The Fall 2005-06-17 Maria am Ostbahnhof, Berlin, Germany AUD FLAC additional info https://sites.google.com/site/reformationposttpm/gig-reviews/the-fall-live/2005/20050617---maria-am-ostbanhof-berlin 20050617 - Maria Am Ostbanhof, Berlin, Germany Mark E Smith Elena Poulou Ben Pritchard Steve Trafford Spencer Birtwistle Theme from Sparta F.C. Clasp Hands Bo Demmick Ride Away Wrong Place, Right Time I can hear the grass grow What About Us Mountain Energei Assume Touch Sensitive Blindness Open the Boxoctosis Janet, Johnny and James Pacifying Joint White Lightning Very good audience recording. Vocals tend to be a little low in the mix at times but generally a great listen. There were a couple of one off gigs in the summer of 2005 in Berlin and Paris bridging the extensive tours in the Spring and Autumn the latter to promote "Fall Heads Roll". It starts with a tape of an extended remix of the album track "Aspen" by, I assume, the DJ with lots of echo and phasing and cut-ups - very entertaining version. An interesting primal version of "Bo Doodak" which is not so much Bo Diddley but more Thurston Moore with some straight and clear ascending and descending chords from Ben playing against the Diddley beat from EP and Steve. Some exceptional cymbal work from Spen on this. Mark remarkably clear and focused. Also a fledgling version of "Ride Away" which has more of a martial feel to it and a sense of being more driven, less laid back than later versions. We get the heavy metal stadium rock version of "Wrong place" with Elena apeing tinny cowbell on her synth - quite speedy but somehow also langorous in delivery - the usually staccato riffs sliding into each other to give a sinuous feel. It melts oddly into "Grass Grow" which is all 60s twiddling around monstrous chords and shouty vocals. An excellent arrangement of "What About Us?" is centred around some fine drumming from Spenser and hypnotic repetitive synth from Elena. "Mountain Energei" is taken at fast pace with Glitter Band drumming and Hanleyesque bass work from Trafford. Ben plays some interesting bridging chords and guitar figures. Spen seems to speed it up as the song progresses and there is some serious wall of sound playing. Notable that the early versions of "Assume" are a bit more complex in the riff department and that there is a sort of charge through the song. A fractured disparate version of "Touch Sensitive" is taken at Ramones like pace and teeters on the edge of falling apart as Spencer does a "John Bonham" and plays at half guitar pace in places. EP conjures chortling synth sounds as the band powers on relentlessly. Similarly fast paced "Blindness" has the obligatory cack-handed synth solos and commences with snippets of Cavalry and Calvary in the evil flat. "Box" is short, sharp and fast. An exceptional "Janet etc" follows all the preceding manic activity and in complete juxtaposition thereof - however the band can't resist trying to motor it along slightly faster than it should be. An early very different version of "Pacifying Joint" is far more driven and with less of a back beat than later readings, and it sort of collapses at the end. It closes with fast version of "White Lightning". Probably one of the better gigs of 2005 with the band in fine form and worth it to hear earlier versions of staples from 2006. Recommended.