Peter Hook: Joy Division inspired Disney t-shirt is a ‘compliment’


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Former Joy Division bassist Peter Hook has said Disney’s new Mickey Mouse t-shirt, which takes its design from his former band’s ‘Unknown Pleasures‘ era artwork, is ‘quite a compliment’, but has also admitted the merchandise represents a grey area legally.

“From a legal point of view, the image is in the public domain, as Disney know and, in a funny way, it’s quite a compliment for a huge conglomerate like Disney to pick up on a poor little Manchester band that only existed for a couple of years, it’s quite startling,” he told NME. “I’m amazed they’re that hard up that they need to prey on little indie bands, but I get the feeling that someone may have done it as a tongue in cheek compliment.”??

“I must admit, over the years I’ve become used to Mickey Mouse t-shirts, especially where Joy Division are concerned, because it was something that we never bothered with early on in our career and we’ve never attached much importance to that side of things actually. I’m used to bootleggers.”

Peter Hook is due to take ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and ‘Closerout on the road in the UK later this year.


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