of hundreds of people said, ‘okay, who wants to ask Peter a question about the film?’ – and nobody said a word.”
“I’ve got to go Dan, I’m, playing with my little girl’s school choir at 2 o’ clock, good luck with your wedding.”
Thanks Hooky, I’ll see you on the front row…
The dates…
April
11 – Birmingham, UK @ Glee Club
12 – Bolton, UK @ Albert Hall
13 – Worcester, UK @ Huntingdon Hall
15 – Milton, UK @ Keynes Stables
18 – Middlesbrough, UK @ Town Hall
20 – Gateshead, UK @ The Sage
21 – Durham, UK @ Gala
22 – Burnley, UK @ Burnley Mechanics
25 – Cardiff, UK @ Glee Club
26 – Oxford, UK @ Oxford Academy
27 – Wakefield, UK @ Theatre Royal
28 – Gloucester, UK @ Guild Hall
29 – Derby, UK @ Assembly Rooms
30 – Norwich, UK @ UEA
May
1 – Salford, UK @ The Lowry