New Order bassist Peter Hook opens new Factory club

By Georgie Rogers
6 Music News reporter

Hook was one of the founding members of Joy Division

Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order is opening a new live music venue in the old offices of Factory Records in Manchester.

FAC251: The Factory launches on 5 February, with Hook performing songs from his whole back catalogue.

Hook said the aim of the three-floor club, which features a 350-capacity room, is to make it "a gigging venue".

Joy Division were one of the first bands to be signed by Factory Records, later home to the Happy Mondays.

The building has undergone a re-design by Ben Kelly, the original architect that designed Factory's infamous Haçienda nightclub.

Hook revealed to BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq that The Factory will differ from The Haçienda, a key player in the rise of acid house and rave music, during the 'Madchester' years of the late 80s and early 90s.

"The thing that appealed to me was the propagation of music, bringing through new groups, because I think that new bands in Manchester are getting used and abused a little bit," he explained.

"So, the idea is to put a good old-fashioned venue, where music is the key, and give them a chance to grow."

Business attitude

The Haçienda, which was shut down in 1997, struggled financially with much of its funds supported by New Order's record sales.

However, Hook said he hopes to make money this time around: "The whole story with the Haçienda is that we were rubbish at business, so the idea is that we try and keep some of the ethos, the heritage and attitude, and do it in a business manner."

It's not the first time the offices have been used as a venue. Club promoters The Warehouse Project recently put on events there but highlighted issues which Hook and his team have addressed.

"They had a lot of problems with the noise so we've been working quite hard with Ben Kelly to put right those problems," he said. "It was on its own at one point and now it's surrounded by flats and a hotel.

"It's amazing how Manchester's changed over the years," he added.