Leeds Irish Centre, 9th March 2005

rev.5

Good gig.

"And to cheer myself up I played some of Ben's favourite records".

Eric Clapton <pause> Mick Jagger
(said quickly)

from Dktr Buck's Letter...

Thanks to that prat from the audience who sat at the drum kit after the encore they didn't come out again and we weren't treated to H.T.N. which I was looking forward to.

Highlights for me: Sparta FC., Dktr Bucks, Grass Grow, Mountain... The set sped up and Ben (versitile winger with a new guitar and not as nice bunch of 'rock' pedals) resorted to head nods to spencer (the capable hands between the sticks) to do the roll (and that kick was mic'ed up badly). The striker up front, Smith aka George Best was completely out on W.L. and S.F.C. but kept 'the team' on their toes and was entertaining to watch. Besty slotted in the late winner with a bunch of smart quips and capable handling of a few pitch invaders. I think I prefered the last gigs at Fibbers, York with Jim on guitars too, gaving it that extra dimension; something a metal pedal on e.g. T.S. doesnt make up for. Basist Steve was as solid a center half as that young lad Andy Butler who plays for that high flying North Lincs outfit. The other winger, long haired chap, looked like he could do with a decent meal, showed decent stamina despite his voice not broken. Good Korg control.

There was a delayed kickoff to the precedings (they came on at 10:25) after just entering the building I was told. Smith appeared OK but his cloak became more revealed and was apparently more than usual pissed. Keyboard twiddling and mic fiddling and the obligatory singing the chorus on the verse etc during the national anthem.

Dingo was on the mixing desk, no merchandise on sale. A good attendence bar three glory seekers trying to steal the show.

A 2-1 away win. Lacking that key player Watts in midfield. Still, 3 points is 3 points and the play offs look likely.

Up The Fall!

set list:

"the cd you hold in your hand" song
box
clasp hands
what about us?
p. joint
wrong place / grass grow
s.f.c.
janet
? "if you assume?" "silver" is mentioned a bit
? reggae type riff "you're talking to yourself, you know you're nothing"
mountain
t.s. with a very interesting mumble at the end***
blindness? i thin k - "the flat is evil" "i was walking down the street"!? "blind man"

encore:
white.l.
doctor buck's letter

pike

















*** see rev.6

So you've blagged the first review in the thread!

Looking forward to the gig. I haven't been so excited for ages, busy listening to the Hiedleburg show and I'm in the mood for The FALL.

Make sure you see The Scaramanga Six, they're a really good band and won't let you down.

6 odd hours to go!!

I'm aiming to get there earlier than normal - the guinness isnt mind blowing though there, noocastle broon ale there as usual me thinks.

nice teeth btw...

Tell 'em Pike!!

Earth calling Yorkshire people ?

Best gig EVER! Fact.

That was absolutely fantastic... the whole band were on absolute top form, and MES's vocals were the best I have ever heard them live by a mile. Simply stunning.

Set-list (from memory, so may not be really accurate):

Bo Doodak
Open the Boxoctosis
Clasp Hands
What About Us?
Pacifying Joint
Wrong Place, Right Time -> I Can Hear The Grass Grow
Sparta FC
New Song (The "Stepping Out" style one, though it wasn't as similar to that song as Monday's version because there was guitar this time as well as bass).
Ride Away
Mountain Energei
Touch Sensitive
Janet, Johnny & James
Blindness

White Lightening
Dr Buck's Letter


Would have been another encore too we think, if some pillock hadn't repeatedly jumped up on stage and put his arm round MES... I don't want to sound like an old git, but where the hell was security?

Fine versions of "Blindness" and "Dr Buck's Letter"... the new songs sound fantastic too: I can't wait to hear them recorded... it might be my imagination, but the lyrics seemed a bit more developed than on Monday?

I have to say that I am really impressed with this band. They look like the finished article. It is great to watch their facial expressions as they play: Steve Trafford stands there impassive and emotionless beating out killer riffs repeatedly (which is exactly what you want from a Fall bassist: no prog-style showing off... just gets on with it), and doesn't seem to let anything phase him, even MES amp-twiddling (about a minute into "Blindness" MES adjusted the amp so that the bass sounded really wierd, but Steve didn't bat an eyelid); whereas Ben Pritchard's face is really expressive when he plays: he seems very apologetic to the audience when his amp gets adjusted, and is always looking round to make sure that the others keep time at the pace change-overs. And Spencer and Eleni were ace too... though Spencer might want to watch out because he came dangerously close to a fancy drum roll at one point: that's almost a sackable offence in The Fall isn't it?

Funniest bit was when in the lyrics to "Dr Buck's Letter" MES said something like: "I was a bit bored so I amused myself by listening to some of Ben's favourite tunes".

Anyway, as I said above I think the band were awesome tonight, and so my only worry is that I can't really judge the quality of the new songs very objectively because even songs I don't usually care for much sounded ace. But my gut instinct tells me the new numbers are going to be classics. The whole set was played at a hundred miles per hour, and now I think the band have found their style. With Hex we had lots of instruments being as loud as possible so even songs that were a bit poppy (like "Jawbone") sounded harsh and loud on the album, which is one of the reasons why the album is so cohesive and so good. Now I think the style of the new band is to play everything at breakneck pace/insistency and strip down the sound to it's basic elements, making the guitar much more discordant and Scanlonesque at times... and add some 'old-Fall' style endless repetition... so very different from the Hex-sound, but with similar intensity... what I mean is that many of the RNFLP songs that sounded quite poppy, predictable and slick with the production on that album, now sound more in style with Blindness etc... and I think this is a good thing, because having a coherent, original sound accross an entire album really adds something to the whole work (e.g. Hex again)... so I am even more looking forward to the new album now.

Having said that, I did on occasion hope that MES would look in his pocket and pull out a "slow-one" at times... though maybe they can put some of those on the next, next album (as long as they are original and not stock-standard indie whinging songs of course).

Anyway, I had a fantastic night... easily the best Fall gig I've been to... and it was great to meet Avid, Generalist, Athlete Not Cured, Chris Goodhead and Josef too! Hope you all got home safely? Was tempted to stay around for a bit longer to see if any of the band wondered into the bar... but decided against it: I did see Ben wonder in but I figured that he'd probably had enough of fans mithering him, so I didn't try to talk to him...

Oh God, the first review. I'm sure there'll be better information posted later but heres my (2.02am) report.

EDIT: HA Took me so long to write, Big Chief beat me to it.

Thank you Fall, thank you.

I don't know what to say! My mind is so frazzled right now, all I have is an impression of one tight, powerful, grooving band. M.E.S seemed well into it, there was little messing around and no walk offs, (I thought this may happen after Janet & James, this was messy and you could see Ben shaking his head many a time, but they got through it. I think they were trying to alter the structure, to let instruments rest... well it didn't work.)

Anyhow, there were at least 2, (maybe 3), songs I didn't recognize. Two were played back to back.

Blindness turned into a pulsating monster halfway through... well it just made my night.
During Dr. Bucks, M.E.S said a line about 'Ben's favourite records'...
Touch Sensitive was met with a resounding cheer and animated a bit of the crowd who'd been stock still, (near me anyway), for most of the show, (and I was near one lad who really spent most of the gig scratching his chin, in that enjoying but analysing way... really odd, haven't seen that before.)

Sorry for that but it's reminded me of more of the crowd, there were some complete pricks who got up on stage. For his part, Mark just ignored them, but God they were pricks. One lad had the temerity to stand on stage, (right at the end), and gesture like he was the show, (and I'm sure he had a baseball cap on, reversed.)

Enough.
In no particular order...

Clasp Hands
Sparta FC
Blindness
White Lightning
Wrong Place...
Grass Grow
Dr Bucks
Touch Sensitive
Mountain Energie
Boxocotis
What About Us

Sorry, that's as much as I can recall. Thanks again to The Fall.
Oh, the band were just sublime. Must not forget the band... just too good.
Crowd must of been 300. The majority must of gone home happy.

2.29am Goodnight.

thank you for those-its the best we can hope for down here, makes me weep with joy

ben's fave records ha ha
pulsating bass

And then he proceeded to try to list "Ben's favourite tunes" which were...

"Eric Claptonnnn and some others I can't remember"

It was an OK gig. Liked the new Reggae number.

"You're talking to yourself
And no one else"

and Pacifying Joint was pretty good. Eleni's keyboards were sounding especially good last night. Lots of one note rhythms which I found my head dancing along to.

An excellent version of Blindness.

Er... and a speed-fuelled twat from the audience who kept invading the stage. One of the saddest things I've seen for a while was this tosser who went to sit behind the drumkit after the Fall had finished and pat the drums with his hands looking like a total div. It would have been forgivable had he not been pushing 40, wearing a baseball bat backwards AND prevented us from getting a third encore. Twat.

As Fall gigs go though, this one was a six or seven for me.

Excellent evening, the band were on top form, Irish Centre comfortably full - and no ‘Mr Pharmacist’! Pleased they’ve finally dropped that, it was getting predictable. Stand outs for me were ‘Sparta’, ‘What About Us’ and ‘Blindness’, all classics. Not sure about one of the new ones (new to me, anyway) towards the end, had a fairground organ-like rhythm to it. Apart from that well impressed, they seemed much sharper than at Sheffield last year, working together as a tight unit, rather than a bunch of hired hands. I’ve always seen MES messing about with stage gear as a sign his attention has wandered, so last night’s lack of mic and amp fiddling is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.

Could have done without the stage-crashers, I think MES dealt with them very well by just ignoring them. I did mouth at Ben ‘go on, boot him off’ when mr backwards baseball cap came up for his second helping. I think it crossed Ben’s mind, but he took the moral high ground instead. Beardie roadie (scary looking geezer!) had no such qualms, pulled the mic out of the guy’s hand, pushed him offstage. Didn’t feel inclined to help the guy up. And seeing him close up, I don’t think he could have been a lad for many a long year.

Strange lack of merchandise, a missed opportunity for some extra income for the Fall band, but in the long run better for my wallet.

i'm sitting here at work rather deaf in one ear & repeatedly yawning having had to get up at 6am as usual, but happy having had a cracking night.

interesting to hear that certain sections of the crowd were motionless chin scratchers - where i was it was quite full on bopping & moshing & that wasnt just me.... people seemed to be having a great time. there were 2 lads at the front, one of whom just kept hugging the other one in a totally delighted sort of way! i thought that was really touching.

i was sorry not to have had another encore - i agree with what's been said about the bloke who kept getting on stage - just a bit of a sad twat....

also i loved the blindness reprise at middleton (& cambridge too apparently) - had hoped for this in leeds but never mind. a storming version anyway. i am in heaven when i hear that track live

i have got the new songs in my head now. it was interesting to hear them with guitar this time! they are quite brutal - lotsa bass & keyboards - just how i like it!

nice to get together with people last night & see old frenz/new faces... got home safely after bombing down the deserted m1 in my wee truck back to sheffield - only took half an hour to get home

can't wait to see them again tonight

This was the best Fall gig in ages that I've seen. MES was particularly sharp, and the little amp-twiddling that went on truly enhanced the sound, particularly in Janet, Johnny & James. Blindness and Dr Bucks Letter were standouts for me, but the whole thing was superb. Good crowd too. Shame there weren't more bar staff...

This gig sounds excellent any recorders busy last night will gladly do buisness get in touch via E-mail & I'll make a list out............pretty please

shite beer too - all nitro keg bollox. just as well i was driving

The Fall and The Magic Band do seem to make a lot of peoples chins itchy, don't they? Watching The Magic Band in Shepherds Bush last year (or whenever it was), my brother and I seemed to be surrounded by these types. It was almost like they were observing an experiment. All that was missing was the lab coats and clip boards. Er... apart from the one chap who had both these things. I wondered what he was writing down... maybe...

"I am experiencing pleasure"

I dunno... [scratches chin]

still the best . what a great gig . shame about the fucking dickhead . i think a third encore was on the cards . pure class

Why didn't someone simply pull the idiot off the stage? I know the answer...nobody wanted to be the first (and I would have been no exception...). Did he have a gang of aggressive mates urging him on?

Er... he looked as hard as nails, Martin. And he was clearly on very aggressive drugs. You'd have been avoiding eye contact too... unless you're secretly one of them gladiators. Even his tattoos scared me.

a few. and the bouncers should have done it. not fall fans who went to see the fall. not some cunt showing off to his mates with picture phones .

I wasn't suggesting that people should do the bouncers' jobs..only in the case that the prat was a weed. Obviously, he wasn't, and you were right to steer clear.

The missing front tooth was the clincher...

yeah he had looks only a mother could love

the security was woeful..... dunno what they were waiting for... tho the swift sideways gesture when they finally did push him back into the crowd was rather entertaining

as to the chin scratchers - i noticed that next to me at middleton there was a tall guy with a notebook. dunno if he was writing down the set list - or observations or whatever.... ???? i mean - i use a notebook for all sorts of stuff in my life - but i couldn't imagine having one at a fall gig. you can't shake yr thang very effectively whilst holding notebook & pen.....

the notebook fella was with a guy who seemed to look very like him - i wondered if they were twins....

A Dark Horse, isn't he?
Couldn't say for sure, but he also looked a little sharper tuesday night - haircut? shirt? I don't know ..something different.
As you say, very solid ..the calm epicentre of a hurricane