What many people don't know about Mancunians - especially close-knit families - is they're perpetually falling out with each other, often over the most trivial matters. Manchester, musically, is a bickering family, and Uncle Peter Hook and Uncle Mani are the latest to have endured a meltdown. Hook is currently in Australia playing Joy Division material as part of his worldwide Unknown Pleasures 30th anniversary tour. The idea of a "memorial project" rankled with Mani, who launched a Twitter tirade attacking his fellow Freebass band member for "living off Ian Curtis' blood money". Although this was later retracted, the damage was done, particularly as NME was quick to point out that Mani will be revisiting Primal Scream's 1991 album Screamadelica across the UK in November. GQ.com caught up with the man perpetually known as "Hooky", erstwhile bass-player, nightclub expert and author of the critically acclaimed 2009 book The Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club. In typical Manchester fashion, Foruli have a launched a series of lavish "remixed" editions with a few extras for diehard fans. Here Hook talks about the Mani fallout, the lost Joy Division record and his plans for the future of Factory...
GQ: Is the fact that Peter Saville has designed the new England shirt a sign that Factory Records has reached its zenith culturally and finally taken over the country?
Peter Hook: Pete now stands over and above Factory, really. Him doing the England shirt is more about him than Factory - and good luck to him. He's a genius. He deserves it and much more because he's a fantastic and unique designer.
What would Tony Wilson make of Factory's legacy?
I wish I could ask him, I really do. Hopefully he would approve. He worked hard to construct it.
The breakup of your band Freebass following Mani's Tweets was very public. How do you feel about that, and is there any chance of reconciliation?
Life is difficult, people are difficult, living legends are difficult. When they get together, it's like the gods playing, with thunder and lightning. It's going to be loud and it's going to make a mess. We just do our best and get on with it. Mani is my mate and always will be. Have you never fell out with someone you love?
Speaking of fallouts, whenever we speak to true New Order fans, they can't believe there won't be any new material from you...
We have an album in the can - or most of one, at least - which is left over from the Sirens sessions [New Order's Waiting For The Sirens Call, 2005]. We always did have. They [Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris] have the majority vote but we can't get it together to sort it out, which is a shame.
Noel Gallagher told me at GQ Men Of The Year awards "Bernard [Sumner]'s all right, but he's a red ****. Mani's another one too." Why can't Manchester City fans be happy because they're the richest club in the world?
They can never be happy. They're ugly puppies that no one wants. Because puppies are not just for Christmas, are they?
Your book is very honest and, in parts, frankly shocking. The level of violence perpetrated by the Manc gangs is overwhelming. Did you fear for your life?
Many times - usually the next morning. In the evenings, I had various anaesthetics.
Talking about hedonism - did you ever fear for your health?
No. My motto was die young and leave a good-looking corpse. I was an idiot. Now I know how important my health is.
As a well-known DJ, what track would you play at midnight on New Year's Eve if you were asked to play?
"Atmosphere"… by Russ Abbott! My wife says she's going to play it at my funeral. Hopefully it'll be a mash-up - a Soulwax remix - of the two. That would make me very happy!
Your book, The Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club, was a hit with the critics when it was released a year ago. You must have been pleased with the response
It took three years of very hard work. It was one of those things that turned out to be harder than I first thought - and it took a lot longer than I expected to write - but the book's sold over 50,000 copies in hardback, which is great numbers. That's the success, really - the critics come and go, but the people are the important ones.
Did your research for the book assist you when you were planning to open your new Factory nightclub in Manchester?
No, it told me not to do it, but I listened to my heart instead. I want what we did to last forever, and to be seen. We deserve it. For me, this is another step in that direction. I'm a musician and I have to make music, and I have to help people to make music. It's all I know.
How are you finding running a club again?
Very rewarding. I'm down with the kids. There's mutual respect - I'm very proud of them. My business partner is great, Aaron Mellor [MD of nightclub-owning group Tokyo Industries] - he's the brains. I'm the figurehead, you know, like the woman with her tits out on the front of a ship. I know where we're going, but I have to trust in my crew to get me there.
Although Mani's Tweets were pretty strong, do you feel that Manchester is behind you in your endeavours?
We stand alone. You have to believe in what you do otherwise you'd go nowhere. It's nice when people agree but ultimately it's down to you. I have my detractors and I have my friends. I hope Manchester is behind me, but I'll do what I do anyway.
Could you tell GQ.com readers what we might expect in extras with the re-release of How Not To Run A Club?
For my speaking tour [to promote the book] I decided to play some New Order songs instrumentally and really enjoyed them, so when the tour was over it was suggested to put them in the book's special edition. I thought it was a great idea. It also gave me the opportunity to write a track as Man Ray with my friend Phil Murphy. It's a tribute to the Vikings - our fans who follow us everywhere - and that comes as a four-track limited EP with the packages. I was really knocked out when I saw the design of the special editions and was quite proud that someone had taken our work and treated it with such reverence. The designers have really taken on the iconography of the Haç and brought the book to life. Also, the special editions come with a piece of the club's bar top and a piece of the dance floor so they're the ultimate memento of the club.
We hear you're returning to the studio soon - is this solo material?
I never stop. I've done two tracks with [dance music producer] Nick Hussey, recently - a dance version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and a new track called "Salty". I do everything and anything. My next plan is a soundtrack to Hacienda CCTV footage of New Year's Eve 1995, with Phil Murphy as Man Ray. Also we're doing an EP of Joy Division covers with [Happy Mondays backing singer/whipcracker] Rowetta and I aim to begin writing with The Light. They are fantastic musicians and we'll be writing new music as well.
Finally - how have you found Australia?
The Unknown Pleasures tour was sold out - I was amazed. There were thousands of the little buggers. We're big Down Under! [laughs uproariously]
Prices for the limited-edition box sets start at £350 for the Signature Edition (which includes a piece of the Hacienda dance floor) up to the Ultimate Edition (price on request) which includes one of six handmade Hacienda bass guitars. Visit Foruli.co.uk to see all the special editions.
