[Music] Mark E Smith

[Mr Banana]

Think I was at the Old Market gig. Was that with the American version of the band and when the fire alarm went off? You’re so right though, live, the Fall veered from brilliance to awful sometimes in the same set! I’m listening to R6 who are playing Fall songs on rotation. It must hit every generation when their musical heroes who you grow up with and who continued to make good music pass away. End of an era. Sad evening.

Not sure. His wife (?) played with them that night in a glamorous red coat. Splendid gig.

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[Cheeky Monkey]

I guess we played another day....

 

[graz126]

was talking to him in a boozer near Manchester bowl before The Pixies gig there.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMJJmdlZoPw

 

[tinycowboy]

You probably wouldn’t want him as a room mate, but the music was great, the lyrics were ridiculous poetry and the behaviour was rarely normal. We’ll miss him - RIP MES.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

I guess we played another day....

Moments like this rarely happen. Genius.

 

[Simgull]

Could nt sleep last night, so sad. The band I’ve seen the most maybe 50+ times since 1983. Can’t believe it’s over, over.

Been listening to The Fall a lot recently- so many great songs, so many great memories.

RIP MES

 

[Lower West Stander]

Who?

There's always one......


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[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Terrible news. Must have seen The Fall scores of times, since the very earliest bad jumper, shiny C&A shirt days of the 70s all the way through to the Old Market gig. The Fall formed the rolling soundtrack to many of our lives. Interviewed him twice, supported him once. Cantankerous *******, but he was OUR cantankerous *******. A true one-off. RIP MES.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Think I was at the Old Market gig. Was that with the American version of the band and when the fire alarm went off? You’re so right though, live, the Fall veered from brilliance to awful sometimes in the same set! I’m listening to R6 who are playing Fall songs on rotation. It must hit every generation when their musical heroes who you grow up with and who continued to make good music pass away. End of an era. Sad evening.

I was at the same “fire alarm” gig. At times it was surreal.

 

[Buzzer]

I was at the same “fire alarm” gig. At times it was surreal.

Very, very surreal. Pevenseagull kissed Mark E Smith on stage. He had a seabass in his pocket (Pevenseagull that is).

I've not much more to add that others haven't already said. Infuriating, contradictory, a polemicist but never dull. Strange to think that I'll never got to another Fall gig ever again. So long MES, thanks for the memories.

 

[attila]

Very, very surreal. Pevenseagull kissed Mark E Smith on stage. He had a seabass in his pocket (Pevenseagull that is).

Could have played the bass in the Fall then!
Supported the Fall in Antwerp some years ago. MES was really friendly, I had a good reception, then The Fall came on and played non stop, literally no breaks and more or less the same thing, for about an hour. Mark went round detuning the band’s instruments and half demolishing the drum kit. Then afterwards we were relaxing backstage and the promoter came in apologetically saying we had to leave cos Mark wanted to talk to the band. A few minutes later we heard him shouting at them at the top of his voice.....
Whether or not you are a fan (I like the odd bit here and there) there really was only one MES.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Very, very surreal. Pevenseagull kissed Mark E Smith on stage. He had a seabass in his pocket (Pevenseagull that is).

I've not much more to add that others haven't already said. Infuriating, contradictory, a polemicist but never dull. Strange to think that I'll never got to another Fall gig ever again. So long MES, thanks for the memories.

What is amusing about MES is that we speak about his antics as much as the music from his gigs. Actually probably more about his antics. That’s fine though...gigs should be entertaining and Fall gigs always were.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

“I’ve got three chairs. One for me, one for the wife and one for a guest. This isn’t a ****ing hippy commune”

A quote from his autobiography

 

[pearl]

hard to believe

somehow rest in peace doesn't sound right

huge loss

 

[spring hall convert]

Been dreading this for a little while now. The Fall are my all-time favourite band.

 

[Pevenseagull]

The antonym of bland.
Sometimes terrible, sometimes terrifying, sometimes jaw droppingly awesome.
So many good/ bad and hazy memories.

 

[Vicar!]

Another one for the Albert Wall?

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Another one for the Albert Wall?

Along side Peel.

Didnt he say about him, we are not friends but have an understanding. 24 radio sessions.

An hour of them played last night on Gideon Coe show - well worth another listen

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09msd5y

 

[Trufflehound]

Nothing to add, apart from RIP.

A sad loss of a unique talent, although he probably lasted 20 years longer than most people expected.