Tuesday, 20 March, 1984 – Buster Brown’s, Edinburgh, Scotland

Lay of the Land
God Box
Neighbourhood of Infinity
Smile
Oh! Brother
Draygo’s Guilt
2 x 4
Eat Yourself Fitter
The Container Drivers
Garden
C.R.E.E.P.
Ludd Gand

NOTES

58 minutes

First available recordings of Lay of the Land and God-Box.

A very clear audience recording.

This gig and the following night at the Nite Club in the same city would prove to be exemplary against the rest of the year with the group working up new material. A pity then that there are problems with feedback in the opening numbers. This gig is perhaps not as “together” as the next one but there is a lot to consider here as the set starts to form.

MES utilises the lyrics from Man who whose Head Expanded in a mutant version of Neighbourhood of Infinity which is a morass of cymbal play and insistent two note keyboard pulse. A gloriously celebratory “We are The Fall” followed by a howl closes this strange little version.

The rest is full of muscular rhetorical drumming – the electric piano is out of kilter with the rest of the tuning for the band however – and with typically jaunty playing. Whilst not as together as the following night it is good to hear the two together so you can get a sense of the group developing.

Instead of the “Mr Scanlon” solo invite of the following gig MES simply says “OK Craig”.

The closing “Ludd Gang” is beset by strange irregular internal complexities.

Essential for the debuts of Lay and God and should by listened to in concert with the 21/03/84 gig to get a sense of the groups direction.