Surfing, Skateboarding, Music, Photography, Travel, Culture and general antics of the youth on the run.

Peter Hook and the Light at the Wiltern And we all danced

If you don’t like at least one song by Joy Division or New Order than you’re probably a liar. The thing about both of these bands is that they are so prominent in music of various genres. Whether you like it or not, we hear them everyday in our favorite bands. The extent of their influence in the post punk and new wave world goes far beyond the eye can see and it’s reputably timeless. If you’ve ever been to a New Order concert you can see this translate effortlessly into their performance.

I’m a shameless crier when it comes to shows. I cried during Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Air, Beyoncé… I probably cried at a Bright Eyes show when I was 14 and I definitely cried at my first concert ever when I was 9 – The Backstreet Boys. So touching and so moving – when a piece music makes you feel everything at once at a moment in time.

Anyway, it’s really no surprise that I shed more than a tear at Peter Hook and The Light when they played at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

My favorite New Order album is their debut one from 1981, “Movement” and like every other great album, it was released poorly by the critics at the time of its release. I’m not trying to snub Bernard Sumner because he’s massively talented and just as important as Hook, but Hook sings on the most Ian-sounding songs on the record (“Dreams Never End,” “Doubts Even Here”) so for him to sing Joy Division songs in a live setting seems appropriate.

“Movement” is dark like Joy Division but it’s hopeful like everything else by New Order. Peter Hook and the Light mimicked this mood into their set the other night. Hook’s low Curtis-like vocal range made it easy to relish in the Joy Division/New Order revolution that seems to rock and rattle each decade since the 80s.

Hook and his band played an hour of New Order hits followed by an hour of Joy Division bangers with a short intermission in-between.

dsc_3393

He wasted no time from the beginning, playing “Ceremony” second and inviting out Moby who sang the song while embodying Curtis’ dynamic stage energy respectfully enough to where it wasn’t tacky or overdone. Moby came back out one more time during the Joy Division set and sang his heart out to “Transmission.” You can hate Moby all you want but it was pretty psycho in a totally cool and versatile way.

You got to give Peter Hook credit for giving the fans what they want. The performance was seemingly more catered to a Joy Division-centric fan base, which is why I recommend seeing him play in this manner versus New Order, although both are not to be missed. So many people in the crowd weren’t even born until after Curtis died. Now, thanks to Hook, we all can feel a little piece of the “Substance.”–Asal Shahindoust

Copenhagen Pro Project Ring of Fire Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth We have a lot to learn about competition

What we’re witnessing right now in Copenhagen is redefining the meaning of “contest” forever. From the ceremonial “Ring of Fire” at the outdoor skate park last night, which officially kicks off the Copenhagen Pro, to the non-stop highfives and good vibes and incredible skating and living going on all around us, it’s clear that Copenhagen…

Dear Youth Happy fourth of July

“Those of us not in France just spent all our lunch money for the month at this fireworks stand. Please standby while we light it all off and run around our neighborhood drinking CL smooths and enjoying the day. We’ll be back tomorrow with your regularly scheduled programming, including a teaser to our upcoming Fairly…

Bali Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth A psychedelic trip in Bali

There is some trippy shit going on in Bali right now. We were going to edit this dispatch from Dion down, combine it with some information about the trip and why it’s going down, pull quotes out, etc, but this note we got from Dion last night does a way better job of relaying what…

Brendon Gibbens Dane Reynolds Owen Wright Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Every wall a door and don’t say shark

I have a friend who lives in South Africa. He ends all his e-mails with the statement: Every wall a door and don’t say shark. It’s a mix of local folklore from the group of laborer/friends he surfs with, mixed with a bit of his own philosophy. Apparently surfing in a community known for having…

Jake Burghart Vice HBO Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth We talked to our good friend Jake Burghart about filming for the new HBO/VICE show

That’s him, in a photo taken by a hidden camera, wearing a What Youth shirt, in Pakistan, about to interview some militant freedom fighters. First of all, for those of you who haven’t seen the show, you can check out episode 1 here, and a new episode on HBO every Friday night, and we reccomend that you do,…

Dillon Perillo Chippa Wilson Skating Australia This is Us Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Chippa Wilson and Dillon Perillo filming for This is Us: Australia

There was a skatepark next to the bowler’s club we ate dinner at during our recent trip to Australia. It was empty all the time and every evening before dark (and often into the dark thanks to our Subaru’s headlights) we would eat chicken schnitzel’s, grab some beers and roll around for a few hours,…

This is Us Ryan Callinan Creed McTaggart Dillon Perillo Chippa Wilson Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth The making of a new What Youth original series

We’re currently in Australia filming for a new What Youth film series called This Is Us. So far, in the first two days we’ve survived the 50-year storm. Had a late night skate session fueled by the lights on our cars, searched every nook and cranny along this section of Australian coast and met some quality…

Chippa Wilson Creed McTaggart Dillon Perillo Surfing Drinking Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Fuck Henry Miller

There is a beautiful home in Australia that is now inhabited by us. Nine of us. It has several bedrooms. A beautiful deck. A gas Weber barbecue. Kitschy photos of Waikiki, Santa Monica, Tahiti and other surfing “meccas.” We are here surfing, drinking, skating, talking, grilling, and reading poetry together because we saw a film…

Traveling LAX Surfing Australia Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth A note from LAX

There’s a small bar in this terminal and it’s filled with all those sad looks that people usually have in airports, bad sandwiches and ice cold beers. I’ve just met up with What Youth filmer and team psyche-leader Victor Pakpour. He travels with the most hideous piece of luggage you’ve ever seen. He says it’s…

What Youth Issue Three Skating Surfing Dear Youth

Dear Youth What Youth Issue 3 is Available Thursday, February 14th

After a weekend filled with late night brainstorms, ticket booking and game planning for our next run of films, magazines and videos we’re very happy to announce the official release date of What Youth Issue 3. This Thursday, February 14th you’ll be able to order What Youth Issue 3 in the What Youth Shop, and…

Creed McTaggart Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth New man on the scene: Creed McTaggart

Meet Creed McTaggart. Creed is from Western Australia and we’ve just realized he has quite the presence in our third issue (coming soon) and that you should meet him. Creed recently spent two weeks on the road filming alongside Mitch Coleborn and Dion Agius as he just signed with Epokhe. He is extremely well educated…

Lauren Hastings What Youth dear youth

Dear Youth Read Bukowski – it’s like a text message, I swear

I’m not going to lie. The boys are busy at the moment. Half of us are literally on airplanes to Africa, another half just got home from a wedge hunt in eastern Australia, and the other half  (yeah, we are one and a half to make a whole), are on deadline making What Youth Issue…

Sign up for letters from What Youth


By enabling this page, you are acknowledging and accepting our privacy terms and conditions.