Welcome to The Fall Live

This is a site dedicated to the live performances of England's greatest and longest lasting group of any merit.

To see a list of all the  gigs we think the band has played click here for  The Gig List page

To see our list of all the tracks the band have played/performed click here Fall Tracks A-Z

To view pictures of The Fall Live The Fall in Pictures

We have compiled a list of Mark's onstage comments here Pithy Smithyisms

To see the current line up of the group The Fall Group

Following the demise of "The Pseud Mag" we have been working on an on-line version of a Fall Fanzine - details here Reformation! Post TPM

 Our site is still under development so please excuse any missing bits

All e-mail correspondence and contributions to prestwichennui@googlemail.com

 

BIOGRAPHY OF THE FALL

The Fall are the pre-eminent live working group of the modern day, performing regularly in the UK, Europe and the USA. The Fall group has been touring and recording for 30 years. Led by the enigmatic Mark E Smith, this Manchester-based outfit offers a unique mixture of musical styles, delivered as an uncompromising and unforgettable live experience.
The Fall’s approach to music is unique, eschewing any current stylistic fads, and presenting a refreshing take on the world of music.

You will have heard The Fall already. The Vauxhall Corsa ad with that stunning guitar riff is the band’s Touch Sensitive track, and the music that introduces Final Score every week on BBC1 is from the 2004 release Theme from Sparta FC. Anyone who has watched the last ten minutes of the film Silence of the Lambs will recognise the band’s seminal track Hip Priest from the classic album Hex Enduction Hour, which provides apposite background music to the film’s finale. Their latest release Imperial Wax Solvent is due for release in April

The Fall have constantly changed their approach to work over their thirty year history - mining the group’s back catalogue reveals many different musicians contributing to the sound of the group. A rich history of provocative and exciting material can be drawn from the extensive back catalogue - none more so than from the phenomenal Peel Box Set which stretches across the entire timeline of the group.

Constantly refreshed with an ever changing line-up of musicians The Fall is continually re-inventing itself around the core of Mark E Smith - the band’s founder, and his partner Elena Poulou.

Universally admired by lovers of refreshing and challenging music, The Fall are recognised as one of the most influential groups of their generation.

The band are without doubt Living Legends.

 Latest Updates

 

January 2008

  • The band is going on a UK spring tour - with a quick trip to Greece first - details of the dates are in the 2008 gigs link below
  • The Repository has received 6 new gigs from 1999 courtesy of El Depósito
  • The Consortium (god bless them in their little Dalek hats)  has sent via the ether a recording of the Athens gig - review now up
  • Xylourgeio Mylou, Thessaloniki, Greece unfortunately does not appear to have a recording or very much in the way of detail
  • The four reviewed 1995 gigs now transferred from the Repository
  • The numerous reviewed 1982 gigs now transferred from the Repository
  • CD of Hip Priest and Kamerads acquired with various live tracks from '81-'83
  • 1977 reviews now complete - not difficult given there are only two available gigs.....if anyone has anymore stashed away we would be very interested....!
  • Short DVD reviews of Liverpool 10/03/07 and Holmfirth 22/03/07 added. More fulsome exposition when time allows.

 February 2008

  • 1985 reviews to date now up (4 gigs)
  • The old biography from the now defunct official Fall site added - seeing as we wrote it we thought this was more than appropriate
  • There will be a slight hiatus this month as the repository is undergoing a major tidy up.

March 2008

  • Fall Tracks A-Z updated with a few more of the C's
  • A capture of the Bilston gig from March 4th is winging its way from the ether courtesy of Otalgia - review to follow shortly. First live outings of "Exploding Chimney" and "Latch Key Kid".
  • Three previously unavailable radio recordings of the Stradbally gig in September 2007 have emerged. Exceptional sound quality and the band in fine form - especially Mark. Pity the whole gig is not available. Aforementioned Bilston gig now reviewed.
  • 1986 gig reviews from the Repository copied over
  • Special announcement about the return of the Fall Fanzine (see above)
  • Cardiff saw the first live outing of "Is this new" and the return of Simon "Ding" Archer on Bass for at least part of the set.
  • Gigs in Liverpool, Cardiff and London have arrived - reviews will be sometime coming due to matters beyond our control.
  • Added the six 1996 reviews from the Repository
  • Short review of Albany, Deptford 7th September 1986 added.
  • Added the six 1979 reviews from the Repository
  • Added the ten 1980 reviews from the Repository
  • Oxford gig has arrived from the 2008 tour
  • 1981 gigs from The Repository now copied over which means we have now transferred all of the gigs that were originally in that Blog.
  • Added a review of Brighton September 2002
  • All gigs for January and February 1981 now either listed or reviewed depending on availability. (22/03/08)

April 2008

  • April 2nd - bountiful plentyfulness of new stuff from the latest tour have arrived including Hull, Morecambe and both nights in Glasgow. Also a couple of Manchester gigs from December 1993 thanks to Martin. Managed to track down a full copy of Glasgow February 1981 also.
  • April 8th - Dome, Morecamber from 26th March & Iron Works, Inverness on 27th March review now up. Full version of Primavera Sound, Barcelona from 2007 now available.
  • April 9th - the missing track (Cheetham Hill)  from the  1996 Phoenix Festival appearance turned up on Gideon Coe last night. The recent Hull gig reviewed.
  • April 10th - four more C's added to the "Track Record", Fall Albums by year updated, and Pithy Smithyisms updated and reconfigured. Newcastle on March 5th 2008 reviewed.
  • April 17th - Leeds and Sheffield from 2008 have arrived. Added a link to the fabulous "Story of The Fall"  website.
  • April 21st - Review of Sheffield 2008 posted.
  • April 22nd - All the "C's" on the Track Record now completed. Album analysis for 2006 added.
  • April 23rd - a bit of tidying up...gig links now in a sidebar 
  • April 28th - issue one of our webfanzine is launched. Seventeen additional gigs from various dates now in the repository due to the generosity of the Mighty Splart.

May

  • May 4th - took delivery of five DVDs of the gruppe plus  reviewed 30th April 2008 in store gig in London.

Other Stuff and Links

Martin has done a handy analysis of songs played vs the albums they came from Album Tracks played live by year

There have been many Fall line-ups and we have started the maddening job of trying to track them all The Gruppes (this is on indefinate hold whilst we sort out the rest of the site!!)

You can access some snippets of the  Fall Gigs we have reviewed on line via the Consortium from here Drambuie Gas Boiler

Find out more on the band from here The Fall On-line

A developing history of Fall Tracks is here The Story of The Fall

Hey why not visit Half Cut Publicationsand read some of the most intelligent writng around

This guy is rather talented and once played with the Fall Stuart Estell

 This website is produced by Bob, Mike, Martin, Mark and Shayne

 Ongoing thanks to tapers everywhere including : Michael Jungbluth, Eric Brands, Cyrus, Mr Pharmacist (Phil), Jimmertastic,  DJ Bawbag, Big Crashing Beat, Pike, Astley Toby, Dynamik Toby,  Tock, Smudger, Hanley and his Consortium and Daleks, Otalgia, Ocelot, Ed, Dogomehl, Yousef, Two Headed Chap and anyone we have forgotten for providing source material. 

THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED ON  APRIL 28th 2008

NO RODENTS WERE HARMED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS SITE