Metro Chicago

Fifteen years ago today on August 8th, 1997, Monaco, a Peter Hook side project created during New Order’s hiatus, played the Metro stage to a sold-out crowd (that included Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins). Joined by David Potts, the only remaining member of Revenge, Monaco toured their debut record, Music For Pleasure, containing the hit song “What Do You Want From Me?” The band’s Metro show was a big hit as described in this 1997 show review in the Chicago Tribune.

August 11, 1997 | By Monica Eng. | New Order’s future may be unclear, but as long as Monaco is around, fans can hardly complain. N.O. bassist Pete Hook, 41, brings so much of the pop/synth band’s old sound to his new quintet—most notably his haunting, melodic bass lines—that folks (including Billy Corgan) at Saturday’s sold-out 1 a.m. Metro show could have easily closed their eyes and imagined the bassist up there with New Order again. And although the white-haired Hook was clearly the show’s star, his young collaborators—especially the shoe-watching guitarist/vocalist David Potts—did a fine job supporting him with slick dance tracks and complementary jangly guitars, while shoring up his often shadowy vocals on highlights including the hooky “What Do You Want From Me,” “Shine” and their manic encore of Joy Division’s “Failures.”

Two years later, their self-titled follow-up album was rejected by their label, picked up by Papillion Records, and is now considered a collectors item. Unfortunately the band failed to find further success and broke up in 2000.