- W.M.C. Blob 59
- Prole Art Threat
- Jawbone and the Air Rifle
- Middle Mass
- Rowche Rumble
- An Older Lover etc
- City Hobgoblins
- Leave the Capital
- The N.W.R.A.
- Gramme Friday
- Slates, Slags, etc.
- Fit and Working Again
- Muzorewi’s Daughter
NOTES
First documented appearance of some of the lyrics for Lie Dream of a Casino Soul — albeit in very basic form tacked onto W.M.C – Blob 59
There is a good audience tape. Track one>two is mostly lost due to sound drop-outs. A soundboard version emerged on 15th May 2020 which is superb.
Fine gig with the band hitting all the right targets.
The opening cackle and whine of “Blob/Early Lie Dream” is mostly lost to the vagaries of the tape machine on the audience version. However this is redeemed with a scabrous “Prole Art Threat”, an excellent “Jaw Bone” and a transcendent “Middle Mass”. Smiths shamanic grasp of the Fall ethos is in full effect on “Middlemass”, evident with the violent polemic he delivers.
“Rowche Rumble” gets some backing vocals from the crowd and is delivered with some verve. The sound collapses slightly as the drums merge with the keyboards but Smith is generally audible. “An Older Lover” is a welcome respite from the preceding density of sound – however still wracked with tension as Smith provides a relentless backbone to the shifting guitar and bass patterns. “It’s Friday and its crap-a-rap” announces as a jaunty ramble round hobgoblin land …. and then the sublime motorik ritual of “Leave the Capital” performed with clinical clarity and definition that gives a shiver up the back.
The audience gets over nine minutes of the Totale mythos – some of the tension and violence from the proceeding is transformed into a rolling morass of sensual cloying rhythm overlayed with manic hip-preacherdom from Smith. The keys and guitars are particularly harsh and unforgiving.
“Gramme Friday” is delivered well, a definitive live version of this number from “Grotesque after the Gramme”. Mark announces “Slates” in an cod-rock star fashion.
The two encores are beset by some audience banter with Smith who pushes “Fit and Working Again” against the requests for earlier material. The audience around the taper express glee at the appearance of “Muzorewis” which completes the gig with notable energy.
A good gig with some high points. Interesting that MES would pass some derogatory comments about the town of St Helens at a gig a few days later.
Ian Moss says:
I went with them in the van , it wasn’t full and the social sec tried to stiff them of a proportion of the agreed fee. Kay went ballistic and chinned him knocking him over the seats , got paid but on the way home the van was stopped and Duncan the driver was over the limit. We were dumped on some service station to await his being declared fit to drive again and released by the police , Chelsea who had been playing in Liverpool came in at one point and Gene October came over chatting displaying his complete stupidity in arrogant fashion. I had the Hanley family sofa to rest up on and remember watching Kim Wilde singing ‘ Kids in America’ on Saturday morning TV while drinking tea and eating toast. Orange Juice had described staying there as ‘ like being in coronation street ‘ but it was all good with me .