Peter Hook & The Light Announce Intimate Hometown Show In Support Of “Shout” Mental Health Charity

Music & mental wellbeing festival, Headstock, have announced that Peter Hook & The Light will play a one-off mental health fundraising event on the 12th April 2024 at Manchester’s Star & Garter, one of the city’s best loved independent live music venues. Peter Hook & The Light: An Evening of Music & Conversation will see the legendary Joy Division and New Order bassist take part in a hosted Q&A to discuss his time with Joy Division as well as his close friendship with Ian Curtis. Later in the evening, Peter will be joined on stage by his band to play a Joy Division set for just 200 lucky fans.

Proceeds from this special Headstock event will go to support mental health charity Shout. The gig will also take place in memory of Ian Curtis who tragically lost his life to suicide in May 1980. Arguably one of the most influential and pioneering bands of all time, Joy Division was a punk / post-punk band formed in Salford in 1976 by Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner, with Ian Curtis and Stephen Morris joining shortly after. Given the limited capacity of the venue, tickets will be allocated via a ballot through Skiddle that will remain open until the 2nd February 2024. Each successful ballot entrant will be allocated two tickets to the event. Money raised via the ticket ballot will go to support Shout’s free and confidential 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.

“I have campaigned for a long time for Ian and Joy Division to be commemorated anyway and anywhere possible. From the statue in Macclesfield – still ongoing – to the mural in Macclesfield, to the mural in Manchester and the upcoming one in Stockport. I will only rest when every town in Great Britain has something. I am immensely proud of Ian and our work as Joy Division, and to celebrate it in this way is such a pleasure. I am hoping to bring Ian’s best man at his wedding and childhood friend Kevin Briggs to join me, so fans can get a real insight into this wonderful man and artist. To play at such an iconic venue as the Star & Garter just seals the deal perfectly.” (Peter Hook)

The Grade II listed Star & Garter is home to the recently reinstated mural of Ian Curtis, which was unveiled ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day in September 2023. The event at the Star & Garter is taking place seven months after the stunning mural of Ian Curtis was completed by renowned Manchester street artist Akse. The mural is based on a photograph of Ian Curtis taken by Belgian photographer Phillipe Carly and depicts the Joy Division front man shortly before the release of the band’s second album, Closer, and on the eve of their first North American tour.