Peter Hook in Riverside

About Peter Hook

Peter Hook is best known as the bassist and co-founder of Joy Division, the Manchester post-punk band that defined the sound of the late 1970s. After Joy Division's dissolution following Ian Curtis's death in 1980, Hook continued with New Order, the electronic-influenced successor band that essentially invented the synth-pop and dance-rock hybrid sound of the 1980s. With New Order, he helped create some of the era's most enduring tracks—"Blue Monday" became one of the best-selling 12-inch singles of all time, and songs like "Temptation" and "Atmosphere" showcased his ability to balance intricate bass lines with the band's increasingly electronic direction. Hook's bass playing is arguably the most distinctive element of both bands' catalogs; his lines are melodic and propulsive rather than merely supportive. After New Order went on hiatus, Hook focused on solo work and tours performing Joy Division and New Order material. He's known for being candid about the bands' history and the tensions that shaped their music.

Hook's shows are meticulous reconstructions of era-defining material—fans come to hear the exact songs that mattered, played faithfully. The crowd is respectful, mostly older, swaying rather than thrashing. There's a meditative quality despite the driving rhythms. His bass tone cuts through everything.

Known for Blue Monday, Temptation, Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart, Atmosphere

Peter Hook in Riverside News

• Riverside + Klone acoustic– The Ritz, Manchester: Live Review At The Barrier · May 22, 2024
• Watch New Order performing ‘Temptation’ live at the BBC, 1982 Far Out Magazine · Jun 14, 2021
• Hip-hop heroes Public Enemy to headline Stockton Weekender Teesside Live · Mar 14, 2014

Live Music in Riverside

Riverside's music scene has always been more rock and hip-hop focused than electronic, but the city's relationship with post-punk and synthwave has quietly deepened over the past decade. Peter Hook's bass-forward approach and his work spanning Joy Division's raw intensity and New Order's dance floor experiments aligns with a growing appreciation for electronic production and alternative sounds among Inland Empire audiences.

Riverside road trip to see Peter Hook?

Stay in the Magnolia Center area near downtown Riverside, where restored historic buildings sit alongside new boutique hotels and wine bars—it's the only neighborhood that actually feels like somewhere worth spending an evening. Before the show, dinner at Duane's, a reliable California steakhouse with real cocktails and actual craft to the food. Spend your afternoon at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum or walking through the Mission Inn's sprawling Mission Revival campus—it's genuinely stunning architecture, the kind of thing that reminds you why people actually settled this part of California.