A "HPAFB/Dynamik" production. Audience recording of very good quality.
The first night of the 2007 tour to support the release of Reformation Post TLC. Also the occasion of Mr Smith's 50th birthday.
The opening song is a long jam presaging Mr Smiths introduction which some attendees have attributed as being a combination of "Insult Song" and "Bad Stuff" - however it feels like a new composition based around a rising four note melody played by Elena on the keyboards. Mark enters late in with a few sentences of introduction. The set list has it down as "Insult" so I guess its a variation on that.
The band is in fine form and on this recording at least on the first few numbers the keyboard tends to dominate as the lead instrument leading to an interesting dynamic. The drums are very high in the mix. "Pacifying Joint" has certainly moved on from its original peculiar east european para-skank version to a driven mid-tempo peace. There is also a subtle shift in "Fall Sound" which feels less bass dominated and features swirling synth patterns and alien noises from Tim, the bass lines taking a more complimentary sound - it is on this song that you begin to appreciate the impact of Mr McCord on the band - taking the group from the four to the floor garage approach of the last few years into a more surging motorik relentless pulse with tension built and and released around drum breaks.
"Sparta" features the introduction of an interesting variation on the opening riff from Tim with more of a sustained sound from the guitar which morphs into an effective near feedback howl. The song has also a looser feel to it - allowing Mark to alter his phrasing giving the rendition a whole new feel.
Probably the clearest recording of "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" to date has a real "sixties" feel to it - the band has developed a slight reggae beat to the tune and the underlying riff has taken on more of a blues feel and for some reason I am reminded of Tamla Motown - Barbato does a short growling interlude - but to all intents and purposes the band could be playing the backing track to a Supremes or Smokey Robinson number.
There is a strange sort of start to "Over Over" but the riff soon appears amongst the sumptuous layers of sound and the thing builds to a pulsing rush - Barbato's backing vocals are a lot clearer than on the album and Pressley adds interesting little guitar forms. The band ups the tempo at the end, as on the album, but this is too short in my opinion.
"Wrong/Right" is probably the most disappointing thing on the night - it feels a little slow and lumpen at the start - if I am fair however it picks up about half way through and gets some more rhythmic interplay. I just get a sense that maybe the band have done this one to death and no matter how many interesting pyschedelic howls Tim introduces into the mix that maybe it's passed its sell by date.
All of the above moaning from me is however redeemed completely with an immense version of "Reformation" which is dominated by Pete and Tim's stretched and sustained guitar noises and Orpheo's polyrhythmic drum assault. To all intents and purposes the song is a vehicle for an exemplary vocal tirade from the birthday boy but also a sustained and searing improvisation piece for the gruppe. Ich rausum shnell mach aus Bilston nacht!
A short break leads to Ms Poulou's centre stage spot with an excellent reading of "Wright Stuff" - some nice synth from Rob - and some good "do do do-dooh's" from the boys. Elena delivers it with some venom and confidence. Again some good sustained guitar sound adds value to the piece. Wonderful stuff perhaps is a better description. "My Door" is light and spacey compared to the preceeding - interesting interplay between the two guitarists - the synth holds the riff whilst the rest tumble around McCord's playful drumming and Marks intense vocal performance. This song has certainly moved on considerably - the dynamic has shifted and it has a more purposeful feel to it.
Clearly many Fall watchers will be disappointed to hear that fan favourite "Mr Pharmacist" has been replaced by that other fallabilly staple "White Lightning". Not sure I can actually adequately describe this as "fallabilly" actually- its more "new Fall sound" than that with the blues in attendance courtesy of Tim's note bending and Mark playing games with the words and some oddly martial drumming in places from McCord. Back to normality with a balefully intense "Blindness" driven at mid-pace with a pulsing swing pushing the second and fourth beat. The audience gets the microphone towards the end as we are treated to a synth solo. A huge growling mass of a thing with an affirmation of the importance of the Fall fan with the audience participation at the end.
A long encore breaks leads to a new song - quite clearly a birthday hommage of some sort - it features a five note bluesy riff with Rob intoning "He's a fifty year old man" and a garbled narration from Mark implying he has "no time" and dropping Alan Wise's name and a rant about rock music. Wolverhampton gets an extended name check at the end as the band play an extended loose improv. Huge fun.
An excellent gig.