After you ended the Pumpkins, how did the New Order stint come about?

They called me.

They just said, “Hey man, we need an extra guitarist?”

No. Bernard [Sumner, lead singer, New Order] called me at home and said we’d like you to be a guest on the new album [Get Ready]. So, I flew over to England; I spent a week with them. And in the midst of being there, they mentioned they were going to do some tour dates and would I like to come on tour with them. And I was, do you mean, like in the band? And they’re like, “Yeah.” So, it was pretty wild. One of the greatest musical experiences I ever had.


I can imagine. And Hook was still with them at that point in time.

Yeah, yeah. It was really interesting. The most exciting part was when they would play Joy Division songs; they’d just play, the three of them. Listening to that original trio, which is just a powerhouse sound, up there with The Beatles and Cheap Trick. There’s something about the dynamic that you can’t put your finger on, but there it is. It’s like a certain groove. There’s a heaviness to Joy Division that I was able to stand in the middle of onstage and hear it and was like, “Wow, this is fucking amazing.” I would get goosebumps listening to them.

I saw New Order on Technique, but obviously they weren’t doing Joy Division at that point in time. And I was lucky enough to see you on Siamese Dream. That was a great performance.

Thank you. It was a great time. I’m glad I got to experience those things. It has informed my opinion, still, of what is possible. And that’s why when I see a bunch of people standing with their fucking iPads in the air, I have to laugh because I used to watch 30,000 people in a fucking mosh pit, singing every word to every song. Generationally, it’s shocking how muted things are.

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