Phoenix Club, Exeter, Tuesday, 27th March 2007

poor reveiw of good gig.

grabbed a set list for Hanley played etc
Insult song
pacifying
my door
fall sound
sparta
hungry freaks
over over
systymatic abuse

finished with stnning Reformation,lyrics sung from the dressing room or somewhere.

also in here were ,white lightening and wright stuuf.

I had a wonderfull time,met up with Billy big bannannas,Oltagia and Tom from Sparks for a bite to eat.
I knew quite a few people at the gig,was repremanded by Mr.Wise for buying tickets,he said I should just travel around with his posse as a guest.I thanked him and said I liked my trips planned like military operations not like Fall tours.
I'm off to the airport(probably to get a coach as wer'e fog bound)
see some of you at Reading.
My second Red Bull was a killer.

No Step S'Ways

I personally consider Mohican Karl to be the best looking English Fall fan west of St Austell.

I'll get the Redbulls in.

No 'Just Step Sideways' and to be honest with you I didn't expect it. I think that's a good example of the occasional curveball MES tosses out to keep things interesting.

Still, a very good gig as Karl says - I thought the sound quality was excellent throughout & hopefully there'll be a decent recording appearing at some point.

Cornish band The Elvis Blackout started proceedings & quite good they were too, even got some clapping & cheering which makes a change from the usual wall of indifference faced by most poorly chosen supports!

Ted Chippington was funny in places, but the first half of his act seemed to be entirely scene - setting for the second. I know a lot of forumites think he's a genius but personally I wouldn't be in a big hurry to see his act again. That could be me just not 'getting' it though.


I waited outside with Karl & Tom during the Safi portion (sounded about the same as usual) & bought myself one of those rather nice Fall lighter/bottle opener combos - then headed back inside for the main event.

Karl's set-list looks about right, although I think it was 'Twighlight Stock Replacer' first rather than Insult song. 'White Lightning' & 'The Wright Stuff' came after 'Hungry Freaks Daddy' IIRC. As mentioned above, sound was excellent, MES & co all looked pretty relaxed. Moderate amount of knob twiddling which all sounded fairly good. Highlight for me was 'Systematic Abuse' which was stretched out & punishingly good! Oltagia and I both wondered afterwards how they managed to castrate the album version quite so badly. I'd also like to commend the bloke in the crowd who upon being handed the mic at the end, didn't shout a load of bollocks into it as usual, but actually did a fairly good job of finishing up the song! Admittedly all he had to do was say "Systematic Abuse/It is the truth" a few times but fair shout to the guy nonetheless

As Karl says 'Reformation' was performed with MES offstage reading the lyrics - this gave me a chance to watch Tim, who I just find endlessly fascinating. He just coils himself round that guitar & gets his groove on.....You get the feeling that if the roof caved in, he'd still be playing there when the dust settled, lost in sound. At the end of 'Reformation' I looked across to the stage enterance, and there's MES - mic in hand - dressed only in his pants! Now, there's an image that's going to stay with me for a while

All in all another rock-solid Fall performance & always good to meet up with the guys from here beforehand (BTW Karl, I've worked it out & you owe me 27p - don't be leaving the country OK? ).

Don't hype him up anymore, he'll never last the distance!

Great to meet up with Karl, Billy and Tom and Lyndon E.

Fortunate enough to spend a good time chatting with Mike Cooper singer of Dangerous Girls alongside ted Chippington in the bar who I last met in 1982 in Cardiff - ironically with Ted Chippington in the bar!

Great set, shorter and not as loud as Cardiff, tho' better structured and mixed. No real MES tampering - he turned up Robs Bass to overdrive in Hungry freaks which was brilliant. Orpheo is drum god.

Set list -

Insult Song>Bad Stuff
Pacifying Joint
My Door (slighlty re-worked)
Fall sound
Sparta
Hungry Freaks Daddy
Over Over
White Lightnin' (Totally together unlike the night before)
The Right Stuff
Systematic Abuse (blinding version)
Encore: Reformation (sung back stage)

Thanks to BillyBigBannanas for his escort services (oo-err missus!).

2 hours of M5 fog. Well worth it///

Otalgia

No shit Earache....what's he been up to all these years/ up to now? Still play the live at the Central Hotel CD/eponymous single/Taaga EP from time to time....

First post, old Fall fan (and Old Fall fan), saw 'em first i worked out last night 29 years ago (Brighton -- Rowche Rumble time) plenty of times after... and last at the Lemon Grove Exeter this time last year.

'Review'
The pre-DJ thing was possibly the most gratuitous idea of 'build-up' -- mashed-up repeated video projections of Elvis and aural mass-racket -- i even felt sorry for stuttering Elvis and his exploitation.
Band came on and played a number Smithless -- they are a good band, 2 bass players, good rubbish keyboards.

Then it went all cabaret without a cap C, this lot are very good, but not great any more. Audience largely passive.

Highlights: removal of leather coat and jacket revealing worst t-shirt, jacket put back on again. 'Pacifying Joint', 'Fall Sound', 'Hungry Freaks Daddy'.
Popped out to the bar for a chunk of the set, felt that dispassionate; resisted Fall lighter/bottle opener combo. Still copies of the ol'Lough Press lyrics !!

Considerably soberer this morning.

No shit Earache....what's he been up to all these years/ up to now? Still play the live at the Central Hotel CD/eponymous single/Taaga EP from time to time....

Lives in Exeter, nice bloke, drinks Guinness, still got his black curly hair.

I mentioned that The central hotel has since been demolished, to his suprise. Also got the full story about the Grassroots pyrotechnic incident!

I'll be printing T-shirts for 'em, if Rob Peters (drummer) gives me the thumbs up.

The most shameful thing about that pre-match build-up video/dj thing is the way it segues into the band itself. I had a quick scout around these reviews and see that there's a concensus of dislike -- it really does make you feel like a bit of heckling.

Firstly it was a pleasure to meet all you guys and a big thanks to Karl and his pick up truck

The gig was good, I thought that the musicians were on top form although perhaps MES was lacking a little, he seemed on good knob twiddling form though.

The sound at the venue was great although I do admit that I prefer a more claustraphobic enviroment for my Fall fix.

There were some particualrly great versions of Systematic Abuse and Reformation (I also saw MES in his pants!)

Orpheo seemed to enjoy himself immensly which was nice to see, and Tim Presleys guitar playing really is amazing although you feel that he feels slightly restrained by the music and that at any moment he will suddenly break free from his shackles and launch into some kind of solo.

On a final note, I cannot get the ink from the handstamp off my hand at all and I've been trying for a lot of the morning!

You're still alive

What,do they still play then? I haven't heard a word for years.I'd be up for a t-shirt...d'you remember a local band called The Riotous Brothers? I went to a Battle of the Bands once at the Top Rank (that tells you how long ago it was) and one of them was there in a DG t-shirt;when I tried to buy it off him he wouldn't sell,even though I said he could have my t-shirt so he wouldn't be half naked all night.

You'll have to relate the Grassroots story some time an' all.

I thought it was a great gig, and I agree that the guitarist was brilliant - very mesmerising, well into the riffs etc.

Was very happy to see Ted Chippington having seen Stewart Lee go on about him a few weeks ago on the Culture Show, but I have to say he didn't do much for me.

And I gave in and bought a Fall lighter/bottle opener and a t shirt, which was good as last year they didn't even have a merchandise table.

Lot's more people there than went to see them in Exeter in March 06, but then it was a larger/better venue than the poxy Lemon Grove.

I thought it was a fantastic night.

Missed first band, but thought Ted was on great form (biased, moi?) Love the way his stuff jettisons over so many heads, and he truly doesn't give a toss...!!

Fall gruppe were awesome in parts.... think the confidence of the band is really shining through, and that 2-bass attack outdoes Motorhead at times! Had to agree with Ted when he said they should forget the old stuff and just play the new uns... Sparta was probably the weakest number in the set, I thought.

Was also nice to hear the after show DJ play the Prefects... just a shame I STILL can't persuade Mark to give the Gales a support slot....

Barrie, you must have post-cog. The first thing Mike Cooper asked was - "Do you remember the Riotous Brothers

Loved the Riotous Brothers. Saw 'em a few times at Grassroots.
Fave song 'babys got an egg slicer".