Edinburgh, 23rd May 2005

Hey, whaddya know? Fall scheduled to come on stage at 11.00pm tonight in Edinburgh, Fall appear on stage tonight at 11.00pm !!! what in the wonderful and frightening world is going on...?!!!!

HAve to say, MES pulled out the stops tonight. must be nigh on 20 years since I saw them play for 60 mins before they left the stage. MES totally up for the encore too - pity the drummer fucked it up by kicking his kit all over the stage prior to encores. White lightning ended up pretty tepid due to no bass drum pedal or mic'ed up kit. Wouldn't be surprised if he's the next one to see the exit door...

Fair showing of < 25 yr olds in the mosh pit tonight too, which is an encouraging sign!

All in all, a well above average performance. Somebody else can fill you in on the setlist details.

Nice one Spen

I really hope not. He's a great drummer. And wrote most of "Blindness" too apparently.

S.O.S. (save our Spen)

After all our argument on the Forum gig review thread, I wonder what JonM, Harry Lime et al. make of this...??!!

Is it ok to go on this late as long as that's when you were actually scheduled..??!!

Would you be ok with this guys?!!

Seconded.

He's superb. Rock solid.

After all our argument on the Forum gig review thread, I wonder what JonM, Harry Lime et al. make of this...??!!

Is it ok to go on this late as long as that's when you were actually scheduled..??!!

Would you be ok with this guys?!!

Yeah - I think that is OK.

If it is scheduled late then everyone can decide if is fine etc - my objection was concerned with unneccesary unscheduled lateness etc etc for all the reasons folks have mentioned already on the thread. It was never a desire to be home early with a cup of Horlicks etc, but more of a desire to avoid having to stand in grotty surroundings listening to crap music drinking overpriced beer - longer than necessary and then having to unexpectantly struggle to get home...for no good reason.

The drummer is great by the way.

best fall gig i've seen in a long time, the sound was amazing, and the best form mark's been in for a long time.
the sound was very good-mark's vocals well up in the mix-you could actually make out what he was singing.
also the place was packed, so obviously not everybody worries about start time.

Hi, Im new to the board but the gig was one of the best ive seen by The Fall, set list was:

Bo Doodak
Sparta
Clasp Hands
Ride Away
What About Us
Pacifying Joint
I Can Hear The Grass Grow
Mountain Energei
Assume
Touch Sensitive
U Wanna
Blindness
White Lightning
Boxoctosis

Peace and Fucking

Welcome aboard - thanks for this info

No Bother. I got a copy of the set list at the end of the gig. Mes gave me the mic at the end of Boxoctosis so i got to display my drunken vocal prowess

Touch sensitive...best version ever...great keyborads by elenor....higlight of a set which abounded with recent songs...best gig in scotland for years

The frenxexperiment is right...all the signs in the venue had the running order as the Fall on at 11am and sure enough at the stroke of 11 they were on...tightest Fall line up in years.

Sounds very good. Did anyone record it? Would be good to hear a copy - you'd get something in return, of course.

- this was a fucking excellent gig - restores yer faith in humanity etc

- more details to follow when i get to work

Nice to know the name of the new track

Seconded.

He's superb. Rock solid.

Agreed

And Steves bass playing, it should also be noted, is key to the Fall sound at the min.

Where do you start?
 
After all the moaning about late starts etc I decided to be a good boy and take the car - this was after all a school night - doors open at 9pm so no rush to get to Edinburgh - ended up in an Irish Theme Pub next to the venue where I bumped into a slightly pissed fallfandave and sulphange and his girlfriend -
 
about 10 we headed down to the Liquid rooms - my mate Iain had no problems with his *hooky* ticket (thanx Mark) - support act (Uncle John and Whytelock) came on shortly after - I thought they were gonna be a Fall covers band as the bass riff to the first song had a whiff of Lay of the Land (there was also a "sounds like the start of Touch Sensitive" one later) - shouty man and guitars basically (a bit of piano on the side for good measure) - pretty good tho' - and a good omen
 
They go off and I thought we were in for a long wait - time they dismantle stuff and set up bits for the Fall - but 11pm - here we go -
 
(Set list nicked of G-Ro)
 
Bo Doodak
Sparta - backing singers ahoy - Ben, Eleni and Steven giving it "big licks" on the chorus
Clasp Hands
Ride Away - worse song of the night - ruined the pace - sounded like a bad Clash reggae cover
What About Us
Pacifying Joint - segued into -
I Can Hear The Grass Grow - pacifying joint given a decent run out - unlike the Later version
Mountain Energei
Assume - the return of lyrics on scraps of paper - backs to the audience reading/singing
Touch Sensitive - kinda nothing like the original - all over the place really but it worked
U Wanna - "this is a work in progress" - " 2026" - I thought he mentioned New Order in it as well - could just be me tho'
Blindness - the highlight of the evening - seemed to last forever – it lacks the subtlety of say Tempo House but it has the same power - awesome - false ending and then started off again - then everybody left the stage bar Ben and Spencer - so we are treated to a Spencer drum solo - at a Fall gig ! – this seems to be becoming a habit- Steven then comes back on for a bit and they keep it going before Spencer trashes the drum kit and walks off - I thought well thats it - can't have an encore without drums – wrong I was-
also during Blindness Mark went up to the bass amp and turned the distortion off – sang a few verses then went and swithced it back on again – worked well – not just pissing about with the amps for the sake of it

Encore 1
White Lightning – started without drums as Spencer rebuilt part of his kit – looked like a kids set when he finished
Encore 2
Boxoctosis – mike to audience time – first up gave it an “open the box, open the box, open the goddamned box” and I’m sure he got a wee thumbs up from Mark for his troubles – must’ve turned the sound down after that cos I don’t remember hearing any more – the mike got chucked into the middle of the venue after that – when they pulled it back in the mike was missing – so someone got themselves a nice souvenir – they leave the stage looking well trashed – the crowd still wanting more

Other Fall moments –
- Mark turning around after a bit of amp fiddling and almost twatting himself on a microphone
- Some female jumping on stage to try and give MES a kiss – but was bundled off and almost scratched his eye out in the process – Eleni was away from her keyboards looking like she was gonna join in
- Thinking I heard Mark sing/say something about a curfew – an apology for not turning up last time?


80 minutes of pure bliss then – Mark looked very sober and was well up for it – lyrics seemed to really stand out – band were very sharp as well – the rhythm section are very tight – nothing was pulled up short either. It felt like they were trying to make up for cancelling the last gig – and boy did they do so – that was a brilliant Fall gig – faith renewed – cheers Mark

on stage on time shocker. only saw up to touch sensitive due to no buss west after 12 but what i saw was tighter than me at the bar when its £3 a pint (which it was). .A Great gig though. And drummer Spencer is brilliant.

I can definately confirm reports that Fallfandave was under the influence of some strange Scottish brew....he managed to sell a few copies of the mag while at the urinal!!

Surely there should be some change from a tenner!!

After all our argument on the Forum gig review thread, I wonder what JonM, Harry Lime et al. make of this...??!!

Is it ok to go on this late as long as that's when you were actually scheduled..??!!

Would you be ok with this guys?!!

Are you taking credit for this personally now then?

On time for one gig in twenty years isn't a very good track record.

For about the tenth time, for your benefit I will make my point again - The problem for me is the interminable wait for the Fall to come on - I see it as an insult being kept waiting. I don't care if it's the Fall or the Almighty himself I'm waiting for - everybody knows and understands the concept of time these days and if they choose to deliberately ignore the fact that there are people waiting with F-all to do until they decide to start doing what they are supposed to be doing then that is totally unacceptable. I think anybody who thinks that it is OK for performers to deliberately ignore or keep audiences waiting for whatever reason is frankly, a bloody idiot, and they deserve everything they get. You're blinded, you can't see how you are having the piss taken out of you. Line crossed - you still miles behind with your thinking.

It's not about pedantry with show times or not on the tickets, it's about if you as a paying member of the audience and how much of that rude, inconsiderate crap you are prepared to take.

These "But it's the Fall" "Let the artist do what he wants" "It's rock" "it's not a washing machine" things are bloody pathetic. Why take it? It is not acceptable.

ON EDIT - Frenzexperiment - sorry that you are on the receiving end of this bile. It doesn't read as well as I intended. Would you please be good enough to read it as if someone was talking it nice and calmly, rather than a maniac having a rant? If the band stick to the time on the tickets, that's fine by me, cheers.

But surely the main point here is that some things are worth waiting for.....how unhappy are all the Chelsea fans following a 50 year wait for the title. The first black actor to win an Oscar...obviously not a notable event due to the wait.....

The band arrived on stage on time last night but in reality the set was so good I'd have been happy to be kept waiting to see such a performance.

Post from Paco Educato via report to moderator button:

"Good set list! I was too busy enjoying the best set the Fall have played in Scotland for years! The definate highlights were the new songs - definately looking good for the new album.

The band were really tight. One hightlight was Tounch Sensitive - forget about the chessy advert and the song-a-long chorous, this was a song reborn...great keyboards by Elenor and the highlight of the set. Mountain Energei was great plus TWO encores.....TWO enocores...!!"

But Chelsea turn up on time every Saturday - and there's more of them in the band.

23-05-05

Signs not good as I approach the venue. Looks deserted. Piece of paper on door announces doors open 9pm (ticket outlet says 7pm).

Repair to Irish theme pub above venue. Join rugby stragglers from Sunday’s Heineken Cup Final watching Lions v Argentina. Just before half-time reassuring bass rumble from below suggests soundcheck activity. Order another Guinness and decide to watch second half of match.

Sounds of music again from below. Sudden flashback to “Masquerade” tour when waited in same pub to find the Fall had started on time and missed half the gig. Rugby match is close and although I would like to stay and support only fit Scotsman in the Lions squad who has now taken the field (is this too much rugby?) decide to descend.

Sign behind the bar says Uncle John & Whitelock is the support on at 9.45, the Fall at 11pm.

Enjoyed UJ&W again. I saw them at the Lemontree and some songs begin to feel familiar. Closer and better view here and “Fuck me! They,ve got Craig Bellamy on vocals.

Settle in for long wait and wish I still smoked to pass the time. Ben comes on to set up. When, Ben?

Suddenly intro starts and the Fall hit the stage at 11pm as scheduled. This is surely a good sign, and so it proves to be. MES wearing black glove again but on right hand. Someone on this site says that MES needs thre or four songs to get the voice going. Not tonight. His pipes are well cleared from the off.

First song is new (don’t know title) then its straight into Sparta FC and the gloves are off (literally). MES seems on form and up for it. The band is tight as usual and MES seems like part of the unit.

Clasp Hands and What About Us? Another new one to me, sound vaguely reggae. Pacifying Joint wherein MES appears to forget which song it is and sings chorus of “What About Us” instead. Segue into Grass Grow, then a stomping version of Mountain Energei with MES lyrics almost loud and clear (especially the line about the fish).

A between songs announcement of a new song! Don’t know the name but has line “I never had the time” in it.

Touch Sensitive followed by another song. New to me but not unfamiliar as it sounds like Cab It Up with new words.

Finale with Blindness. Encores with White Lightning and Boxoctosis (both gloves on this time).

MES on top live mixing form, removing the crash cymbals, turning the bass amp all the way to zero, Eleni vamping on keyboards and handslapping the audience on leaving the stage, three stage invaders ejected.

It’s good that. Forgiven?

PS Thanks to S Bending.

Walked to the venue in the rain, and turned up at about ten past eight, to be greeted first by a sign saying that the doors would be opening at nine, and then by our very own Fallfandave, selling his Pseud Mags like an enterprising young lad with a sack full of newspapers. We soon made our way to a very very nearby pub. He bought me an orange juice. I'll never forget that man as long as I live. Also present was Part Time Communist Worker and his communist sympathiser pal Iain. I told them about the harsh winds and snapping beasts of my homeland. Good times.

I was well impressed by Uncle John and Whitelock. Sounded to me like side one of Wonderful and Frightening World (it seems I wasn't the only one who thought the first song sounded a bit like Lay of the Land), with the keyboards from Live at the Witch Trials (set to "piano") and vocals from Birthday Party-era Nick Cave. One of these days I must learn more.

The next half-hour or so of still life (with occasional equipment setup) was accompanied by what seemed to be a live DJ set done on actual turntables somewhere in the building. I mention this because it led to the best intro to a Fall gig I could ever have dreamed of: at eleven o'clock-ish sharp, the turntables were switched off, the Dance Beats distorted slowed to a standstill, and we were granted a precious few seconds of respite before an extended and randomly retouched Loop41 (can someone who Knows These Things tell us how long it's been the intro tape now? Whoever would have thought the opening seconds of the Susan vs Youthclub remix would break free and take on a life of their own?). And then... there they were. Hello!

Bo Doodak - "Good evening we are the Fall!", and then, later, "Good evening we are the Fall! From long, long days..." Quite possibly a reference to the postponement. You never can tell.

Theme From Sparta FC - featuring tremendous backing vocals courtesy of Ben, Steven, Elini, and Edinburgh. Really quite impressively large portion of the audience knowing exactly when to say "hey!".

Clasp Hands - surprisingly short, or perhaps it just flew by. Either way, I'd never heard it without the slow bits from the Peel session before. But I have now. Erm.

Ride Away - I loved this one, I really did (too early to tell how it compares to Kimble, however). The first of many songs where Elini's keyboard (I'm trying to think of a good adjective for it and all I can come up with is "skrikking") really stood out... it was very prominent in the mix throughout, and Elini's one-note-at-a-time style is looking to be a contender among the Great Keyboards in Fall History. In any case, if she ever played an entire chord on that skrikking thing someone could lose an eye.

What About Us? - Kept ploughing on for several minutes before we heard any mention of the title, and even when we did, it wasn't long before Mark was wandering around and bothering the equipment, leaving Ben and Steven with the titular chant and Elini with the cheery "Ship-man!".

Pacifying Joint / I Can Hear The Grass Grow - The former given a good long run through, the latter had the crowd joining in once more. Not much of a segue in between, just a good old excuse to play Grass Grow that much faster. Claimed at least twice during Pacifying Joint to have been nineteen at some point. I didn't believe him for a second.

Mountain Energei - One of only three Real New songs on the night, and it's really been given a right seeing-to since the album version. There was a new verse at the end, too, but I didn't catch a bloody word of it.

Assume - Blindness aside, my favourite of all the Realer Newer ones.

Touch Sensitive - Go on, Mark, admit it, it's a new song, and you've just gone and tacked on the opening guitar riff and "hey hey hey hey!" to fool all us setlist obsessives. The keyboards alone could overturn a Vauxhall Corsa from miles away (and possibly did, I'll have to check the papers). Awesome.

U Wanna - "Fuckin'... two thousand and twenty six..." Enunciate, lad! This is a very good song. I hope you enjoy it.

Blindness - Ten minutes at least. The song they could not kill. You can't help but admire a man who can go so long flat out refusing to learn how to play the keyboard.

White Lightning - Oh, you know.

Open the Boxoctosis - I was wondering who was doing the vocals in that bit where nobody on stage appeared to be doing the vocals! Nicely done.

Overalls: never mind all the live recordings I've picked up over the last few months, there really is nothing quite like being there, stomping your feet, shouting along, and just plain knowing that it's all happening right there in front of you, and will continue to happen for a while longer yet. All reports thus far are correct, Spencer's a triffick drummer... is that style of his at all common? I've never seen it before (at least not the way he holds his sticks -- looks like me trying to hold a pen with my wrong ol' hands).

Barely-even-amateur photography:

MES closing his eyes and daydreaming about fighting Godzilla
The whole gang (w/ invisible drummer)
Two black gloves? Whatever could it mean?
The notes were all coming out sideways
Nothing can stop Korg
Drummer not invisible, just chameleonic
Impromptu staring contest
It's eaten his hand!
Partially-visible drummer shock
I met a hero of mine, I shook his hand...