By Benji Chapman, Music Editor
It's the final stretch now. Student tenancies are coming to an end, internships (if they've been secured) are being prepared for, and last-minute tickets to South-East Asia are being scrambled for. The world, as we know it, is coming to an end.
University is finishing. But, luckily for you, we have some good music to listen to while we go out and face the wide world. Here's what I had to think about following my interview and more recent attendance of Peter Hook's Get Ready tour that is keeping me optimistic in such uncertain times.
When I started writing for Epigram I was basically just talking about the music that interested me. If you dig around you'll even find one of my first ever pieces, which was about the history of the Minecraft soundtrack.
As Hooky took to the stage at the Marble Factory for a whopping three hour set of New Order and Joy Division classics, my mind was cast back to the time I was first writing for Epigram, and earlier still got first introduced to Unknown Pleasures by my mum aged 16.
The resultant piece that came to my mind wasn't so much a conventional review, but more of a homage to the voyage that music journalism has taken me on, from Minecraft soundtracks to a (semi) review of one of the greatest bassists of all time.
1 | Everyone Leaves a Little Bit Clueless
There's a saying going around my head at the moment, which is that everyone "starts from zero" when they try something completely new.
When you graduate, no matter what's next, things are going to significantly change. That is unfortunately pretty much unavoidable.
At one point or another, we'll have to try something that we've never done before. Maybe you're starting a new job, a Master's, or only just beginning to figure out what it is you want your career to look like, if you even want one that is.
Something that keeps me sane though is the fact that when Peter Hook bought his first bass, he didn't even know the difference between that and a six-stringed electric guitar. He mistakenly bought a £10 amplifier without a speaker, so when he plugged it in, no sound came out.
But the fact that the bass guitar was so poorly made meant that he had to find a new way of playing it. And he wrote Unknown Pleasures on it. He started from nothing, and then co-wrote one of the greatest post-punk records of all time.
You never know what perspective you'll bring to the table, precisely because you're a newcomer.
2 | Experience Beats Knowledge
The author Mark Twain said, 'Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.'
I can't decide if I like this saying, or the way Peter Hook said to me better, which is that when he was twenty, he 'didn’t know [his] arse from [his] elbow'.
What I'm articulating here is that you can't learn without actually doing something, and often failing in the process. Nobody wakes up a professional. You can only gain experiencing by doing stuff on the fly.
People don't become experts just because they read books. They got their hands dirty and put themselves out there. Is that sometimes a very scary thought? Absolutely. But is it possible to get started somewhere? Most definitely.
Just look at how badly it went when Peter Hook opened the Hacienda nightclub. Or how 'Blue Monday' actually lost money on each copy, due to its expensive silver inner sleeve.
Even into his later years, when the Hacienda first opened, the fact that he and the other members of New Order were opening a club with no previous experience meant that it was basically a commercial failure.
But they learned from it. And sure - on paper - it was a flop. But where else would you want to be during the '90s in Manchester?
3 | The World Will Keep Turning
Right now, it feels like the world is only turning faster. New technology seem to come out every other month that alters the course of history, a new divide arises between political factions that didn't exist a week ago, and global conflicts only increase in tension and scale.
We could probably all do with a pause. With the structure of university being pulled from under me and you, this is now more of an inevitability now than a choice.
When the world lost Ian Curtis in 1979, there was almost no understanding of mental health: it just didn't "exist". Nowadays, as Hooky himself said, 'I'm better educated.'
The need for people to take the time to connect with the things and people that really matter post-university are essential: it will probably actually help you achieve your longer-term life goals in the long run, because your priorities are in check.
Don't let the "finish line" in life become the centre of your own universe, because for better and worse, me and Hooky agreed that the world is largely indifferent in the grand scheme of things.
Whatever it is that fulfils you, just hold onto it tight. And don't be afraid to step off this crazy magic carpet ride every now and then. Just remember there's a seat saved for you when you're ready to get back on.
4 | Sometimes, You Just Need to Sit On Your Friends
You're probably either currently living in the same house or at least the same city as your best friends. First and foremost, don't panic if you're not all staying in Bristol.
Not only will you likely stay in touch in one way or another, but making friends at the next place you're headed to will be just as exciting as the process of making new friends during university.
Just don't be afraid to call old friends out when they're neglecting their wellbeing later on. They may even thank you eventually. When I had my interview, Hooky said that it was the main thing he regretted not doing to help Ian Curtis.
This was what inspired me to pick it as another piece of advice that was ringing in my mind when I saw Hooky live: 'I would have took him home and I would have sat on him until he got better'.
We all know, inside, how caught up things can get in our train of thought. Nobody is supposed to deal with these thoughts alone, and that's what friends are for.
The best friends that I've met at university are the ones who don't just ride with you on the "train of thought". They'll know when to pull you back onto the station with sheer force if necessary. So take a seat. It's a long ride ahead.
5 | Say Thanks to Mum
And last but not least, say thanks to your mum. Fittingly, this was who Hooky devoted his final song to at his show in Bristol. In his own words, 'that's where we all go when things go wrong.'
Sure enough, when things hit the fan, that's normally where I'll be headed. After all, I wouldn't have even known who Peter Hook, Joy Division, or New Order were if she hadn't recommended them to me.
Going back to an earlier point, our mums are probably so sought after as a port of advice for their invaluable experience in handling our own breakdowns and neuroses.
So when you get the chance, say thanks for all they do. It's definitely worth a lot more than one day a year, that much is certain.
Remember also whether it's a mum, pet, friend, or mentor, that there will always be people like mums who are there to look out for you. Even when university comes to a close.
And they don't just do it because they have to: you will give them a lot of reasurrance too, in your own way. It's this unspoken, reciprocal kind of love that really makes the difference here.
So when the student houses are departed from, and we all move on to whatever is next, don't be afraid to go back to your mum.
But keep your head up and remember that, with the next challenge, you have people like that to guide you through it. Or, in the very least, some incredible music to soundtrack the experience!
Featured Image: Mark McNultyThanks Mum.
