I sourced this from Official Fall Bootleg #2 which was downloaded from the late lamented Fall Shop. The quality is generally good although the sound levels tend to vary erratically at times.
The second of two nights at Jilly's on Oxford Street in Manchester City Centre. Also Tommy Crooks second gig and Simon Wolstencroft's last with the band.
The John Barryesque techno of the unreleased "Crackhouse" kicks things off in fine style with Hanley adding his usual backbone to the proceedings. Two songs from "Light User" follow and the bass again holds the core - Crooks is reduced to mere rhythm duties and Spencer and Nagle and small elements of laminal noise.
Smith uses the opportunity of Spencer's presence to provide a live outing for DOSE's "Plug myself in" which feels a little laboured and out of place at a Fall gig. Back to "Light User" for a chunky rendition of "Cheetham Hill" which suffers from rhythm inconsistencies.
The band resurrect an extremely spartan version of "Kimble" which is either a piece of genius or complete rubbish depending on what sort of frame of mind the listener may or may not be in. Somehow reference to "Why are people grudgeful?" is made and attempts at dub are made somewhat incoherently.
Material from the forthcoming "Levitate" emerges eventually in the form of "Ten Houses" which is techno/drum machine/synth driven and whilst offering some new aspects of the band is generally inchoate - however the "quiet" middle section has some meaningful moments of pastoral elegance.
"I'm going to Spain" is most peculiar - a completely untogether start picks up with a solid drum beat but then falls away again and then picks up again. Spasmodic and underehearsed is the best description. There is some return to normality with a well realised version of "Spinetrak" which misses the Brix vocals.
The band hits the sport with a good version of "Feelin' Numb" - again lacking backing vox. A fantastic version of "Everybody but myself" with the "audience" backing tape" keeps the momentum going, notable for excellent interplay between Hanley and Wolstencroft.
"Glam Racket" feels a little stripped down and frankly a tad constipated, "M5" rescues matters somewhat but lacks a significant presence on the guitar. The gig ends with a good version of "Oleano" but with some worrisome loose moments.
Encores include a good funky version of "Masquerade", which is mostly drums, bass and keyboards, another odd reading of the classic "Behind the Counter" which at least has some guitar in it, but it seems to wander around the structure of the song with only Hanley holding things together.
An extended encore break with some seriously strange noises from the audience and snippets from the Fallnet fall covers album is rescued by the final "Lie Dream" which again bears little resemblance to the original sounding more like Judas Priest or some other heavy metal band on a bad day.
All in all a most peculiar confection of moments of pure Fall magic and totally under- rehearsed untogetherness and mayhem. Charmingly and effectively barking mad in summary. Worth getting for the silliness and Funky Si's last gig.
At least you can say its not boring.