Is there an MES biography? I need to know how someone like this happens.
― the morals of a tomcat and the manners of a wolf (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Sunday, 22 May 2011 05:28 (thirteen years ago) link
There's the 'autobiography' Renegade (a backwards fulfilment of the prophecy in Twister), which feels like an extended interview. It's definitely funny in places and has reasonable amount of stuff about his childhood, but I did feel slightly trapped by him going on rather. He'd become a bore by this time imo, although I realise there are many who feel that about him all the time (In fact i liked this q&a precisely because it the most agile interview he's done in years). And of course you don't believe a word of it.
Other stuff, like Simon Ford's The Fall, tends to about, well, The Fall rather than Smith's early life. Although the Mick Middles book does have a GRATE interview with his mum.
So, um, probably Renegade I guess. But a structured and researched look at his pre-Fall life, not really.
Although the short answer is probably 'shit loads of drugs, strong elements of northern working-class religious non-conformism veering to mysticism. Again, vein of working class self-education and independence. The above elements finding vehicles in punk, Blake, satire, science fiction and ghost stories. Clearly s very strong, single-minded person and equally clearly from nearly all accounts extremely funny and often quite sweet and charming.'
― Fizzles the Chimp (GamalielRatsey), Sunday, 22 May 2011 07:46 (thirteen years ago) link
Mark E Smith @Markesmith 8m
Best wishes to Mr Nelson Mandela. Big Fall fan and quite a nice bloke, once you get to know him. #legend
― millmeister, Thursday, 28 March 2013 11:13 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, those are funny for a bit, but they get repetitive...
― Mark G, Thursday, 28 March 2013 14:04 (eleven years ago) link
Head of Mark E. Smith, 2013Claus Castenskioldhttps://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1234333_10151865682728729_165597955_n.jpg
― dlp9001, Monday, 18 November 2013 15:43 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgaRehO-oiY
C4 news, last night
― Mark G, Wednesday, 17 February 2016 12:59 (eight years ago) link
http://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/MEStranslationCapture465.jpg
Yeah, nicking stuff off other web pages.
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/the_falls_mark_e._smith_was_on_the_tv_news_again_last_night._it_didnt_go_ve
It's not that impossible to make out what he's saying: I was unsure what Elena had said but.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 17 February 2016 13:09 (eight years ago) link
February 23 1981, Plaza Ballroom, Glasgow.
http://i.imgur.com/tmTzNU7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0A1AKB3.jpg
― Eats like Elvis, shits like De Niro (Tom D.), Tuesday, 17 January 2017 12:26 (seven years ago) link
60 today. Or 62, depending on who you believe.
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Friday, 3 March 2017 16:14 (seven years ago) link
60 today. Happy birthday MES!
― Doran, Sunday, 5 March 2017 08:46 (seven years ago) link
Happy Birthday Mark E. Smith! The Quietus' 60 Favourite Fall Songs
― ArchCarrier, Sunday, 5 March 2017 08:48 (seven years ago) link
good list marred by nothing off levitate
― an uptempo Pop/Hip Hop mentality (imago), Sunday, 5 March 2017 10:51 (seven years ago) link
Oops, I was a bit ahead of myself with the birthday announcement. HBMES!
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Sunday, 5 March 2017 12:40 (seven years ago) link
Mark E Smith...March the Fifth...
― an uptempo Pop/Hip Hop mentality (imago), Sunday, 5 March 2017 12:44 (seven years ago) link
Ha, he was born on that date deliberately.
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Sunday, 5 March 2017 12:57 (seven years ago) link
Here's the definitive rant...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEKQ4SgKJe0
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Sunday, 5 March 2017 12:59 (seven years ago) link
Thanks for the Quietus link. Hadn't seen this before, the performance of Tempo House that's on Perverted by Language (my favorite Fall, today). Happy birthday MES:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTJdWN6BqwU
― by the light of the burning Citroën, Sunday, 5 March 2017 15:34 (seven years ago) link
RIP
― Sacked Italian Greyhound (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 5 March 2017 15:57 (seven years ago) link
ha
― by the light of the burning Citroën, Sunday, 5 March 2017 16:11 (seven years ago) link
Jeremy Allen doesn't understand Sparta FC.
Good list though! High Tension Line should be on it.
― Heavy Doors (jed_), Monday, 6 March 2017 05:09 (seven years ago) link
http://i4.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article12695202.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/mark-E-Smith.jpg
― Return of the Flustered Bootle Native (Tom D.), Monday, 6 March 2017 11:15 (seven years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/V1bb2Fc.png
― ArchCarrier, Monday, 6 March 2017 11:25 (seven years ago) link
A man kept alive by language
― attention vampire (MatthewK), Monday, 6 March 2017 11:32 (seven years ago) link