Jack Bates: The Smashing Pumpkins + Peter Hook & The Light
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On this episode of The StageLeft Podcast, Chris Simpson sits down with Jack Bates — bassist for Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Hook & The Light — to discuss the reality of stepping into one of music’s most iconic musical legacies.
From balancing tours between Billy Corgan and Peter Hook, to playing alongside Jimmy Chamberlin, to recording with the late Mark Lanegan, this is a deep dive into musicianship, identity, touring life, pressure, and what it really means to become a “stage left” musician at the highest level.
Jack opens up about:
• Growing up with Peter Hook as a father
• The emotional reality of performing Joy Division and New Order songs nightly
• How Smashing Pumpkins rehearsals actually work
• Locking in musically with Jimmy Chamberlin
• Why being “easy to be around” matters more than technical ability
• Touring life, introversion, and handling pressure on stage
• Recording Mark Lanegan’s final album
• Choosing setlists for Peter Hook & The Light
• Fan culture, validation, and identity in music
• Why some songs change every night on stage
A fascinating conversation about musicianship, legacy, pressure, creativity and life inside some of alternative music’s most influential worlds.
Edited by Darcy Dewar
Socials by Alex Fordham
YouTube by Beth Iles