Set Two
Jumper Clown
It’s the New Thing
Put Away
A Figure Walks
Printhead
Mess of My
Various Times
No Xmas for John Quays
Rebellious Jukebox
Two Steps Back
Pop Stickers (aka Let’s)
Music Scene
Psycho Mafia
Stepping Out
NOTES
62 minutes
No, not the longest Fall gig in existence, but two sets .. tracks 1-15 being the Under 18s show at 6:35pm, and the remainder comprising the over 18s show at 9:55pm.
The debut of Mike Leigh, and also a range of new material, as opined by MES early on in the proceedings, when a punter shouts out a request and gets a curt “You’ll get what you’re given, and be happy with it!”.
An excellent audience capture with all instruments and vocals clear with the exception of Riley’s bass which could be a tad higher in the mix. Tends to get a little overblown when Martin does backing vocals, but this adds to the live sound and does not particularly detract.
An important gig as the transition from the LATWT sound to a nascent version of the Dragnet sound, the key component of this being Mike Leigh’s drum styling which is altogether more effortless, and less rocky than Burns powehouse approach. The importance of this is that the non-percussion instruments have to “up the game” to balance out the sound. Bramahs’ guitar, for example, feels fuller and less “spidery” than in the preceding year.
Matters commence with a protean version, lyrically at least, of “Crap Rap” but backed by a fallabilly early version of what would eventually become The Creepers “Jumper Clown”.
Debuts for “Printhead”, “A figure walks” (effortlessly morphed from last years “My Condition”), and “Lets (Pop Stickers)” are intermingled between older material. PA/Monitor problems result in a diallogue between Martin/Mark and Kay, supposedly at the soundboard. A wonderfully jaunty “Underground Medicin” has restrained drums from Leigh as guitar/ keyboards supply a motorik surge.
Muscular versions of “New Thing”, “Jukebox” and a scabrous “Stepping Out” , circle a brooding “Various Times” is a circle of post punk majesty.
The brand new “Pop Stickers/Lets” is “so new, even we don’t know it” , and it shows, almost the Grotesque material a year too early but with slightly out of kilter poppy keyboards, and odd guitar figures which do not seem to fit with song. The bones of “Choc-Stock” are there, but for some reason it reminds me of Spike Milligans attempts at pop career in the 1980s. It sort of starts, goes somewhere and then dies away.
Redemption for this “experimentation” is in the form of a wonderful trio of closing songs for the first set. “Put Away” is glorious, embittered and celebratory at the same time. Guitar, keys and drums a tumbling mass of inchoate Fall-ness. This is followed by a similarly challenging atonal surge through “John Quays”. Encore time is” “Psycho” again for the second time ’round”, one assumes due to the unrehearsed state of the new line-up.
The second set somewhat suffers in comparison to the spiky brashness of the “matinee”, however in mitigation the group has got more comfortable with the material, the set order is changed to make it more balanced, and perhaps some form of subtle change in the intervening period has occured. Bramah’s guitar for example is a little more restrained which adds to the metamorphosis from the punky leanings of 1978 to the altogether more unique sound of 1979.
It would be churlish to complain about anything in the second set , apart from the clearly untogether “Let’s” a song that doesn’t seem comfortable in its own clothes as it were. Moreover the more relaxed performance of the second set perhaps reflects, in context, the way the group would develop. The added benefit is that Marc’s bass is audible in the second set. Add to that a mammoth version of “Music Scene” which defies description.
Altogether a vital document in The Fall live canon.
Paul Hanley, who was there says of the evening:
“I was lucky enough to be in attendance at this line up’s debut gig, at Bowden Vale Youth Club in Altrincham, Mike had brought along his stage gear from his previous combo, Rocking Ricky. The Fall took the stage with Marc sporting a silver waistcoat and bootlace tie, and Martin looking splendid in a taupe drape-coat. The sight of the drum stool being occupied by what looked like an off-duty member of the C.I.D. in a leopard skin flat cap only added to the sense of strangeness. In truth, there were even greater shocks in store.
The Fall being the Fall, they did have some new songs which worked well enough but overall they sounded very odd indeed. To hear Mike’s approximation of Karl’s masterworks was as odd an experience as hearing Karl attempt ‘Fiery Jack’ a couple of years later. Not that it mattered long term, because this line up was soon decimated by the sudden departure of Martin to pastures new.”
Mike Leigh’s recollections are
It was my debut gig with The Fall and I didn’t know what to expect.
As I remember, there were a few “It’ll be OK when we get it together” comments from a very young MES.
It was a series of firsts for me:
First gig with The Fall
First time I was involved in helping to form original material and writing
my own drum patterns, fills and beats.
First time my kit had been mic’d up
First time I played with a band that people actually paid to see
First time I didn’t sing (I said “That’ll be right then” on Dragnet)
First time I met Joy Division (they came in on our guest list and we were on theirs the following week)
We had been rehearsing pretty hard and I think we were all a bit nervous
Karl Burns’ shoes were massive to fill, so I didn’t even try. I did what I was used to doing, kept to my own style and it seemed to work. I think it helped the others shine, because up until then, The Fall were a very drum dominated outfit. I wasn’t good enough to be a lead instrument, but had the experience of playing different styles of music and using the drums to add feeling to the songs.
We were all in my old van and I took everyone back to my mum’s for a brew, before I dropped them off.
It was the beginning of a magic time for me. My only regret in life after over 54 years on this earth is that I stupidly walked out on my friends 2 years later, because I wasn’t playing enough gigs and was a bit bored
sitting around doing nothing.
Two of my most favourite Fall songs were “Music Scene” and “No Xmas for John Quays.” When we played them the hairs on the back of my neck used to stand up and when I listen to No Xmas on Totales Turns, they still stand up (what’s left of them anyway!!)
I think after the first set we were all glad we had got through unscathed, as it were, and felt more relaxed for set 2
Mark decided on the set lists, so I was particularly looking forward to “Music Scene” in set 2. The first set was for under 18s and the second for 18 and over, as I remember.
I didn’t drink, smoke or indulge in chemical enhancements, as has been well documented, but the other members had a couple of pints which I guess helped them to relax a bit, too.
I think Paul’s comment comparing my trying to emulate Karl’s style and vice versa would be relevant if we did try it, but I’m pretty sure we didn’t. Karl was an amazing rock drummer and I was a Rock ‘n’ Roll drummer, so we were really like chalk and cheese.