Third Time Lucky

This gig originally arranged for the Easter Bank Holiday and scheduled to take place at Salford University’s Maxwell Hall; then rearranged for early May, the second cancellation allegedly due to asbestos problems. Consequently, there was some hesitation in committing to tickets, especially for those travelling some distance and needing hotels for the night.

It was pleasing to see Mr Smith in good form before the gig, drinking happily with other band members in the Lass O’Gowrie; whilst the gabshute, funboy winkers paid homage from afar. The venue is the same place where I first saw The Fall back in ’81, a fresh faced Smith, belted out the tracks from Grotesque and Slates to a fresh faced fan in the mosh pit. Times have changed, the venue name has rebranded as Academy 2 and the mosh pit is too rough for me now, I now prefer to stand back and take it all in. The venue is a bland hall, gym like in appearance; the sound always appears dull, but it is a sizeable venue, which at a guess would easily hold a thousand. It is not far off full.

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Support bands were DIAL and Bobbie Peru, apparently they were both good; disappointingly there was no Safi to further wind the audience up.

The band came on at about 10:00 after a short introduction from Alan Wise reading the lyrics to Tommy Shooter from a sheet of A4 paper. The band appear and soon the sounds of Is This New are recognised; after a minute or two the crowd roar as Mark appears and the vocals are added. Then it’s Wings; I don’t know if it is just me, but I still get tingles down my neck when I hear its opening chords. Wolf Kidult, Fall Sound, Latch Key Kid and White Lightning (very early in the set) follow.

th_DSC04953I have had grave doubts about this incarnation of The Fall, but the Spring tour alleviated most of those fears as the sound matured and the band, in particular Pete, settled into their roles. The audience was responsive, egging Mark on, jumping on and off stage, much to the band’s amusement. Plastic pint glasses of half drunk beer regularly appeared above the headline; Eleanor always seems to have at least one land on her or her keys.

It was good to see the return of Over, Over although I could have managed without another, albeit short, rendition of Pacifying Joint and the dubious I’ve Been Duped. However the confirmation of this band’s ability came in a surprising way; Can Can Summer has always seemed like an average track, nothing wrong with it, but overshadowed on IWS by the likes of 50-Year Old Man. Tonight it was the highlight, a power driven monster, superb.

A great version of Reformation concluded the main set; the lights came up and the audience start to leave, well you would wouldn’t you. Then the sounds of Exploding Chimney appear, at a somewhat lower volume; the gruppe are back on, playing but apparently not through the PA. It could only be The Fall, just how you like them, pushing the union curfew to the limit.

Blindness was on the set list, but not played; but we still got 65-minutes, apart from a slight dip in the middle, mostly of vintage Fall. It would have been nice to have some new material, but that’s for next time.

Salford’s loss was Manchester’s gain.

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