New Order Bassist Peter Hook Opens New Nightclub

Hopefully taking a leaf from his own book, 'The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Nightclub', legendary Joy Division/New Order/Monaco bassist Peter Hook opened his new nightclub, Factory 251, in Manchester on Friday night (Feb. 5) with a career-spanning set with his new band, the Light.

In addition to airing classics from his previous bands, Hook also previewed material from his forthcoming musical project Freebass which he formed with fellow bassists Andy Rourke of the Smiths and Stone Roses/Primal Scream bassist Mani. Hook was joined onstage by the latter as well as one-time Happy Mondays backing singer Rowetta, his 17-year-old son Jack and former drug smuggler-turned-author Howard Marks.

Hook's new venture is located on the site of the former Factory Records and tickets for the opening night at the 450-capacity venue sold out in less than 10 minutes.

"It was brilliant and particularly great to get Freebass together and to do it with Howard [Marks] was really nice," Hook told NME.com.

Yet despite carving their names in the annals of music history and gaining near-mythical status, both Factory Records and the Haçienda nightclub were huge financial disasters. Hook, however, remains confident that errors the past won't be repeated.

He told the Times, "If you can learn from your mistakes, and still have as good a time as you did making them, then you're on to a winner. That remains to be seen, but I should get another book out of it anyway - 'How Not to Run a Club 2'. I'm in a win-win situation."