New Order (Partially) Reform

Electronic music legends New Order have announced they’re temporarily reforming to play two benefit gigs for long term band associate Michael Shamberg in October.

The former Factory Records New York chief and video maker is reportedly seriously ill, prompting the band to play two shows in Brussel and Paris, both in October.

While their estranged New Order bass player Peter Hook remains uninvolved, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris are set to be joined on stage by Gillian Gilbert, the wife of Stephen Norris, who last played keyboards with the band in 2001.

"It's been a long 10 years since I took a break from the band, so I'm really happy to be back," she told BBC 6 Music last week. "Michael is a very good friend, and I want to help him, so it's perfect timing for me to come back now."

Speaking about the announcement days later, Peter Hook said he’d been taken ‘completely by surprise’.

“Everyone knows that New Order without Peter Hook is like Queen without Freddie Mercury, U2 without The Edge, Sooty without Sweep!'” he said.

'On a more serious note, I do not understand the decision the other three have taken. I wish they had approached me first,” Hooky continued.

'I do not agree with the methods they have used and feel it would have been courteous and professional to have spoken to me in advance of the announcement. It is very sad.”

The foursome stopped speaking when Hooky unilaterally announced via Myspace in 2007 that New Order had split up, though speaking about the ongoing separation to the Guardian in July, sounded a notably conciliatory note.

"We (Joy Division and New Order) were important to people. Kids were born and people were buried to our music,” he sighed, “I know that our all bickering physically hurts the fans and destroys what they loved.” (Guardian: http://bit.ly/n5dYti )