Mark E. Fuppin Smith

mewso

I was at the Fall gig tonight and as ever it was entertaining although Mr. Smith is looking a bit old. I have a serious gripe with The Fall and while I've probably bored most of the alternative music crowd by simply mentioning The Fall I feel I must get it off my chest.

I have seen The Fall many times live. One stand out was at Reading when he came on to the BBC stage pissed as a fart and lay on his back singing most of the songs. It was an experience to say the least. I later learnt he had sacked the drummer that day and drafted in a replacement hours before the gig.

Tonight we were graced by his prescence while his current crop played songs from their 28th album. Yep 28 albums. Now thats all well and good except yet again it's an album that is not due to be released until next week I think. The Fall being the Fall have a different line up every time I see them bar Smith and naturally they have little time to prepare/practise any of the old songs. So every gig I go to I get to hear songs I don't know with the only real highlight being Mr. Oddball himself.

Myself and my friends became Fall fans back in the early 90s when The Fall released what I still consider some of their best material. Shiftwork, Code Selfish, Infotainment Scan remain top albums that I will never hear live because himself considers it beneath him to play them live for whatever reason. Well sod that. I don't think I'm willing to waste my cash on him anymore.

John Peel's favorite band. Still one of my favorite bands but time to be realistic. O.k. sorry to interrupt your modern alternative chat about which Radohead album was just short of genius. Carry on.

Miguel_Sanchez

mewso wrote: »

I was at the Fall gig tonight and as ever it was entertaining although Mr. Smith is looking a bit old. I have a serious gripe with The Fall and while I've probably bored most of the alternative music crowd by simply mentioning The Fall I feel I must get it off my chest.

I have seen The Fall many times live. One stand out was at Reading when he came on to the BBC stage pissed as a fart and lay on his back singing most of the songs. It was an experience to say the least. I later learnt he had sacked the drummer that day and drafted in a replacement hours before the gig.

Tonight we were graced by his prescence while his current crop played songs from their 28th album. Yep 28 albums. Now thats all well and good except yet again it's an album that is not due to be released until next week I think. The Fall being the Fall have a different line up every time I see them bar Smith and naturally they have little time to prepare/practise any of the old songs. So every gig I go to I get to hear songs I don't know with the only real highlight being Mr. Oddball himself.

Myself and my friends became Fall fans back in the early 90s when The Fall released what I still consider some of their best material. Shiftwork, Code Selfish, Infotainment Scan remain top albums that I will never hear live because himself considers it beneath him to play them live for whatever reason. Well sod that. I don't think I'm willing to waste my cash on him anymore.

John Peel's favorite band. Still one of my favorite bands but time to be realistic. O.k. sorry to interrupt your modern alternative chat about which Radohead album was just short of genius. Carry on.

So...... you do like him or you don't?

Personally I enjoyed seeing The Fall a few years back in Galway but they wouldn't be top of my 'must see again' list by a long shot.

pappyodaniel

It's a gig I'd never consider going to but I would absolutely love to see an in-depth documentary on The Fall and Mark E 'Fuppin' Smith.

purplepassion

I was there last night too - been meaning to see The Fall for years but it hasn't ever happened before.... it was....different! Everything I expected - and nothing like I expected at all! I'd listened to the new album a bit - (think it was released earlier this week and was certainly available for online listening) so recognised a few songs from that....

Impossible to LIKE him... impossible NOT to admire him...

Glad I went. Very glad!

O'Neill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Ff-7ui9BY

Here's a documentary that was made for the BBC

i went to see them in Letterkenny a year ago or too. It looked like he was doing his own sound.

Spiritoftheseventies

Gavin Friday guested on a few of their songs. Couldn't make heads or tales of half of their lyrics from The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall but as a musical experience would recommend it to anyone.

mewso

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

So...... you do like him or you don't?

Strange question but yes I have liked him and The Fall for a long time. It was a long winded drunken criticism of his preference to not play the old classics. It's just a pity. I'll be bearing it in mind if they play again in terms of any new album. If it's out and I've had a chance to listen to it a few times then maybe.