Manchester Academy, Saturday, 18th July 2009

Any reports back from this one yet?

Psykick Dancehall was played again.

Anything else known?

What happened at the gig tonight?

Hope you all had a great time!

Is no-one back home yet? Don't be afraid to tell us how it was.........

It was great

New songs galore, a clear and powerful MES and the biggest crowd I've seen at a Fall gig since the early 90's.

More news tomorrow when I'm sober.

But it was really, really great

Look forward to your report.

Sweet dreams.........

This all sounds good. I too look forward to your report, Sven.

Confirmed Setlist:

1 .Intro
2. Hot Cake
3. Strange Town
4. My Door Is Never
5. Wolf Kidult Man
6. Cowboy George
7. 50 Year Old Man
8. Fall Sound
9. I've Been Duped
10. Psykick Dancehall
11. Bury
12. Funnel Of Love
13. New Song
14. Reformatio

Anyway, highlights were Hot Cake which got it off to a good start. Cowboy George which had a good monologue about the backdrop which had Tommy Cooper in a fez on it and the words "Unseen [something]. Unseen Footage." written on it. In fact there were two backdrops. One without Tommy Cooper on. Smith's monologue explained that the words Unseen footage had "nothing to do with Tommy Cooper. Which is kind of the point." Then he ripped the half with Tommy Coopers face down. I'm not making this up, you know.

50 Year Old Man sounded good to me. The standout was Bury with half the crowd (near me anyway) going "BER DER DER!" along to the guitar bit. The New Song was very upbeat, almost thrashy, with a spoken off stage intro. The lights went on. Everybody began to leave. Then they were back for Reformation with house lights still on. People RAN to the stage and, well, went mental. Unfortunately I happen to know for a fact that on at least one bootleg version of this show the Reformation encore will be missing.

Oh yes. Psykick Dancehall. Coming about mid set. Feh.

Lots of banter between Smith and gruppe.

Good times to be a Fall fan. Not the absolute best Fall show I've ever seen but up there with the really good ones.

This post has been edited by chrisgoodhead on Jul 20 2009, 06:06 AM

I, for one, really enjoyed the show ... the organic messages' bags from Action's wee stall had the same wording as the new backdrops, sans the marvellous shot of Cooper:-

Unseen Knowledge
Unseen Footage
Unseen Facts

Thanks to all the lovely folk who helped turn me into this insanely grinning article, sat here back home after a right good trip.

Andrew

It always is / was, dj.

Really good gig,and no Safi .Pete,Kieran and Dave were excellent.I've criticised Pete before,but credit where it's due.As for Eleni, I think I'll be kind and say she had an off day! Christ knows what she was doing in Cowboy George. Another big turnout and much better venue than Academy 2.The sound was OK,but no bass drum for most of the gig.MES tried to rectify this 3 times by putting a vocal mic in, but the sound guy turned it off! Only minor moans were the appalling duped,which sounded worse than ever last night, and the pointless walk off after 5 or 6 songs. 2 brand new ones-the 1st one and the one before Reformation. A Fall expert I spoke to thought the 2nd new one might have been Hot Cake,but it didn't sound anything like the version I've heard.
Found an excellent pub on Dover St opposite the venue called Jabez Clegg Beer House.

Didn't they do Funnel of Love?

I am Jesus Christ and I now rule everything.

My wife offered to drive after a friend dropped out at the last minute (claiming Swine Flu as an excuse...what a lightweight!) so the 'dry month' went for a burton. After a difficult journey due to roadworks absolutely everywhere, we managed to park on the car park adjacent to the venue which was worryingly empty. The lovely car park attendant informed us that the venue now held over 2000 and was more than half sold out.

Went across to the Cro-Bar where we met quite a few Fall fans and enjoyed chatting about past gigs. Thanks to Richard for the huge jug of Pimms. I could definitely get used to the taste of that and cudos to the young, skinny lad with the Fall Heads Roll t shirt who parked himself on the wall opposite the bar, smoked a huge spliff and wandered off towards the venue. mrs Hassel Schmuck exclaimed that he was the coolest Fall fan she had ever seen...looked like one of the strokes but in a French way, she thought.

Got chatting to two enormously drunk 3rd year Architecture students, both female, who had recently got into the band and were attending their first Fall gig. One of them took a fancy to my wife, which was exciting

Wandered across to the venue just in time to see Ed Blaney exiting stage right, got another beer and parked myself in my usual spot, left of the stage and near the front. Spoke briefly to Kieran's dad, who's a great friend of mine and was greatly looking forward to the gig but never saw him again, which was puzzling.

The venue began to fill up as it approached 10 O'clock and I'd say the venue was close to 2 thirds full, which was great to see. Plenty of younger fans including a very cool looking lad of about 10 with his dad. The atmosphere was great, one of real anticipation rather than that of, here we go again, which was nice.

The band came on at about 5 past 10 and, at first, the sound was a little muddy, with little evidence of bass or bass drums, although the snares and keyboards pierced through well enough. I'd say the production overall was more Dragnet than anything, which is good in a way. Eleni's keyboard and vocals were too loud, especially on I've been duped, but this was sorted later on. Guitar, drums and bass meshed well, the new band really are getting very good indeed, seeming more confident each time I see them. At least 2 new songs as well as the ones they have been developing over the past few months. Hot cake, especially seems to have been developed further to the point where I barely recognised it until about half way through. Smith, in paticular, seemed less wired and more relaxed than recently, maybe he's finally sorted out the right levels of chemicals and alcohol for optimum performance, maybe it was a fluke, but he was more animated than usual, his timing was spot on, apart from Psychic Dancehall, which, although great to hear was probably the worst performance of the night, 'duped' excepted.

The Backdrop, as others have already noted, was wonderful and strange. Smith's monologue before the walk off was great too, he seemed at great pains to emphasise the fact that it had nothing to do with Tommy Cooper...shame Then he pulled part of the backdrop down I get the impression that Unseen Knowledge, Unseen Footage, Unseen facts might well be the title of the new album.


Highlights for me were Bury, which got a great audience reaction, the 2 new tracks and hearing Psychic Dancehall live for the first time. The Reformation encore was unexpected and great too with plenty of people scurrying back into the venue.

Overall, a great Fall gig which makes me feel very excited for the album. Met the Archetecture girls outside who were overwhelmed by the whole thing. One of them appeared to have been crying as mascara was smeared down both of her cheeks. Oh to be a young fan discovering the band for the first time, and what a wonderful introduction to the live Fall experience for anyone seeing them for the first time.

Music 9/10
Venue 8/10
Atmosphere 9/10
Pre gig 9/10
Overall 9/10

Great review, SHS.

Sounds like a brilliant night all round!!

Thanks for that.

Great review, Sven. Thanks.

Would the new song have been "Funnel of Love" or was it a brand new one???

Can't remember Funnel Of Love. I think it might well be a new one.

Splendid gig. I was worried that the venue might be half empty, but it was more than two-thirds full by the time I got in there, so all was well. The Academy 1 is much, much better than 2.

It seemed to take a while to get going, but after Mark took them off the first time it was uphill from there. I wonder what he did to them? The new New Song sounded absoluely fantastic. Had an Exploding Chimney feel to it. 50 Year Old Man, I've Been Duped, Pyskick Dancehall and Bury were other highlights.

Only gripe is that, from where I was standing at least, the crowd seemed very subdued indeed. They more than made up for it during Reformation, though. It all went a bit mental.

Tip top.

Would the new song have been "Funnel of Love" or was it a brand new one???

They played Funnel of Love, as well as a new song that they haven't (as far as I'm aware) played before.

The new one was a brand new one. Never played before. Yes, they did also play Funnel of Love and another one I missed was My Door. I'll amend my first post as until the definitive set comes in, mine is going to be taken as the nearest one.

About Hot Cake. The song they came in with did sound like a brand new one but if I remember rightly it morphed into Hot Cake and I assumed that either they'd written a new beginning or the sound had been a bit sludgy initially. You know where you start listening half way through the beat and it sounds like a completely different song.

Fuck. Forgot about this one. Got back from holiday yesterday and all. Would have been up for that gig. Sounds like it was a good one.

Great story Sven Hassel Schmuck, thanks.

Well having only seen the band twice, last time in manchester last year and this gig I can say the last one was much better. But I knew more of the songs last time.

I now realises I only get 60 minutes for my money and not the 90 minutes- 3 hrs I get with other bands. Its a bit annoying and a rip of but that the Mark E Smith way and I assume he knows he can get away with so he does it. Why play longer for the same money.

I would hate to be in his band because they didnt have a clue what was going on last night..on off on off on off on off. Think they are a very good band though.

Am going to hunt out those songs I didnt know now.

Does anyone have a really good version of reformation live....telling my wife how great it is live ..she doesnt believe me as she is not a fan.

Anyway I enjoyed the experience and will no doubt go again.