Garden
Ludd Gang
The Man Whose Head Expanded
Wings
Kicker Conspiracy
Hexen Definitive
Strife Knot
I Feel Voxish
The Classical
Eat Y’self Fitter
Tempo House
Prole Art Threat
Solicitor in Studio
Neighborhood of Infinity
NOTES
67 minutes
There are audience audio and video (from half way through Ludd Gang onwards) available
The audio is pretty poor – a back of the hall job, clear but too distant really for an enjoyable listen. 12 days later at the Hacienda this group ground out a manifesto that only the most ardent Fall fan could cope with. This is an altogether different thing with some serious attention to the right detail.
Good job then that we have a slightly better capture from left of the stage in video form. The sound does tend to get a litle dodgy in parts when the keyboards are played but generally a better recording. Mark, Craig and Steve are visible for most of the gig. Paul is seen occasionally but Karl is hidden by the speaker stack. Visuals are moderately good in 1960s black and white TV type fashion, the cameraman has a habit of zooming in and out on the odd occasion but it is good to have a capture that can be compared to the professional recording at the Hacienda that immediately followed.
Overall the type of gig you need to have a strong bladder to totally enjoy with three of the numbers exceeding 9 minutes in length and the schema of repetition taken to its extremities. Having said that the particular interplay of the twin drum line-up made this an altogether funky outfit and even on something as balefully hectoring as Hex-Strife has a certain swagger regardless of Smith’s keyboard abuse between the two parts of the tune.
I Feel Voxish – which is excellent by the way – features a short interlude of stage dancing by an audience member until MES unceremoniously shoves him away.
Tempo House features a lengthy narration from Alana Pellay reading from a pre-written script.
Avoid the audio but try and get a copy of the DVD as it does demonstrate the power and effort of The Fall 1983 in full flow.