Torn apart again: Hook's outburst threatens future of New Order

The death, at his own hand, of their much cherished singer Ian Curtis on the eve of a US tour in 1980 has always helped maintain a certain harmony between the surviving members of the band once known as Joy Division. All agreed before Curtis' death not to continue under the same name should any member leave and were as good as their word.

But the friendship of the band that became known as New Order, sustained through several side projects over the years, has been unceremoniously shattered by a bizarre series of public disclosures about members' intentions to split. The escalating row has now culminated in threats by Peter Hook, the bassist, to take legal action against the others.

To the surprise of the other two senior members of New Order, which became the flagship band for Manchester's Factory Records after Curtis died, Hook told Manchester's Xfm radio station in May that the band had split after more than 30 years and that he would be working with Perry Farrell's new band, Satellite Party.

He cited the vocalist Bernard Sumner's decision to work with the group Electronic, which clearly irked him. "It's like the boy who cried wolf this time," he said, adding on his page on networking site MySpace: "I'm relieved, really, hated carrying on as normal with an awful secret so let's move on, shall we?"

Sumner and the percussionist Stephen Morris insisted that the band intended to carry on without "Hooky", as he is universally known in Manchester. "Whatever happens musically or otherwise, New Order have not split up; they continue to exist."

But in the latest twist Hook, 51, has released a rambling statement, rendered all the more confusing for its lack of punctuation, via his MySpace page, which apparently threatens legal action.

"This group has split up!" he writes. "You are no more New Order than I am! You may have two-thirds but don't assume you have the rights to do anything 'New Ordery' because you don't. I've still got a third! But I'm open to negotiation."

The spat seems to be the product of the band members issuing more information through the internet than they have to each other. Morris first hinted late last year that a split was on the cards for the band, best known for the 1983 hit "Blue Monday", when he was quoted in a magazine as saying: "We should stop for a while." He then denied subsequent split stories, telling website worldinmotion.net: "It's the first I've heard of it ... we've got an album to finish."

Hook evidently didn't consult his fellow band members before his announcement and Sumner, who hasn't seen him since the group toured South America last November, was indignant. "I find it very distasteful for him to do that after all this time," he said. "He should have had a meeting with us. I'm not having someone tell me that we've split up without consulting me first. I think that's very arrogant."

Sumner is in no particular hurry to work with Hook again . "I've been working on two other projects at the moment so I'm kind of busy for the next couple of years anyway," he said.

But he has some advice for Hook: "I think that Hooky just needs to chill out a little bit and relax," he said.

The band has survived periods of hiatus before. They were semi-detached between 1993 and 1998, reconvened in 1998, and after releasing Get Ready, their first album in eight years in 2001, parted company with Gillian Gilbert, who left due to family commitments.

But this time the split may be irrevocable. Hook signs off his latest blog with words obviously directed at Sumner and Morris: "See you in court! love, hooky x."

Breaking up is easy to do ...

* KAJAGOOGOO

The band, right, had its share of tensions before Limahl was fired by the other members in 1993. The remaining members never quite made it, reforming for a while as Kaja. Three members have since re-established themselves as Kajagoogoo.

* SPANDAU BALLET

More spectacular differences, despite success which saw them conquer America. Three members had to sell their shares in Spandau Ballet's company to Gary Kemp to pay off legal debts and since that company owned the rights to the name of Spandau Ballet, they had to tour as 'Hadley, Norman and Keeble, ex-Spandau Ballet'. But a reunion tour has been talked of.

* THE SMITHS

After the group split, they were reunited in court in 1996 to settle a royalties claim by Mike Joyce against Morrissey and Johnny Marr, who had most of the recording and performance royalties and allowed only 10 per cent each to Joyce (and Andy Rourke). Marr has scotched rumours of a reunion, but Rourke has joined Marr to perform "How Soon Is Now?"