No sooner had it been revealed they'd split up, than New Order were back together - for the world premiere of Ian Curtis biopic Control at the Cannes Film Festival.
"It was a bit tetchy, to say the least," reveals bassist Peter Hook. "It was the first time we'd met up since we split up. I mean the thing is, we're 50 years old, not 15, if things don't work out, or someone's not happy you get on with it, you have to."
But the success of the Anton Corbijn-directed movie, which follows the life and tragic death of Joy Division frontman Ian, is providing comfort to Hooky. He says: "I think it's wonderful really that Control is doing so well, it's certainly cheered me up because not having New Order is not the easiest thing in the world, it's like a bereavement to be honest. So it helped me, if you like.
"But the premiere itself was one of the weirdest moments of my life. The film is so powerful, and it's not just me saying that, Anton has such a powerful way of telling the story. At the end, when you've had your heart ripped out and someone's stamping on it, everyone started clapping. It was a very surreal moment. Anton and the actors got a standing ovation, and I was sat there thinking, b***** hell, I lived that. I suppose it's like anybody who's had a film made about them, it was a bizarre surreal moment. I am really proud of what Anton has done. I had a feeling he was really going to do something special, and he has done. He was so passionate about the whole thing, so dedicated."
The remaining members of Joy Division - Hooky, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris - recorded the soundtrack for the film, recording as Joy Division once again. Hooky says: "The soundtrack sounded fantastic, yes, the idea was to do it as Joy Division, so the three of us did the soundtrack as opposed to with Phil as well."
Since Cannes, the movie has been signed up by mega American film distributors the Weinstein Company, and will go on general release in the UK later this year - probably September.
Hooky says: "It's been picked up for a lot of territories, it's been signed up for nearly every big territory, a lot of people have been on from America congratulating me. The best way you can tell about a film, the true review is how many people go for a pee. If loads of people go for a wee, it's not grabbed them. But [at the premiere] only two people went for a pee, and one of them was Bernard! This film was really holding people's attention."
Photo: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Material: Dianne Bourne via blogs.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
