Köln/Cologne, Gebäude9, 9th October 2004

[mjungblu]

They are amazing, aren’t they? Gebäude 9 is an old disued warehouse, very dodgy place, looks like an underground space, the venue was packed from stage to end. There were about 450 people there. Started early, around 10 pm, started with the Bo Diddley riff. MES came on stage and intunend something about the CD. Diddley leaded into Box, very tough played. Clasp Hands, then Sparta (yes, again Eleni’s excellent vocals!), Wrong/Grass, Mountain. Until here the tracks are sorted... Pharmacist, Shipman, Green Eyed, Spoilt Victorian (again!), Blindness (again excellent and stunning). Pretty usual setlist - pretty little changing as SPC returned near the end - as opposite to Clasp Hands at the beginning. Line up was in excellent form, they liked to play, I noticed many smilings and laughings. MES was in a good form having short talks to Ben. Once we went off stage for a short moment. They sounded fantastic! Contraflow wasn’t played; as encore it was a shortened version of Dr. Buck’s (instrumental) followed by White Lightning (again with Eleni on vocals). And that it was. It was 1105 pm and The Fall had to terminated the set. Because of a disco thing(okay, the called Drum&BassParty). The Cologne crowd was enjoying the set, and cried for another encore. A bottle thrown onto the stage by a dumb German thickhead hitted Ben’s leg. Fortunately he didn’t got hurted seriously. Eleni returned on the stage and explained that the group wanted to play more, but the venue said that they have to stop. Except of the shortened encores this night reports that The Fall are again brilliant and shithotexcellent. Enjoy the last gigs on that tour - it is worth!
It was nice to meet some people again, actually I met a kind one who was in York as me.
Great to see Josef and having a talk to the band. We left late - as it was an excellent night of The Mighty Fall, beer and tonic...

[Conway]

Thanks once again for the excellent review Michael. Anyone melting tonight?!

[Martin]

Sounds great fun! Danke!

[mjungblu]

moshing? Ah, we got a bit moshing - not as much at in Münster - Cologne is known for a good crowd but the most engaged crowd, I may report, was in Münster, still! Compliment to the Münsterland!!!

[otherdave]

Passionate folk, those Westphalians. I blame the Pumpernickel.

[ahab]

for the review..and I´m gonna see the fall next week in munich

[mjungblu]

you are a lucky one to enjoy them in Munich!
Greats moments for us to go and enjoy their crisscross tour.

[josef]

That was just the most amazing night of the Fall in my 18 years of supporting them. i'm so glad i flew back to Germany to see this one, worth every penny. highlights for me were Mod Mock Goth, the best i've ever heard them play that one, an extended and beautiful Janet vs Johnny and Blindness. The Bo Diddley tune is shaping up to be another good 'un, builds up really nicely.

[The mixer]

I've just got back to the UK from last nights gig in Cologne. What a gig and what a superb venue to see the Fall. Got to the venue about 8-30 to see the end of Doc Schoko's set and then needed fresh air as it was already boiling inside. The place was absolutely packed solid by the time the Fall came on, Mjungbu's excellent review has listed many of the songs played. I hadnt heard the first track before, but three newies Clasp Hands, Grass Grow and Blindness were stupendous. The future looks good friends. Mark was indeed in good form, made Ben laugh out load with a comment presumably about the drummer.

I really dont know how many times I've seen them over the last 25 years, but they never fail to amaze and excite. Just a pity they were refused to play longer by the organisers, but I guess I should be grateful for what I got. Fantastic night and Gebaude 9 is going on my list of all time favourites.

[diegosuzuki]

setlist, : koln gebaude 9

intro
box
clasp
spartak
mad mock god
wrong place
mountain
mr. pharmacist
green eyed locoman
grass grow
what about us
spoilt victorian child
janet & johnny
blindness
_
dr. buck(aborted)/white lightnin'.

I was rather sceptic on the several 'best fall ever'-reports over the last week(s), but I have to admit it was very good!
Personal highlights were '(mad) mock goth' and 'grass grow'.
'spoilt victorian child', never was my favourite falltrack, but this 'high-speed' version nearly convinced me!
Don't see the bo diddley vibe in the intro song, but if it keeps growing it will make it to the next album.
Obviously 'blindness' is a serious problem.
Band in good form, Mark very focused.
Roadie on stage to adjust drumbassmic, mark : 'This is the last roadie you'll see on stage tonight!'. Knocked with mic on back of roadie to urge him off stage.
Ben was very enthousiastic in his comments after the show, they(the band) all considered it the best show of the tour so far he reckoned and really wanted to play some more stuff, so that clearly pissed them all off!
Good venue, been here before for 'the rapture', packed, (approx. 400-500 people?).
Worth trip from belgium, allthough police control in holland nearly spoiled the party!

[ahab]

Here´s a little review I found in the Kölner Stadt Anzeiger (11. October 04) and a translation – sorry for the poor translation but I hadn´t time to do a better one and so most of it was done by google:


Triumph der schlechten Laune

The Fall gaben dem Publikum, was es wollte: Missmut und Rock. Ein gutes Mittel gegen schlechte Laune ist, sich Leute mit noch schlechterer Laune anzusehen. Bei Mark E. Smith ist man da immer an der richtigen Adresse. Der Sänger der englischen Band The Fall ist vermutlich der mürrischste Mensch, der je eine Bühne betreten hat. Das bekommen nicht nur die Zuhörer zu spüren, sondern vor allem seine Mitmusiker: In der 27-jährigen Bandgeschichte gab es ungefähr 30 Umbesetzungen, die einzige Konstante bei The Fall ist Smith selber. Zum Auftritt im ausverkauften Kölner Gebäude 9 hat er die richtige Vorband mitgebracht: Doc Schoko steigern den Missmut des Publikums enorm. Dann beginnen The Fall. Fünf Musiker, die entschlossen sind, den Saal zu rocken, was vom ersten Moment an gelingt; eine wilde Mischung aus Bo Diddley, Ramones und düsteren B 52's. Dann schlurft Mark E. Smith auf die Bühne: mit seinen 47 Jahren ein alter Mann des Typs, der dir morgens um 7 am Kiosk mit einer Flasche Bier begegnet, ein Gesicht zwischen Johnny Cash und Karl Valentin, er bekommt die Augen kaum auf, gräbt mit der Zunge im Mund herum, was ihn mehr als sein Auftritt zu beschäftigen scheint. Das Mikrofon hält er so dicht vor den Mund, dass es klingt wie durch ein Telefon gesungen, das Publikum scheint er kaum wahrzunehmen. Sein Zustand hat schon manches Konzert zum Debakel geraten lassen; im Gebäude 9 passt alles, er lässt die Band gewähren, nuschelt dazu, die Fans jubeln, und am Schluss bedankt er sich sogar! Smith ist ein Kauz, eigen, unverwechselbar - unverzichtbar.


Triumph of the bad mood

The Fall gave the audience what it wanted: Moroseness and rock´n roll (“rock”). A good reliever against bad mood is to inspect people with worse mood - Marks E. Smith is always the correct address for this. The singer of the english band The Fall is probably the most morose human who ever entered a stage. Not only the audience get involved in that but above all his musicians: In the 27 years of age band history there were approximately 30 reshuffles, the only constant with The Fall is Smith. For the sold out gig in Cologne´s Gebäude 9 he brought along the right Vorband: Doc Schoko increase the audience´s moroseness enormously. Then The Fall begin. Five musicians, who are decided to rock the hall, they succeed from the first moment on; a wild mixture from Bo Diddley, Ramones and dark B 52's. Then Marks of E. Smith scuffles (schlurft) on the stage: With his 47 years an old man of the type you meet in the morning around 7 at the kiosk with a bottle of beer, a face between Johnny cash and Karl Valentin, he hardly gets the eyes up, digs with the tongue in the mouth around, which him more than its appearance seems to employ. He holds the microphone so close to his mouth that it sounds as sung through a telephone, he hardly seems to notice the audience. His condition already left some concert turned out to the debacle; in the Gebäude 9 everything fits, he lets the band play, mumbles, the fans jubilate and at the end he even thanks! Smith is a fogy, quirky, unmistakable - indispensable.

[me and me housetramp]

nothin more to say. EIN GUTER KONZERTBERICHT

[DrLUTO]

... i liked it ! Just very good - possibly the best of the 8 gigs i've seen The Fall. Definitely the best since we are in the 20th century !!!

... did everybody drink enough KÖLSCH !? - i sure hope so.

Prost: ~>g.

[The mixer]

DrLuto,
Despite what I'd heard previously about Kolsch being an acquired taste, it didnt take me long to acquire it!

Arrived in Koln at about 3-30 and had a good number of them before venturing to Gebaude 9, fantastic venue by the way. It ws a pity it was Becks inside, but the Fall made up for that disappointment, brilliant! I havent seen them so relaxed in ages.

Great gig, great venue..........here's to the next time!

[josef]

they were selling Koelsh inside, but unless you spoke german to them or if you just asked for a pils they gave you becks. Can a German please explain to me what this stupid token system is all about? My dad warned me about this, what am I supposed to do with these tokens in my pocket? Beer at all the venues was well expensive I thought, although very nice. Pauliner Heffewies is one of my favs.The main gripe about Koelsh is the traditional 0.2 serving, which I don't mind but they seem to charge the same as 0.3.

[DrLUTO]

Yes - they did sell REISSDORF KÖLSCH inside ! I drank it. When paying your beer they also charge a refund. You get the money back when returning the bottle.
The token thing probably is the same. I don't know exctly what you mean, but if you buy like a can of beer at the gas station you get a token. Returning the can and the token get you back the refund you payed before ...

I don't like all that refund stuff ...

Prost:
~>g.

[josef]

That reissdorf, with the red label was very nice indeed!!!