Peter Hook Headstock Gig Raises £18,500
Headstock, Manchester’s innovative music & mental health social enterprise produced a very special event with Peter Hook, to raise funds and awareness for national mental health text service, Shout.
L.G Publicity led Headstock’s publicity campaign for the event, including a media partnership with XS Manchester. The ticketing for the intimate gig was managed via a ballot with Skiddle and saw 200 lucky winners attend Manchester’s Star and Garter to see Peter and his band - Peter Hook & The Light recreate Joy Division’s very first ever gig at Pips in Manchester - back in 1978 (for the very first time!).
The night began with an emotional applause tribute led by Hooky for the Star & Garter’s popular landlord Andy Martin, who died recently, and ended with him dedicating Love Will Tear Us Apart to his friend Ian Curtis who died by suicide on the eve of the band’s first American tour in 1980.
The exclusive event was split into two halves, the first a lively panel style conversation hosted by Manchester Evening News Entertainment Editor, Dianne Bourne. She was joined by Hooky, photographer Phillipe Carly who took the iconic picture of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, the band’s roadie Carl ‘Twinny’ Bellingham, and Ian Curtis’s best friend Kelvin Brigg’s whom Curtis met in primary school. Their fascinating and funny stories had the entire room gripped as they recalled life when Joy Division first started out, life on tour, Ian’s wicked sense of humour, his love of Speedway, and put some of the myths about Ian and Joy Division to bed.
Reflecting on his friendship with Ian, Kelvin recalled his passion for music from an early age, and how he used to give him records from his very eclectic collection.
The second half of the evening was the live performance by Peter Hook and the Light. It started with the full setlist from the Pips gig, before heading into a greatest hits set of the band's classics, including Transmission, Shadowplay, Ceremony and a rousing finale of Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Headstock’s event raised £18,500 for text service Shout.
picture by Dominic Simpson