Leeds, Stylus, Thursday, 20th March 2008

Oh. I'm surprised it's me that puts up the first review.

Probably missed it.

Right. Well.

Honestly, honestly, honestly. It was a well, well, well above par show. This gruppe are starting to sound like they want to sound. They had the "Impresario" introduction over the end of Safi Snipers Elvis bit. At first the guys mic wasn't turned on so he had to say "hideous gig" quite a few times before they made him audible. Later on the same guy did Tommy Shooter before hot tailing it up the stairs to swig on a bottle of beer. Nobody approached him to tell him he was any good.

I thought it was great right from the start. A fantastic sound. It opened with Is This New. Smith comes on and you can just tell he's into it. Further on there were little signs. A bit of the fingers-out Smith boogie. Anyway, back to the start - Smith turns Greenway down very early on through 50 year old man. With definite new part in. More relaxed. Might sound good on banjo.

Show picks up and picks up. Superb Reformation when Ding appears and really adds something. I never thought much of him with the Pritchard line up, but he proves me wrong. Really good attack on the bass. Bass ATTACK.

What else happened? I dunno. Some lines from Smith during Mountain Energei about how the Carling Academy Man objects to him ordering lager.

White Lightning as an encore. There was another one too.

No Blindness (didn't need it to be honest).

Probably the best I've seen them in years. This gruppe is really starting to gel. Disbelievers and the disappointed - go and see them now and EAT YOUR WORDS!

A big hello to everybody I saw there.

I was sort of hoping that my post might inspire some further comments.

Obviously not.

I'm going to try and remember the set list now. But beer has been consumed so I might not get this right.

IS THIS NEW
WOLF KIDULT MAN
PACIFYING JOINT
50 YEAR OLD MAN
WINGS
FALL SOUND
LATCH KEY KID
I'VE BEEN DUPED
REFORMATION
TOMMY SHOOTER
WHITE LIGHTNING

Really not sure about this, and I'm sure there was a second encore after White Lightning. Best I can do though.

Add Mountain Energie and that's about right.

White Lightning was the last song

Thanks for the route guidance Chris - Blind leading the Blind

What a superb gig - they really looked and sounded as though they mean business. Ding on bass certainly adds a lot of "grunt" - best version of Mountain Energei I have ever heard.

The setlist was SUPPOSED to be :


but the order changed slightly and we got Mountain Energei but no Blindness.
IS THIS NEW
WOLF KIDULT MAN
PACIFYING JOINT
50 YEAR OLD MAN
FALL SOUND
WINGS
LATCH KEY KID
I'VE BEEN DUPED
REFORMATION
MOUNTAIN ENERGEI
------------
TOMMY SHOOTER
WHITE LIGHTNING

Tommy Shooter is a good song, but who is the bloke who comes on to sing it ?

I recorded a couple of tracks for posting on Youtube. I was saving space on the memory card for Blindness but it never came. I'll paste the link on here when I've uploaded them today.

Other photos I took :














I didn't think Bobbie Peru were bad either...

Amazing gig! I love 'em!

highlights for me were Latch Key Kid, Reformation and Tommy Shooter.

THE FALL WERE BLOODY GOOD TONIGHT
MES IN GREAT FORM
THE BAND SOUNDED GREAT
GOOD VENUE DECENT CROWD
A LOT OF NEW STUFF AND REFORMATION MOUNTAIN ENERGEI WINGS PACIFYING JOINT WHITE LIGHTNING
BOBBY PERU SOUNDED GOOD TOO
EVERYBODY HAPPY

As promised - some footage that I have posted to Youtube.

Is This New - MES stage entry at 2:53 - look for the smirk !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blKWE5ahvdA

50 year old man, and then it goes into Fall Sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OutIM_7_yA8

Enjoy.

Decent turn out, but a smaller venue than the Irish Centre. The evening got off to the worst possible start-fucking safi fucking sniper. Fuck off. Just as the cat calls start unknown vocalist comes on to say a few words closely followed by the band. The sound could have been better, MES was loud and clear throughout but the guitar was too quiet. Set was- crap instrumental (complete waste of time this one)/ Wolf Kidult Man/Pacifying Joint/ 50 Year Old Man/ Wings/ Fall Sound/ Latch Key Kid/ I’ve Been Duped/ Reformation/ Mountain Energi// Tommy Shooter with unknown vocalist// White Lightning. I was glad they did wings, but was not glad that they played it poorly, much too fast. There was something missing tonight, it’s hard to say what but whatever it was it was missing in large amounts. MES was on form throughout but he needs more than a band who just go through the motions. WKM and 50 yr old man were fine. Latch Key Kid is run of the mill stuff, and I’ve Been Duped sounds llike a 5th rate punk band playing their 1st gig. It’s embarrassing,and Eleni’s vocals are as tuneless as her keyboard playing. Things picked up when a second bass player appeared for Reformation, but the overall dullness of the gig was reflected by the crowds reaction. You just know they’ll bounce back though. I enjoyed the Newcastle gig much more.

Thought this was better than good. Like to get rid of the guest vocals on Tommy Shooter & less hiding behind amps, dressing room etc - please stop twatting about. Amp fiddling OK though. Guitarist much more comfortable than at Newcastle. Drums brutal. Reformation highlight of the night - astounding. Hull eagerly awaited

Excellent footage. Thanks!

Am i the only person who is going to comment on Mrs Smiths set of pins - yes? Better leave it there then

she was wearing that dress at the Oxford gig. Strange how I remember that.

Have to say that was a smashing gig, best I've seen for some years. It had special significance for me as it was literally 50 yards from the other room in the uni where I first saw the Fall in 1981. The audience was probably slightly bigger now than then. The new line-up are really coming together now, the drummer in particular is a brilliant Fall musician. MES was on good form, dropping in Captain Beefheart and Jackie Wilson vocal tics and giving the lyrics real attack and clarity. The "onstage mixing" seemed to work for once, even the mic in the bass drum at one point. Loved the ad libs about Carling man ("only water passes my lips", ho ho) and peculoar new two microphones technique. He does seem a little immobile these days, but hasn't been this focussed in a long time. Most of the set was new as in 1981, and most of it sounded really good. Reformation was transformed from its recorded so-so state by the two bass Ding line-up - there's real milage in this. We've had a two drummer Fall; a two bass Fall would be a new adventure. No Blindness and MES seemed to have to be coaxed into coming back for an encore by the band, but confirmation that they are currently on blistering form, again.

Cheers

Shame that YouTube only stores in a crappy format as the originals are much much better (but 400 and 600 Mb each !)

Cheers

Shame that YouTube only stores in a crappy format as the originals are much much better (but 400 and 600 Mb each !)

yeah great stuff think pete is growing with each gig . was it just me or could it have been turned up a bit ,that said great gig ,big up to the fall ,and a fucking big down to the knuckle dragging bouncer who shut the toilets right after the show ,what the fucks that all about

Right Time-Wrong Place

For those who don’t know The Fall-(insert standard Fall review MES, Jon Peel, 100 members blah blah blah…) Now for those who do. The first thing that needs to be addressed is what on earth are The Fall doing playing at the heart of middle England? Leeds University Don’t get me wrong I’ve nothing against people living off Daddy’s money…but still it’s not right. Anyway down to business, once we get past the dross that is Safi Sniper who makes Bobbie Peru look like manna from Heaven, the real business starts. To me and now to you, Mark E. Smith and his group The Fall hold a special place in music history, they do something that can’t be offered by the numerous colour by number indie bands you love, and I love to hate. The Fall are something special. Mark E. Smith is something special.

Staggering around from mic to mic, as if every step is to be his last, in a slightly less than sober state Smith still commands respect, yes his vocals may be at times inaudible, and he often turns his musicians off but that all adds to the circus that is The Fall live. With this all in mind The Fall are as tight as ever, previewing tracks from the upcoming LP ‘Imperial Wax Solvent’ largely ignoring the last two records. But does that matter? The answer is an emphatic no! Songs like ‘Is This New' and the three part epic that is ‘50 year old man’ easily out perform most of the last decades material, with the album clearly shaping up to be something special. Smith seems to have found a style that suits him and suits the group (The Fall are a group, not a band) down to a tee, with the group playing like their lives (or more likely their careers) depend upon the outcome of tonight. MES is on top form, interacting with the group and crowd in an all to rare fashion, brought out by the dance, yes I did say dance, he performed during the relentless ‘Mountain Energei’, which is only improved by the no nonsense rock’n’roll style the latest incarnation of The Fall have adopted, the drum heavy sound, clearly influenced by his Mouse on Mars collaboration Von Sudenfed. This new style seems to give the older songs ‘Reformation’ and ‘Fall Sound’ a much needed new lease of life. Undoubtedly however the track of the night was another new one ‘Wolf Kidult Man’ which saw Smith come out from behind the bass amp where he spent a large portion of night and become rapidly confused by the 3 mic stands, which didn’t prevent the best vocal performance that this fan has seen from Smith in years, so clear and attacking that you could feel the lyric being etched upon your brain.

Ending with a rousing rendition of fans favourite ‘White Lightning’ the message is simple, if you haven’t yet found The Fall, then as the great man himself would say-‘Your much to fucking late for Fall sound’.

*i need a picture to go with this can i steel someones off here, obviously if it gets printed they will get credited*

you can't expect all toilets to be open for ever! come on! life is just not like that

footage looks great

what is the sound on 'is this new'? is it guitar effect (flanger on some extreme setting) or synth (or both)?

used to have an old guitar synthesiser and when played through it the guitar sounded just like the sound here

Cheers

Shame that YouTube only stores in a crappy format as the originals are much much better (but 400 and 600 Mb each !)

Really nice footage slant Eye

I'm not technical, but Greenway had one button pressed down on his (foot-controlled) effects board and was using that tremelo(?) arm on his guitar a lot.

No keyboards used at all.

not a lot more to add. thought the venue was pretty dire. no beer to speak of and they couldn't close the bar quick enough.

50 year old man is a weird, 'suite' of different parts. i'm sure the version they played at northampton differed from the leeds version.

in the audience at leeds: mark's mam (who was dancing at the back) and sister; julia nagle, spencer birtwhistle; two actors from emmerdale (just checked and they play paddy kirk and jimmy king) who were getting into things too.

cheers
paul

i like your write-up, thanks.

Good gig last eve...
Noticed a new fall sound emerging, one of Joe Meekish melodies and Northern Soulish rythms..
Lyrically interpreted a move towards a wonderous, difficult to describe other than I'd say the more positive sides of discovering the internet, 'space', 'global' (words mentioned) and awe etc
I thought it was fresh and as re-invented as ever
Think 'I've been duped' is single material, very punk
Mountain Energy as great as ever, 50 year old man, brilliant. Instrumental first song was good too
The Fall are as thrilling as ever live


--->invisiblegirl<---

[QUOTE]

a good direction for the guitar to go in

there are other elements that might mask it though

the rockabilly ones for a start (seem a bit going backwards to me although i enjoy them

but the welding of this joe meek/hank marvin/surf to the rest of the music makes for an interesting combination (and the conjunction kills off any accusations of retro sound)

i think it requires more than just using the tremolo arm a lot. probably needs more melodic single note playing with effects and this in conjunction with good synth playing (but try to avoid the kind of punky prog rock effect that 'is it new' or the prog-rockabilly-country of 50 yr old man incline towards...although that they are enjoyable to listen to

using the jaguar is always going to open up opportunities for that early 60's sound and nobody that i know off has managed to incorporate this into a genuinely new kind of music (although, no doubt, somebody here will be able to put me right on that one!)


it seems that there is something emerging in the music but that it hasn't been defined yet (maybe the album will make this clearer)

by the way, love the hands out finger pointing dancing a la reformation video. i have incorporated it into my own dancing efforts

MES King of Pop!

any news on the pics?
50 year old man sounds immense on those videos

Was there last night and Reformation was the highlight, awe inspiring stuff, was somewhat disappointed with Wings and Fall Sound, but overall a good night. Nice to have a jig at the end to White Lightning, Smith on above average form. Good venue too despite the lack of beer at the bar!
Edit to say Mark dancing was a bonus and there were other toilets available after the gig if you knew where to go. (this a is an alcohol induced 1st post by the way- don't know if that is appropriate)