The Point, Cardiff, Monday 26th March 2007

Just Step S'ways!

Plus Mark E on harmonica.

senior twilight / my door / pacifying joint / fall sound / blindness / sparta fc / wrong place right time / over over / systematic abuse // wright stuff / white lightning / reformation /// just step s'ways

Played for just over an hour. Much clothes changing, tounge-wiggling and off mic vocalizing from Mark. Veered between truly great and slightly underwhelming, often within the same song. As mentioned above, harmonica featured during a largely instrumental Systematic Abuse.

Mark's harmonica style is very close to his keyboard one.

Unspectacular crowd participation wrapped up Reformation.

Couldn't see him at all during 'Just Step Sideways'.
Was he on the stage or singing from the dressing room?

What the fuck happened there?

JonN was right- This was all foretold by the events of 2012.

Just Step S'ways was last played live on 20th August 1982; 24 and a half years later it is back - is this a record?

i half thought of driving over from kent for this & thought , nah, fuck it, i'm going to reading hove etc etc

just step s'ways!


>points gun at head & pulls trigger<

Looking forward to 'Wings' at Exeter tonight then........

Probably.

I was just thinking that the last time I saw them do it live was at Hammersmith Palais on March 25th 1982 - my first Fall gig, and 25years and 1 day before this one.

No it's a track on a record.Arf arf.

Would concur with ocelot that it 'veered between truly great and slightly underwhelming'.However,given that when I turned up to get my tickets before going to the pub and asked the hairy bloke on the door what time they were due on he replied,'Well,support will be on about 8.30 but we dunno about The Fall 'cos they're not here yet so it depends on the traffic' things could have been disastrous.
Great to hear 'Just Step S'ways',and all in all much better than I feared it might be.

No it's a track on a record.Arf arf.

Would concur with ocelot that it 'veered between truly great and slightly underwhelming'.However,given that when I turned up to get my tickets before going to the pub and asked the hairy bloke on the door what time they were due on he replied,'Well,support will be on about 8.30 but we dunno about The Fall 'cos they're not here yet so it depends on the traffic' things could have been disastrous.
Great to hear 'Just Step S'ways',and all in all much better than I feared it might be.

Have to agree with Barrie, totally disastrous in places (white Lightning) and genius in other places.

Are you Barrie F or another Barry. If the former then sorry I didnt see you I still have a couple of your cassettes and K says your still welcome around for a curry!

Otalgia

When we got there 9.30 ish the man on the door said there was still no sign of MES and this rumour was corruscating thru the crowd like a rake thru custard. When rest of Fall came on they went "Senior Twilight Stock Replenisher" for awhile before his nibs showed, so wasn't quite sure they were just gonna do that forever! Then on he came. I thought he was staring directly at me several times as did my mate. Does anyone else ever think this?

I didn't spot the harmonica which is a shame because I am a dab hand on said instrument myself and might have offered to show him a few licks. I'll see if it shows up on recording. I too concur with this: 'veered between truly great and slightly underwhelming', I accidentally put a bit on the wrong thread when I got in cos I was tired but Safi sucks the devil's penis, worse even than I feared/expected.

Yes!

My first ever Fall gig, wat an experience, although I was beginning to wonder if they would appear at all when they still hadn't arrived on stage at twenty past ten.

The support group "the Heck" were ok ish if unspectacular featuring a female singer who resembled Blondie wearing overalls, and a guitarist the looked like the guy from the mighty boosh. Then on came Safi, who delivered a (thankfully) short set of about 20 mins of his weird video/techno stuff, was glad when the Fall finally arrived on stage tho.

The group all arrived on stage together minus MES and started that Twighlight Replacer song which went on for a good 5 mins before MES appeared. Awe inspiring to the the mighty Fall live, thought it was a storming performance with all the group in high spirits and sharing a few laughs, although Rob always seemed to be looking suspiciously whenever MES went near his amp, and did switch it back on, on one occasion. Systematic Abuse started with MES on stage but then he left and the band continued a good few minutes before he came on with his harmonica which he proceeded to play into Orpheo's mic, to the baffled looks of Tim & Rob.

The mic was handed to the audience at the end of a storming version of Reformation. The group then left and shortly re-appeared without MES or Elenor and played a song i'd never heard before ( i'm a newish Fall fan) with MES either singing backstage or the vocals playing through a tape, although they must have been recorded recently if that was the case.

As someone else said earlier, I also thought MES was looking directly at me through various stages of the gig.

you sure that the mic wasn't still in the audience - Just Step S'Ways Karaoke!

10-20? That's nowt.

My first ever post here! Hello all!

Well, last night was my first ever Fall gig as well.

What an experience. Was an anxious wait for them to come on stage. I really thought they werent going to turn up...because he'd fallen out with the band or something.
Plus, I also expected The Fall to play for a few hours, seeing as they are old-school and all! But saying that, the hour that they did play for felt much longer than an hour - not in a bad way, but in a very good way!
Really enjoyed the reptitive riffs. Excellent stuff. I love the sound from having 2 basses.
Cant wait to see them again in their next incarnation.!


Anyway, heres a few pics:

Great pics, Ollie! And welcome.

Reads as if this tour is a blaster all the way through...Hopefully they'll come over here as well. And not only Berlin, a lot of people would be glad, I'm sure.

They just gotta make it to Berlin this year, Dice Man. I was thinking of going over to England to see some shows but the moolah is missing. No news from Maria yet...

The new band and the new shows sound very invigorated.

Despite a capacity crowd arriving early at Cardiff Point, The Fall did not pander to the punters (have they ever?!?). The fans were guessing as to the latest Mark E. Smith moves-as the antagonistic antics of the Salford bard are the stuff of legend! Rumours were that the new six piece Fall were clashing en route to the gig; a late turn up was forecast; and there were even fears of a no show!
The support act Heck provided an interlude via a blend of Hazel O’ Connor v. Gossip youthful energy, but the throng wanted The Fall! After a further wait-a techno/rock blast wed to images of distorted cut ’n’ paste film of James Brown, Pavarotti, Madonna and Elvis led the punters to believe The Fall were forthcoming, but it was not to be!
More delay ensued and eventually as some were giving up hope five of The Fall took to the stage and there is no need to guess who was delaying his entrance! The band fired out a two bass, crashing drum, twisted guitar, minimal keyboard bombast and this line up proved that they can play hard and fast! As the 23rd hour of a spring Monday ensued the grand guru of UK garage rock was eventually to join his disciples for a bed of nails run of famed disdain towards both his aural associates and the paying public.
‘Good evening we are The Fall’ is the usual opening gambit and from there it is Midas melodrama where both the musicians and moshpit are putty in the hands of MES. Smith saunters around turning speakers up, down and even off; he drops equipment in to amps; mixes up the mikes; applies his own unique anti-playing riot; and, barks out his bile with a fury that belies his 50 years of Systematic Abuse!
The Fall fuehrer stands alone as a pop peer who takes the ‘my way’ premise to the nth degree. There are hurdles to clear for everyone who enters his domain but these obstacles are worth clearing because the experience is like no other! This is not a family favourites best of set as The Fall delves deep in to the last two albums-Fall heads Roll and Reformation Post TLC, and the might of the tunes Blindness and Reformation provide a brace of the strongest songs to be heard in current times!
The Fall are global as 4 Americans plus Mrs. MES, Greek goddess Elena, create a sonic Backdrop that Smith has continually shifted & changed! The slant is on the present and the future with few nods in the direction of a stellar CV of 30 years of unique, uncompromising, unorthodox and unrivalled nuclear new wave. White Lightning, Wrong time Right Place, and bonus encore Just step S’ways (with the act pumping out the beat to a seemingly pre-recorded vocal) offered tastes of the distant past relived but it was post millennium power that ruled the day.
Theme from Sparta FC, Pacifying Joint, The door is Never, Fall Sound and Systematic Abuse forced the throttle to the floor as the memory of the late arrival of The Fall was consigned to the dustbin. The punters feasted upon the meandering majesty of Mark E. Smith and his troops, and the succession of visits to Cardiff since 2003 continue to be greeted with a warm welcome. The lightweights who covet media attention can forget it when placed alongside the super heavyweight Fall. It is a case of some follow and others lead! Go to the source of seminal and note the 2007 MES autobiography-Renegade: The gospel according to Mark E. Smith. The Smith has risen again for a fresh chapter of an incredible story that never ceases to astound!
Go to thefall.info or visi/com.fall
For more reviews go to cardiffontheweb.com head to music & gigs and drive on to rob's reviews......CHEERS!

It's funny, I've been just checking the Maria-site today...Yeah, that would be superb. Was thinking about the England variant as well, but, y' know, there's the Gang Of Four, Solid Gold, track 9.

Just listening to it at the moment.

Always a particular fave of mine ever since I first heard it 25 years ago. Suits the current lineup very well, even without a second drummer.

hi new to this site
was at the gig last night really enjoyed it didn't have a clue what mark was going to do next . it was my 6th different venue for the fall in cardiff and my brothers 7th . was told 1st that it would be all over by 10 past 11 with no fall on by 1025 thought it was going to be really short gig but with just over an hour it was worth the journey

MES commented on the sound quality of the recent Sanctuary reissue of Hex in the BBC6 interview, which meant he'd been listening to it (for the first time since '82?). Probably chucked the CD in the general direction of Rob and Tim and said "learn something off this..."

across the pond i visit fall gigs vicariously thanks to you trainspotters. beautiful writing robjones (are ye a fan?), i sob into my beer wishing I was in cardiff