Carling Academy, Islington, London — 4th night, Friday, 20th July 2007

Following a fall out with the management this is planned to be my last post on the UFF

Can I just say I have enjoyed my time here, apart from the last week

Tonight's opener was.....


WINGS

you heard it first here

Don't go.

Do you mean you don't want Altfish to leave, or that the second track The Fall played was a cover of the Yazoo track?

I mean the former. I'm only hoping for the latter.

That was a Fall gig. Full on, a bit messy. Cider shampoo. What's up, altfish?

Wings indeed. Ja!

I'm in the backstage area.

Have a safe trip home, hollerbusch.

I'm the unseen.

WINGS - Fuck me I still quite believe it -spent the rest if the gig in a state of shock. Not heard it since Leeds Poly in 85 or 86?
Not only was it Wings - it was magnificent.

They didn't play Classical.

Systematic kicked arse.

I spent a bit of the gig sharing a gin and tonic with a nice young lady at the back of the mosh.

If anyone here thought that was 'boring' and 'dull', I fear I may have to hit them with my flabby wings.

MES going soft in his 'older' age.

Excellent Fall.

Mud slides and torrents
T shirts and badges
Blondes and Wings
Four day outing

Nag nag nag nag
head
the
north

Recognising Wings was a great moment.

Having to put up with Fall Sound and What About Us wasn't. Having these retired would be a good thing.

Rest of the concert was good stuff. MES pretty well focussed. Some nonsense about the Keiser Chiefs at the opening.

Thought the guitarist did a good impersonation of the American equivalent with My Door, no idea what Eleni was singing with her song.

Traumatic journey home to Reading but well worth it.

You naughty boy!
Just think we almost had an evening in Brighton together!

Hey Mike,

Dont leave! or I'd have to get my Frenz account reactivated to chat

Otalgia

My Dear ALTFISH...
A word in your shell-like.......

Tiffs and spats they do appen..
Its called ....LIFE.....

You are not allowed to leave....
Sorry........

by order
Cog the Insigator

I have no idea what's happened but this is bad news. Maybe reconsider?

After a noisy, uncomfortable & overcrowded journey due to transport problems, we managed to get to the Nag Head and it also looked noisy, uncomfortable & overcrowded so we went for a quiet, sitting down pint elsewhere. Couldn't face it.

Got into the venue around 10ish. Had to suffer Safi-fucking-Sniper for about half and hour which did not put us in the best of moods. He's a one trick pony & the trick isn't very good. Boring. Good to see so many of the crowd showing their appreciation.

Fall come on. Wings. Sublime. A decent performance but not as not as good as the Palais. New song with Elena singing was impressive. As of yet, I don't think the new line up is as good as the Americans. Hard to put my finger on it exactly but they sound less vibrant, sort of the whole being less than the sum of it's parts. It wasn't if anyone was doing anything wrong - it was powerful. Maybe it was the two bass players etc & Tim Presleys technicolour guitaring. Or maybe it was the transport and Safi Sniper induced fatigue. Left halfway during Hungry Freaks in encore to get back with minimal hassle. Shame they didn't come on around 10ish - I did notice a gradual thinning out of the crowd from about half way through the set from where we were standing - I presume also transport related.

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering p[r]attle.

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou are blest, compared wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

Set list played -

Wings
Pacifying Joint
Over Over
Sparta
Fall Sound
What About Us?
Ponto
My Door
I've Been Duped

Grass Grow
Hungry Freaks

Systematic Abuse (Superb superb superb!!)
White Lightning (Magical!)

MES sang S Abuse from backstage, and mentions having nightmares in Austin.

I have a camera video clip of Wings which I'll put up on YouTube as soon as I can.

I'm still buzzing from these last 4 nights.

I really enjoyed it. Wings was nice but one of the new songs was the highlight of the gig for me - I think it was Hungry Freaks. I brought a friend with me who likes a bit of Fall (Mr Pharmacist, etc) but did not know any of the songs. She liked What About Us most of all, but generally thought it was 'pretty great'.

Camera video of Wings (part of). Quality poor, but you'll get the feel anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H86Eru5weAw



Right. I'm off to get a life. X X

Ace, cheers!

Good gig, S Abuse/W Lightning encore the highlight for me. Wish I'd been there to hear TMWHE the other night though.

I think I'm going to start boycotting Fall gigs unless Safi is given his marching orders. I watched from the balcony and could see that all the sound and visual distortion is created by him in real time using touch pads. Now if he'd just leave the bloody things alone we could rattle through his 5 videos in about 15 minutes. But no - he will insist on f*cking about with it to turn it into a 45 minute dirge.

The crowd grew increasingly more hostile during Safi's set, which was encouraging. but I can't help thinking that if the beer that was saved for throwing at MES had been aimed at Safi's PC the whole lot could have been shorted out and saved us all the pain.

Crap venue too. I'd vote for an extended residency at the Galtymore next time.

Quite enjoyed The Fall though! Wings was a very pleasant surprise.

Jeff

Safi stops when MES decides, and not the other way round.

Just thought I'd mention that in his defence.

I can't imagine he enjoys all the abuse.

Looks like a nice new backdrop ?

Thanks for the clip.

That's interesting actually because I've long suspected that the length of SS's sets are proportionate to how long MES wants to play, how much he fancies winding up the audience etc.

Wonder what's with the sudden rash of older tunes.