my 2-hour radio tribute:
https://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kwva&month=Jan&year=2018&playlist=43814#here
no audio archive, sorry.
― sleeve, Tuesday, 30 January 2018 02:22 (six years ago) link
I am sure I was at that show, Morbs!
― kim jong deal (suzy), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 10:59 (six years ago) link
this is the first fall gig i went to during my first term at university:
Wednesday, 14 December 1988 Ritz, Manchester
Carry Bag Man / Wrong Place, Right Time / Hit the North / Bad News Girl / Dead Beat Descendant / Jerusalem / Van Plague / Yes, O Yes / Big New Prinz / Cab It Up / Squid Law / Totally Wired / Guest Informant / Bremen Nacht / Tuff Life Boogie / Mr. Pharmacist
― faust apes (NickB), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 11:05 (six years ago) link
first time i was really aware of the fall though was because of a smash hits panini sticker album in 85/86, kind of crazy that they were in it in hindsight
― faust apes (NickB), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 11:08 (six years ago) link
well, they do love pop-stock stickers...
― koogs, Tuesday, 30 January 2018 12:55 (six years ago) link
in other news, copies of The Fallen have disappeared from Amazon except for the ones that are now priced at $50-200 or more :(
had two separate orders cancelled by sellers, really a drag
― sleeve, Tuesday, 30 January 2018 15:21 (six years ago) link
This band need more than a book, they require a fucking encyclopedia. Now that there's a definite end to the band, someone'll research and write the ultimate book on this band without feeling like they're shovelling snow while it's still snowing.
― Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 21:01 (six years ago) link
Don't even mean thus argumentatively but imo endless snow-shovelling is a good thing especially re Mark E. Can't demarkate that stuff
― bizarrer Gandhara (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 21:05 (six years ago) link
housemate borrowed me his signed copy of renegade. enchanting.
anyone else? an ebook at my library.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 21:15 (six years ago) link
Don't think this has been linked here yet, a selection of MES/Fall articles from the archives of The Wire:https://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/the-portal/archive-portal-marke-smith-the-fall
― willem, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 10:30 (six years ago) link
oh cool, cheers!
― Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 11:46 (six years ago) link
The Marshall Suite is really fun
― bhad and bhabie (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 14:04 (six years ago) link
Thanks for heads up on The Wire Fall archive. Some good stuff in there.
― VyrnaKnowlIsAHeadbanger, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 19:26 (six years ago) link
:)
― mark s, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 19:28 (six years ago) link
Ian Cusack on MES
― EvR, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 19:52 (six years ago) link
Not sure who Ian Cusack is but that was the single best post-death piece on Mark i've read yet.
― VyrnaKnowlIsAHeadbanger, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 21:19 (six years ago) link
fucking hell the live version of middl. mass on 'a part of america, therein' is incredible.
― meaulnes, Thursday, 1 February 2018 17:25 (six years ago) link
that whole album is really great, also has my favorite version of "Totally Wired"
― sleeve, Thursday, 1 February 2018 17:27 (six years ago) link
Yeah, agreed, the CD with Slates/A Part of America... was my introduction to early Fall, and what an introduction it was.
I was just thinking about an essay I read in a book which analysed 'I Am Damo Suzuki' in depth - I read it round 1997 or so, it was in an anthology with all kinds of articles about pop music, some dating back to the very early 50s, and I'd really like to get hold of it again. Does anyone have any idea what it could be?
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 1 February 2018 17:31 (six years ago) link
been listening to the comp - A Past Gone Mad
comp of 90s Fall material, very good listen....assembled by the comedian Stewart Lee
anyway seems to be a pretty good overview of the era
― bhad and bhabie (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 1 February 2018 20:30 (six years ago) link
Man, Brix and the Extricated doing "Hotel Bloedel" sure is sweet.
― timellison, Friday, 2 February 2018 01:21 (six years ago) link
LOL
You recently played in London with 60s American surf rock legend Dick Dale. How did that go down? It was all right (laughs). All you heard all night was Dick Dale. He was on before us and we couldn't get away from him. Everywhere you went back stage at the QEH—twas Dick Dale this, Dick Dale that. We went to the hotel and all his people were there. You turned on the radio and it was talking about Dick Dale. Everywhere you went he was there. According to Dick Dale he Invented Link Wray, The Beach Boys, psychedelic Frank Zappa muslc, Elvis Costello. Dick Dale Invented every sort of music, according to him. Did you meet Dick Dale?(Laughs) I didn't want to meet him. We were all trying to avoid him. He was Dick Dale!
It was all right (laughs). All you heard all night was Dick Dale. He was on before us and we couldn't get away from him. Everywhere you went back stage at the QEH—twas Dick Dale this, Dick Dale that. We went to the hotel and all his people were there. You turned on the radio and it was talking about Dick Dale. Everywhere you went he was there. According to Dick Dale he Invented Link Wray, The Beach Boys, psychedelic Frank Zappa muslc, Elvis Costello. Dick Dale Invented every sort of music, according to him.
Did you meet Dick Dale?
(Laughs) I didn't want to meet him. We were all trying to avoid him. He was Dick Dale!
― Pumpkin Soup and Mandy Patinkin (Hadrian VIII), Friday, 2 February 2018 03:37 (six years ago) link
^from that Wire trove, one of the Invisible Jukeboxes
Brix and the Extricated doing "Hotel Bloedel" sure is sweet.
I was so glad I got to see Brix and the Extricated late last year. It now seems...fitting. Great gig, too.
― Grandpont Genie, Friday, 2 February 2018 14:08 (six years ago) link
I hope MES got to hear the Longmont Potion Castle call to Dick Dale.
― Mungolian Jerryset (bendy), Friday, 2 February 2018 14:40 (six years ago) link
arid al's dream!
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 2 February 2018 17:44 (six years ago) link
very good track, underrated compilation obscurity
― sleeve, Friday, 2 February 2018 17:47 (six years ago) link
xxxp sounds like MES learned a trick or two from Dick Dale about claiming to have invented various types of music!
― Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Friday, 2 February 2018 17:48 (six years ago) link
Arid Al is possibly top 10 fall for me
― Winter. Dickens. Yes. (Jon not Jon), Friday, 2 February 2018 18:01 (six years ago) link
i was listening to a dad's army radio episode when falling asleep last night and, half-awake, was surprised upon hearing captain mainwaring say "i love you all but cannot embrace you all" -- the last words in MES's final message. turns out the captain was dreaming about being napoleon and those were his words. maybe this is common knowledge?
― new noise, Friday, 2 February 2018 18:01 (six years ago) link
not to me, thanks for that!
― sleeve, Friday, 2 February 2018 18:04 (six years ago) link
oh cool! jesus, he knew he was done
― imago, Friday, 2 February 2018 18:16 (six years ago) link
Righteous mes Easter egg
― Winter. Dickens. Yes. (Jon not Jon), Friday, 2 February 2018 19:59 (six years ago) link
Good spot - I had no idea where that phrase came from - but he'd been using it as a sign off for some of his irregular dispatches for quite a while. He issued this statement via VISI.com in 2009 (but obviously has extra poignancy in his final usage):
HEREWITH annual May missive message from I, Mark E. Smith on this day of celebration/reformation:
ANOTHER year has passed - rapidly for some, too slowly for I, one-legged yet again. And yet, things re: The Fall improve, our new label, although young, are coping just about with 'The Fall". Yea, in a Castleford studio built on gravel the group cracked down some odd things. The main concern to avoid the much-ripped off already 'Imperial'. Our next record will be something that scum like that choke on. We will not be playing 'I.O.W.' 'FEST' either but will play the Mojo sick-trio.
STICK ENEMIES IN FRONT OF DAYTIME T.V. AVOID GERMAN-BERT'S MOCK ART EXHIBITION IN L.S.W.
I love you all but i cannot embrace you all/ -As of last year, your dearest pal-
MARK E. SMITH for 'The Fall' 2009
As I type this in the swirling gales of consequence I wish you, my pals, all the very best. MAY THEIR INSIDIOUS RAPPINGS DISINTEGRATE INTO THE FOREGROUND
― Doran, Friday, 2 February 2018 20:46 (six years ago) link
Although... now that I say this. If this was written during the period he was in his wheelchair, he did become so ill *I believe* that he nearly died.
I interviewed him not long afterwards told him I was glad to see him on two feet and looking well because I'd heard he'd become so ill at one point he had nearly joined the majority and he said something along the lines of: "Yeah, that's right but this isn't fucking Loose Women John, why don't you ask me about the album?"
Don't want to put two and two together and come up with five though. Kind of depends how many other times he's used the phrase I guess.
― Doran, Friday, 2 February 2018 20:54 (six years ago) link
Nope. He used it quite a lot it seems. Here's a variation from 2008:
ANNUAL BULLETIN FROM THE DESK OF M.E.S. May-14-08
Dearest Friends:
The Real Mark E. Smith here:
1)Your contempt for the squirrel thing.
2)Your support for the tour of "L.P. that wasn't out yet.".
3)Your toleration of ghost-writer Collings absurd chapter titles.
--TO YOU I GIVE MY GREATEST THANKS.
I LOVE YOU ALL, MEIN COMRADES, But I cannot embrace you all- because, in the main, I have pulled out the lap-top lead to use as a handy throttling device for mediaists, activists, groupies and Alan Wise(show not on ever).
From all this, dear friend, there are two things.
1) Beware, Big Dave from Duesseldorf is out of hospital and planning a new book- it is good.2)BUT the main perogative is "The Fall" group and always will be.
Your pal,Mark E. SmithMay 2008
― Doran, Friday, 2 February 2018 21:03 (six years ago) link
Quoting Captain Mainwaring? That is so perfect!
― Video reach stereo bog (Tom D.), Friday, 2 February 2018 22:20 (six years ago) link
Just watched the Decline of Western Civilization, and spotted an MES sticker on the door of Slash magazine's office
― Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Friday, 2 February 2018 22:22 (six years ago) link
more details plz! did it just say "Mark E Smith?"
― sleeve, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:24 (six years ago) link
hah okay here's a screenshot, I think it's MES though I could be wrong
https://www.instagram.com/p/BetgpvBB2BR/
― Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Friday, 2 February 2018 22:30 (six years ago) link
Decline of Western Civilization I? it odes look a bit like him but MES really didn't dress anything like that in 1979/1980
(also i'd be surprised if slash were up on him quite that early: he only got his first UK press coverage to speak of in 1979)
― mark s, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:37 (six years ago) link
s/b does
Think I read something in one of the older MES articles/interviews that made the rounds again that he very much liked Claude Bessy of Slash, at least at the time.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:39 (six years ago) link
p sure bessy arrived in the UK in 1980 (and worked for rough trade) after slash ceased publication?
― mark s, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:42 (six years ago) link
I don't know anything about Slash other than what I just watched, but the editor was a Brit and I saw they had a Joy Division article in an issue they were prepping on screen, so it's possible by analogy that The Fall might have reached LA by 1980?
― Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Friday, 2 February 2018 22:43 (six years ago) link
Ha, more than that -- key information here:
http://thefall.org/gigography/gig79.html
Scroll down to the dates starting December 5. VERY much not only played LA by then, but were on a bill with the Germs!
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:44 (six years ago) link
Christ all those LA gigs in that run sound insanely great. And X was on that Germs bill too! Good lord!
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:45 (six years ago) link
So suffice to say yes, I could easily see MES and Claude having met in December 1979, so.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:46 (six years ago) link
oh nice one! X too, good gig
hah xp
― Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Friday, 2 February 2018 22:46 (six years ago) link
(And the Skip King mentioned in various entries is a long-time friend, you can vouch for the stories and provenance in general.)
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 February 2018 22:47 (six years ago) link