Forum, Kentish Town, London, Wednesday, 10th June 2009

Psykick Dancehall/A Figure Walks/Rebellious Jukebox.

No shit.

unbelievable! The Fall 2009. Go to manchester. Seein' is belivin'

I thought this sort of remeniscence was no longer tolerated...

I got there a bit late. Mark E Smith had put on a bit of weight and was wearing a comedy wig and The Fall then proceeded to play a number of songs by Buzzcocks; 'Ever Fallen In Love', 'Promises' etc. Enjoyed it, but think it could go down as one of The Fall's oddest gigs.

that was The Fall
all the new songs sounded brilliant, golden oldies amazing, he can still sing. anyone hear what he said after those 3 songs?

hot cake wolf cowboy george 50 year old man funnel of love psykick dancehall a figure walks reb jukebox bury reformation (who makes the nazis not played on set list)

Hurray! MES has finally read my post from 22nd July 2007. Or more likely Elena told him about it.

Sounds like this show might have been quite the treat! Surprising oldies.. Good mix of new'uns... For some reason I have very positive feelings towards the 2009 Fall, even if my posts occasionally make it seem otherwise... Looking forward to the new album.

How did the old songs sound? Reworked/rejigged or close to the original?

Also, no debuts of even newer songs... However, how are the newest ones sounding? Similar to previous outings, or does it sound like they are being shaped in new ways as performances go on?

Really, I'm just jealous of those of you who get to see shows like this... Curious to hear more detailed reports about the show, if anyone feels ambitious about reviewing...

Excellent gig, a good mix of songs old and new. Not seen The Fall in a while and there were some tunes I didn't recognise. Bury was very good. They went on quite early and I missed John Cooper Clarke. Saw a bit of the Buzzcocks, their sound was loads better than The Fall, I guess that's the way it goes - they crank it up a notch every time the next act comes on. It was quite a short gig as well. Think they might have started with Hotr Cake, then Wolf Kidult Man, 50-Year-Old Man sounded a lot different to the record, there was a bit that sounded like Silver Machine and a different section at the end! Then they did Psyckick Dancehall, A Figure Walks and Rebellious Jukebox, Bury, then they took a break and came back for Reformation which was very good. Who Makes The Nazis was on the set list but we never got to hear it.

This post was sponsored by the West London Trade Union Club on Acton High Street. Or something.

Yeah I know.

After the second old number, MES said something like 'that's the tribute act bit dealt with'.

then started the third one.

the word 'cabaret' did pop into my head but I didn't care as by this point I was dancing with two lovely ladies. I'd ignored them a little at first - not out of rudeness, but shyness - but they as good as invited me to join in dancing with them. Good fun.


I enjoyed it : the first 2-3 numbers hadn't been bad, so to speak, but I was thinking, hmm, this certainly isn't turning out to be a vintage gig.

Then with 50 Year old Man onwards things turned around about face.

yeah, I see what Elvis means - MES did look like he'd put on weight, and I can sort of get the 'comedy wig' reference too.

ON EDIT : d'oh...I've re-read elvis' reply and get it this time. thing is, I honestly did think MES had put on a bit of weight, and cos he's grown his hair, made erm, 'sense' of ec's remark...

I got the blue book as a souvenir at the stand...still thirty quid, but at least I didn't have to pay postage.

very nice. Not sure all the lyrics deserve making it to print, and there's the odd glaring error or two (three cups of *tea* to get out of bed? yeah right), but nicely put together all the same.

a little rememberence of how shit 70's britain was. Strikes, nationalism and a bankrupt labour government, great music!

[QUOTE=Stranger,Jun 10 2009, 11:14 PM]
Then with 50 Year old Man onwards things turned around about face.

yeah, I see what Elvis means - MES did look like he'd put on weight, and I can sort of get the 'comedy wig' reference too.

ON EDIT : d'oh...I've re-read elvis' reply and get it this time. thing is, I honestly did think MES had put on a bit of weight, and cos he's grown his hair, made erm, 'sense' of ec's remark...




You lovable fool.

He was up on his feet, then?

Did he look well?

I wasn't close enough to see.

I was behind the mixer.

He was walking slowly. I thought it was cos he might be pissed. Then I remembered...

MES pot tum-tum was pretty evident. Gig solid but unremarkable but for the oldies sequence. Good Refo encore. Sound usual for Forum - muddy

Maybe his recent injury has kept him away from his daily visits to the gym to keep his abs ripped?

Exactly, And spent more time relaxing his legs at the pub, perhaps?

Prior to tonight, I was a floating look-back bore voter. Tonight, however, I was/we were invited to join the front bench, and I gladly accepted.

Most of us like to sit in our ivory towers, espousing the virtues of a gruppe/individual who doesn't carry a lot of old weight around. However, tonight, some of that old weight was released into a relatively intimate corner of NW2, and what a privilege it was to be able to jump around to it.

Yes, some of the Crown jewels were brought out for a polish tonight, and how they still shine.

Even typing this now, I can scarcely believe that I witnessed Psykick Dancehall, A Figure Walks, and Rebelious Jukebox played live back to back. But perhaps even more significant is how well they fitted into the new/new-ish songs like Cowboy George, Funnel Of Love and Reformation among the others they also played.

Yes, it was a strange gig - it even took a while for the penny to drop as to which song they were actually playing on two occasions, but that is probably or hopefully understandable in the circumstances - but it was also a very consistent sounding one. There was nothing which particularly stood out as being out of place, and what more could any of us ask? Well, perhaps that they complete the setlist - as it did have Who Makes The Nazis? written at the bottom of it - but that is perhaps me being greedy, because tonight was a feast without it.

Tube strike didn't seem to have an impact, Northern Line was running anyhow. Didn't fancy drinking so went straight to the gig. Must have been the earliest i ever arrived at a venue to see The Fall.

Seen John Cooper Clarke a few times down the years, still glad i can. More of a stand-up routine now, still jokes about Ladas for christsakes! Hire car as per, and E. Chickentown, bagful of folders at his feet.

No intro for The Fall, straight into Hot Cake. MES follows on on two feet, but with a grevious limp, knob-twiddling from the off. WKM, 50 Year Old Man, which went on so long, someone i was with asked if it had merged into something else. Funnel Of Love, then fuck me, Eleni goes, "is there anybody there?", and Psykick Dancehall starts up.

A Figure Walks and Rebellious Jukebox next. Very welcome but unexpected given recent events. Probably the best version of Bury yet. Reformation last, seems to have a new lease of life recently.

Hadn't seen MES thrash a cymbal for ages so it was good to see that as well, and tinkering with the "headlines" kit.

Mentioned elsewhere that i hadn't seen The Buzzcocks since 1977, Steve Diggle was wearing the same shirt, i reckon. Awful guitar posturing and the need to get home for a "smoke" and a decent drink was my exit. Still can't understand the billing on the night, though.

Anyhow, it's The Fall 2009, lest we forget Mark,...tracks from Dragnet/Witch Trials in the here and now? Cheers, but chivvy along the new album.

Gawd bless you, boss.

Oh yeah, if anyone from The Forum reads this, you should sort out the smoking arrangements. It's hard enough being a social leper but corralled into a pen outside? Ye gods, people were queing to get out for a cig. Some folk, ahem... actually lit up in the foyer.

I fucked off before the Buzzcocks came on, as did many Fall fans I met in the pub as they played on.

I guess Elvischomsky and BI Kurious stayed on to see them?

Did anyone see these local Fall fans?

Different pub maybe?

Psykick Dancehall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oTs2ma3dnU