Joy Division and New Order in the Hall of Fame: it’s already controversy

Peter Hook has confirmed that he will take part in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony scheduled for November, where Joy Division and New Order they will be officially inducted into the class of 2026 as a single entry. His presence, however, does not imply a reunion on stage: the musician has in fact clarified without hesitation that, at present, he has no intention of performing together with his former companions. In an interview with Rolling StoneHook expressed his position very directly: “No. I will not go up with them. Not after what they did to me and my family… I don’t care, you have to have principles.”

At the root of the rift are tensions that have their roots in his departure from the group in 2007, followed by a long and exhausting legal dispute over the rights linked to the band’s name and on economic issues that have never been completely clarified. In the following years, relations progressively deteriorated until they broke down completely. Hook said he had no contact with Bernard Sumner and Gillian Gilbert for about fifteen yearswhile the last comparison with Stephen Morris went back several years and was not friendly at allso much so that he described it as “anything but friendly”. Despite the decisive tone, the bassist does not completely close the door to a possible reconciliation, suggesting that everything would depend on a specific gesture: “If Bernard came to me and said ‘I’m sorry about that years-long legal battle.’then maybe yes. You never know. Life is full of surprises.”

During the interview, the name of Ian Curtis, a central figure in the history of Joy Division, also inevitably emerged. When asked if he would be willing to put tensions aside in his honor, Hook responded cautiously, suggesting that the situation is much more complex than it appears from the outside: “The truth is more complex than you think. There are details that none of you knowA passage that suggests that the wounds between the parties are far from healed. At the same time, Hook nevertheless welcomed the entry into the Hall of Fame with enthusiasm, underlining the importance of the recognition especially for the fans and for the memory of Curtis: “I’ve been waiting for this for years, so I’ll definitely make the most of it. I’d like to say that this milestone is for Ian Curtis and all our fans of both bands. Without you, we would be nothing. So thank you so much.” And he concluded with a simple message addressed to the public: “See you that evening”.

The musician then lightened the tone with a joke, saying he was curious to see what will happen during the evening even without his participation on stage with New Order: “I need a laugh.” Immediately afterwards, he joked about an alternative scenario which, in his opinion, could be even more probable, namely an appearance together with Oasisremembering having organized one of their first concerts in the early nineties. Hook even imagines the brothers Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher in the role of mediators, ready to make peace between him and his former companions: “They might get in the way and say something like, ‘Okay, join hands and go on stage and play Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart and Blue Monday’.” The ceremony will be held on November 14, 2026 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will air in December on ABC and Disney+.