Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon, 16th March 2006

On the Stratford Civic Hall Whats On section of their website, The Fall were promoted sandwiched neatly between a Tea Dance with ballroom, sequence and latin dancing and Warwickshire Community Youth Circus. The Fall was always going to be the oddest thing that (n)ever happened to Stratford Civic Hall.

Despite all my fears, and some dodgy pre-gig intros the Fall delivered. Big time.

The stage at the Civic Hall is so low that the usual pogoing was very stifled - if anyone at the front had been pushed against the stage their legs would have snapped. This added to an odd ‘garden party’ feel to the gig as if Mark had been invited to play at a friends wedding. At one point in between songs Mark said “I thought this place was going to be bigger than this”.

Yet. Mark, Ben, Steve Spencer and Eleni were obviously enjoying themselves. They played like f**king angels. Mark was on top form.

I didn’t write down the set list but I met someone (sorry I missed your name) who did get it and said he’d post it here. Won’t waste time making a list here now but there were a few new tracks (The Boss? Systematic?) . The set was a good 55mins (including two encores). Mark did his usual creative mixes – and they worked. Absolutely f**king excellent gig.

Timings, for those who worry about these things:
Main set: 43 minutes
First encore: Touch Sensitive - 5 mins
Second encore: Blindness - 9 mins

An immensely long What About Us, Systematic Abuse is brilliant (and the bass line is like a 2006 cousin of Stepping Out), White Line Fever was hilarious. Great keyboard solo from MES in Blindness.

I went and shook Steve and Ben by the hand after - it was the best Fall gig I've been to. Simply stunning.

Set List

Alan Wise comedy/tribute intro
Hit The North Intro Tape

The Boss
Pacifying Joint
Mountain Energei
Sparta FC
Wrong Place Right Time
I Can Hear The Grass Grow
What About Us
White Line Fever
Systematic Abuse
Touch Sensitive
Blindness

Fantastic stuff.
Mark's voice sounded like it needed a well-deserved rest but he gave it loads and this was a winner all the way.
'Systematic Abuse' does indeed sound like a totally rewired 'Stepping Out'.

7th gig in 7 nights? Pretty heavy workload.

Back to encores which sound great. Anyone grab the set list?

They came on at 9:45

I ordered my ticket over the phone yesterday, when I picked it up, it was number 3.
The other 2 enjoyed the show also

I just missed 'em, but the guy who stood next to me got them. He said he'd post them here - he was German - I dunno if he lives here or in Germany so it may take a while. Great chap - he (like notmrs Cornelus and me) had a f**king ball.

I've got some photos but I don't know how to post them here...? Advice needed.

I just missed 'em, but the guy who stood next to me got them. He said he'd post them here - he was German - I dunno if he lives here or in Germany so it may take a while. Great chap - he (like notmrs Cornelus and me) had a f**king ball.

I've got some photos but I don't know how to post them here...? Advice needed.

I believe it will be in safe hands and posted on here when our European friends get home

If you email them to Stefan, he'll put them on the newspage. fallnews@gmail.com

My brother sent me a great recording of White Line Fever from last night's show. The link should be good for a few more downloads:

http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1LS903J...GB1AZHUBJADZID4


Enjoy!

Thanks for that.

So it is indeed a cover of the old Merle Haggard song.

Quite amusing, but not great...

You had to be there...

MES and Elena duetting in a real Lee & Nancy style, Elena, in particular, looking like she was trying hard not to laugh. Very, very funny.

Yes, I'd forgotten about that

Cheers mate - you are a star
Good recording - gutted I missed the gig, sounds great.

A good, but not great, show…to my ears at least…

MES in fine form, in control, not showing any sign of tantrums, minimal amplifier abuse…band tight and powerful…but somehow it seemed to lack something. Maybe it was the venue – actually a rather nice dome-shaped hall with excellent acoustics – but perhaps rather better suited to amateur productions of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas than sweaty rock ‘n roll…

At the risk a merely repeating what others have said about the Croydon gigs, I think the basic problem is that the band have actually been playing more or less the same set for a couple of years now and the lack of really good new stuff is beginning to show…and the likes of ‘Sparta’ and ‘What about Us’ are starting to sound rather jaded…

Of the new stuff on offer ‘The Boss’ is OK, but nothing more… I hadn’t previously heard their version of ‘White Line Fever’, but if I never hear it again I won’t lose any sleep over it (bring back ‘Higgeldy Piggeldy’ I say!). ‘Systematic Abuse’ sounds as though it’s going to be a good ‘un though (great bass-line), but it does seem that since the departure of Jim Watts the group is struggling to come up with any great quantity of top-notch new songs…

Still, when it was good it was very good…’Mountain Energie’ was (as ever) a highlight, the aforementioned ‘Systematic Abuse’ was terrific and the encores of ‘Touch Sensitive’ and (especially) ‘Blindness’ were superlative…the latter featuring some really good (rather than the more usual merely irritating) keyboard abuse by MES…

I’m off on my hols next week, so won’t be able to get to the other midlands gig in Leicester..but here’s hoping that the next time I see them live the group really will have plenty of good new songs…

Thanks for this…but I’m afraid it just confirms my opinion of it!!!

Has your bro got the rest of the gig? Any chance he could put it up on dime or yousendit? I’d love to hear ‘Systematic Abuse’ again…got the Athens version but last night’s was better…

Superb recording, thanks a lot for that

The drip-feed continues...

The Boss:
http://s42.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3UJVXR3...FP2AMN9G51GTSA3

Systematic Abuse: http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=36N2MH7...4J34MM48NWBDMPP

thanks for the links
great to hear the gigs

Many thanks…told you ‘Systematic Abuse’ was good…

Excellent recording by the way…

Acoustics at the venue really were quite impressive – it’s quite a modern hall which presumably was purposely designed to defeat unwanted echo etc during concerts…

what did elena have in her bag?

thank you muchly for the recordings.

If you have to ask, you'll never understand wimmen

A cardigan we think - it was v. cold backstage.

She sparkled didn't she?

I think it's fair to say they all did really. I've never seen The Fall group on such jolly form.

Thanks for the downlaod. Gig was great. Lots of thanks to Fiona for booking them and making sure they played for an hour.