Substance cover art

Substance

Inside New Order

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Substance

By: Peter Hook
Narrated by: Peter Hook, Keir Stewart
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $33.99

Buy Now for $33.99

About this listen

Rollicking, no-holds-barred account of New Order's entire history.

Two acclaimed albums and an upcoming US tour - Joy Division had the world at their feet. Then, on the eve of that tour, the band’s troubled lead singer, Ian Curtis, killed himself. The next time they got together, they were a new band.

That band was New Order - their label was Factory Records; their club, The Haçienda. Their distinctive sound paved the way for the dance music explosion that followed, earning them the reputation as one of the most influential bands of their generation and changing the course of popular music.

Following on from his best-selling titles The Haçienda and Unknown Pleasures, Peter Hook has written a rollicking, no-holds-barred account of the band's entire history. Substance is packed with never-before-seen detail, discographies and technical information. This is possibly the most entertaining memoir ever written by a British musician.

Photo credit: Mark L Hill.

©2016 Peter Hook (P)2021 Audible, Ltd Entertainment & Celebrities Music Celebrity
All stars
Most relevant  
I absolutely loved this book. I've always been a huge Joy Division/ New Order fan so was really excited about this book. It did not disappoint. Peter Hooks narration is wonderful. I felt like he and I were just having a really long conversation. He is a brilliant storyteller. I rekindled my love of his music in the process. I love his honesty and his sense of humour. ❤❤❤

Hooky is a total legend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is just brilliant from start to finish, and one of the most consistently funny audiobooks I’ve listened to. If you’re a music head, it’s simply a must listen. The sheer joy in Hooky’s narration adds immeasurably to the experience.

An utterly brilliant and hilarious insight into the band and the music industry

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Entertaining account of life, loves and hate through the eyes, ears, mouth and nose of an ageing rock star.

Thoughts of the Perputual Adolescent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fantastically interesting and Hook seeming shares his honest views on what happened during this period of his life.

He has a remarkable memory of events given the amount of alcohol and drugs he was on.

Brutal and honest

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Outstanding memory of 30 years of mayhem. Many laugh out loud moments, and inspires you to reach for the Joy Division and New Order back catalogues …… which certainly never hurts !

Detailed, witty, and enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I truly underestimated how much I'd enjoy this audiobook. Having listened to Stephens two books just last year and having a vague idea of what Hooky's would be like, I was blown away.
Although I'm sure the truth lies somewhere between the 3 published books, Hooky gives you such graphic detail and delivers it with so much love and enthusiasm it almost feels like you're right there in the thick of it. Loved the detail on the song writing process and the "geek alert" titbits. Some of the stories do feel a bit like a rock bio cliche but there's a lot of laughs and a lot of deep and emotional honesty as well.
Probably the only audiobook best enjoyed on a quiet day at your local pub with a pint. 🍺
Looking forward to another round already.

Possibly the greatest audiobook of all time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
wow what a book..never expected it to be so good. He read it brilliantly and had me in stitches of laughter at times. I'm not a new order fan but I wanted something to listen to on a long flight and what a choice thank you for such a wonderful and honest account of his life..

amazing book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It's well written and well read and he's undeniably much more engaging than the colleague's books he's publicly departed with.
Mainly though, the best thing I got out of reading/listening to these books is an idea of where he was coming from with Peter Hook and the Light and the JD NO catalog. I finally got to see them this year after it being postponed last two years due to you know what and I now will any time I get the chance. Two Joy Division albums back to back and some deep cuts and NO hits and it was powerful. My partner and friends got a lot out of seeing New Order with Orchestra a while ago. Everyone bar Gillian writing a tell all gives you a feeling of picking through the ruins of ancient history. Well you can still see them and I highly recommend seeing Peter Hook and the Light.

Go see Peter Hook and the Light

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Boring. the most boring "rock n roll" autobiography I've ever read. And then we met girls.
then we played a gig, then we met girls. so boring I can't believe a publisher didn't tell hooky to try harder. don't bother. an endless list of gig dates and equipment list does not make a riveting read.

maybe fans will like it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.