The Picturedome, Holmfirth, Saturday, 29th November 2008

Chino Splashback
Pacifying Joint
Wings
Fall Sound
50-Year Old Man
I've Been Duped
Wolf Kiddult Man
Can Can Summer
Tommy Shooter
Carry Bag Man
No Xmas For John Quays ( It appears to be the pre-Christmas Number now))
--------
White Lightning
--------
Reformation
--------
Blindness

I missed York, but this was excellent, Mark on fine form. Came on at about 10:10, finished at about 11:40

M.E.S. AND BAND IN GOOD SPIRITS AND APPEARED TO BE ON GOOD FORM BUT IT WAS HARD TO TELL BECAUSE THE SOUND WAS FUCKIN AWFUL
THE WORST IVE EXPERIENCED IT AT A FALL GIG
HOWEVER GOOD LONG SHOW -2 ENCORES AND GREAT TO HEAR NO XMAS FOR JOHN QUAYS
BLINDNESS-BLINDING
CARRY BAG MAN - BRILLIANT
TIME TO DITCH WINGS AND WHITE LIGHTNING

The sound wasn't too bad where I was and Mark was in fine "live mixing" form. In fact this is as sharp and committed/mischevious I've seen him onstage for quite some time. The band were also brutally tight. I thought it was a cracker.... there were moments that reminded me why I am a Fall fan. The mic in the bass drum/irate sound man gambit was one. Getting Pete Greenway to sing "I love the Carry Bag Man" while the CBM himself has unplugged the guitar was another. I took along two Fall virgins and one who hasn't seen them for 20 years. The virgins loved it.... one (my publisher, in fact) noted that when Greenway's guitar was unplugged, the man simply carried on playing, note by note, for a good ten minutes The 20 year veteran left before the encores to listen to Mozart
Great theatre, better than York for me, and fab versions of Duped, CBM, Blindness, Reformation, Wolf Kidult... and I thought Wings was as good as i've heard it since it flew back in. Other positives; the classic venue, the beer in the Nook, seeing a mate for the first time in 15 years, meeting Ed Blaney and not ending up in a mailbag on a train to Bristol and Mrs. Josef not vomiting in the car on the way home. Negatives - afterwards I got out of the car for a pee behind a tree, as recommended in Touch Sensitive, stepped straight into a puddle and seem to have sprained my ankle. The curse of the Fall. :

(Still, at least I'm not camping, like Philh... mind the cat)

Just to be pedantic - 3 encores

Good to see you again Cheshire Cheese. Excellent gig last night. The sound was fine where I was (upstairs) and it was worth going just to hear No Xmas, which was a nice surprise. MES on top form (he always seems to be when Mum's there!). Elena looked even more stunning than usual,and it was funny seeing the unknown vocalist (still wearing that parka) running down 2 flights of stairs as the opening bars of Tommy Shooter caught him unaware. Only minor moan (apart from the appalling Duped which caused a massive queue at the bog) was Blindness-too fast-a little more subtlety please Kieran. Only major moan was the unwelcome return of Safi fucking Sniper. Thankfully not as loud as usual though. Afterwards I had the pleasure of chatting to the Telephone Things-hope you got back OK. All in all, not a bad way to celbrate my 48th birthday-let's hope City make it a double celebration thisafternoon.

Agree with most of this Simpo - apart from the going for a pee bit

I thought the sound was fine and loved the on stage mixing.

Chris not throwing up is a real plus

Did you go back through Hyde and Prestwich

if anyone can tell me how to do it I'll put some photos up.

I would echo that last statement, big time!! Knob twiddling of epic proportions. Down hill sound wise from wings till encore (the guy who got the set list said he would post but left with his son and missed all 3 encores) sounded like a Jesus and Mary chain gig, full on white noise and distortion. I spoke to the frantic enginner during the gig (I was stood by Elena underneath the mixing desk) he told me the problem was on stage and that every time he cleaned up the sound Mark twiddled it out again. I still can't hear a fucking thing and its now 10.45am which could be due to the nasty high pitch feedback wine for a good bit of the set. I don't think they realised how bad the sound was cos I listened to the monitors and it sounded much cleaner. I think it may be time to start standing further back, my middle aged ears are getting past it.

I was hoping to meet a few more people last night, but the pub was pretty full and the venue was jacked out, so I ended up with with my familiar chums, Toby D, NordWest and Cheshire Cheese for a pint and a good laugh before the gig started.

The Picturedrome is one of the best venues that I've seen the Fall at. MES truly looked the best I've seen him since I don't know when. There was nothing shambling about his performance. His vocals were great and he didn't need to look up the words to any songs.

Of the tracks, I thought Reformation was the best of the night, but a special mention for No Xmas For John Quays! Worth the trip for that alone. Chino was a good opener, with Mark adding the lyrics, "Through the fog, through the fog" (I presume he added these lyrics - I've never heard the track before). I didn't think that the knob twiddling was for the best. He seemed determined to thwart Pete Greenaway's best efforts. The first time Mark turned his amp down, Pete turned it back up again after he had walked away. The next time, I think Mark just unplugged the guitar . I dunno why.

After the softer approach of Chino, the music did just sound like noise. Dare I say it, it was like Wings was being given the Safi Sniper treatment. Things improved from 50 Year Old Man. All in all, it was a good night. Certain on-stage technicalities notwithstanding, Mark looked great, Eleni looked stunning, the band looked tight, and the mood in the packed audience was good. A nice end to the year.

Same as that, Christmas Fall do?

"Bang F@"*ing Bang The Mighty FALL". Great T-Shirt albeit in yellow spotted in the Nook.

Sums up the evenings events for me. I found this much better than in Morecambe some months ago and at Holmfirth 18 month ago. Like Simpo there were moments that reminded me why I'm a Fall fan.

I had no real problems with the sound, stage left, except for microphone in drum.
Yep definately best I've seen in a long while.

Carrybagman/Noxmas/Reformation/Blindness powerful stuff.

Strange how we view gigs differently though, one mate there, stood stage right, who is a big Fall fan found the sound shite and the drummer and guitarist too one dimensional. AH WELL!

Gary, good to see you again all the best mate. Kev.

I left feeling very disappointed at York but last night was one of those magical Fall nights.

The venue was perfect, and I didn't have a problem with the sound. Mark seemed in a good mood too - "I've lost your lead, I don't know where it is".

Reformation was probably the highlight, but Carry Bag Man, Blindness, Chino (Oh I'm just naming the set now...) were all good too. Wonderful to hear No Xmas for John Quays too!

All in all, a great night and I'm sure some people can put it into better words than me!

Took my daughter to see The Fall for her first time last night. I've been introducing their music to my children for some time now and she did enjoy it. As for me, I loved it. Reformation, CBM and Blindness my highlights.

One complaint from me - what the hell was that muppet doing just prior to the Fall set? I've never heard such a bad noise in any gig. How we were expected to stand there watching images of O'Connor, Elvis, etc. for so long was beyond me with a noise that my cat makes. Only positive was it gave me time to visit the toilet - very appropriate I thought.

Nice place for an intimate gig although a little far to travel to from home in Worcestershire too often.

THINGS AROUND THE MOSH PIT WERE GETTING SILLY LAST NIGHT
A LOT OF PUSHING SHOVING AND FALLING OVER

An immense gig.

Also great: The Nook beforehand, breakfast this morning in a Holmfirth cafe I can't remember the name of, and then walking a few miles on the footpaths around Holme. Cold, crisp and bright.

Not great: the curry after the gig, and the Leeds score we kept up with whilst walking.

Too cold for cats last night, Simpo. Minus three when we turned in . . . . but we were very snug.

...err...that almost bertainly was me. There were only 6 made - and none of the other owners were there.

Were you the person who said hello and said you were a Fall virgin?

err btw What is wrong with YELLOW?

No Fall virgin me Cheshire no. As for the colour of the T, having taken into consideration your size in comparison to mine, I can confirm you looked great in it and the colour is perfect
I only spoke to Gary who was sat at your table mate.

Viewed the gig from the balcony and the sound was pretty good up there…although MES looked a bit unsteady on his feet at several points he was on pretty good form vocally, very clear, good timing and clearly enjoying himself… as was his mom who was nodding along appreciatively…

I think the last time I saw the Fall perform ‘No Christmas for John Quays’ may have been at Birmingham University in about 1980, so hearing it last night was a surprise…they did a pretty good of it job too.

Other highlights for me were a brutal version of ‘Wings’, ‘Fall Sound’, an almost guitar-less ‘Can-Can Summer’ (Pete didn’t seem to mind) and a fantastic ‘Reformation’…

All in all a fine gig although, with exception of the excellent ‘Chino Splashback’, it was all pretty one-paced, I’d like to see the group experiment with some less frenetic / more stripped down versions of the songs (that’s why ‘Can-Can Summer’ was so good I think), it’d give a better dynamic to the show over all…

Oh, and ditch ‘Pacifying Joint’, it was never that great in the first place and it’s well past its sell-by date now…

Well lots you thought the sound was okay so I must have had a naff spot, it was horriable by the right hand stack and the lad mixing was right freaked out about it.
Recording anyone? was one of your lackies on the case Hanley? would love to hear No Xmas for John Quays

I understand a recording was made; the quality of which has yet to be confirmed; I also understand that the gig was video'd

It's good stuff.

Message from Stevie P accidentally sent to us on report button:

"I was the chap with his son that promised to post the set list. Apologies, someone beat me to it: I wasn't aware that there was a rule that the setlist had to be posted within 24 hours. I also did not leave before the encores, but moved from away from the front.

Thought that The Fall were great, better than last time in Holmfirth, and the sound was fine.

My boy is traumatised, and I have had to spend the day atoneing for bringing him. He will thank me in time...."

some pics:

Well lots you thought the sound was okay so I must have had a naff spot, it was horriable by the right hand stack and the lad mixing was right freaked out about it.
Recording anyone? was one of your lackies on the case Hanley? would love to hear No Xmas for John Quays

The gig was recorded, like Cheshire Cheese says. Consortium sub contractor.

Needed two mini discs as it went on longer than normal Fall gigs these days.

The recorder had spent a fair amount of time in the pub with Ed Blaney I'm told, but even so, I'm sure the quality will be fine.