Note to bands: Even if you get shoved on the bottom of a bill and play in broad daylight to a handful of people, remind us who you are at the end of the gig. Them that missed the start of your set might want to make some sort of future reference. So, there was some local(ish - judging from the accent) band opening tonight. They dealt in a rather nice raw raucous rock ‘n’ roll, strangely topped off with some bloke that wants to be in a sweaty meathead punk band. The band seem to be winning in this renting of styles. right up until they decided it’s a great idea to finish with a ten minute blues workout. Actually, maybe they’d rather I can’t name them.
At some point in their existence The Fall had a bass player called Ding. By the law of averages, this was pretty inevitable. The profligacy in all areas of Mark E Smith kinda renders it’s own meta-infinite monkeys syndrome. But, enough of that. With almost as much inevitability, he is no longer in the band. He is now in threepiece Bobbie Peru*. No matter how retro they sound, this band could only exist now. It’s all angular guitars and stupid kipper ties. And it’s not half bad. The solid rhythm section underpin the more esoteric guitars and verging on annoying shouty vocals. But, they manage to keep our attention and a toe a-tapping. And, then they shoot themselves in the foot putting that cover version** (on this occasion Devo’s Whip It) in the set that only serves to highlight everything that their own stuff is lacking.
Another day, another fall album. Oh, enough of that. I’ve already indulged in too many Standard Fall Review Cliches™. With new studio album Imperial Wax Solvent imminent it’s time for us to toss a coin and see if tonight will blow our minds or suck. You never get an alright Fall gig; one extreme or the other.
The lights drop and a screen above the stage flickers into life. It’s Sinead O’Connor’s video for Nothing Compares 2 U given the visual equivalent of a V/VM remix. It’s quite amusing. It’s then the turn of American Trilogy Elvis, which, if anything, works better. But, c’mon you don’t diss the King. Just at the point we’re beginning to wonder if this is yet another support act (and possibly a bit of a one-trick pony), some bloke wonders on stage gives us some words so very obviously written by MES and the band hit the stage and charge into Reformation! So the current line-up are tight. Very tight. In fact pretty damn rocking. they jam through the track for what seems like longer than it’s entire seven minutes recorded length before Smith shambles out from the shadows. He potters about messing with amp settings and gurning for about the same time again. And, here lies he beauty of The Fall. As distinctive as those vocals are, they are not the entirety of the experience.Thee is something mesmerically genius in the melding of classic rockabilly riffage and the krautrock groove. Simple but unique.
And, then of course, there are the vocals. Snarling and wrong, but so right. Tonight we even get some lead vocals from Elena Poulou highlighting that strange poppy edge which is a nice change in atmosphere in what is a tense and intense performance. It’s all mainly from the last few years. In fact about the oldest thing they wheel out is their ever popular cover of White Lightening. But, golden oldies are not what one of the consistently most relevant bands is all about. Whenever you see The Fall there’s a 50-50 chance it will be dreadful. tonight is not one of those. Tonight we are reminded very simply how it’s done and what it’s all about.
*Seriously guys, when you need to look into alternative spellings for your band name, give it up and think of something original for a change.
**No, really; when will you learn?