I was lucky enough to see The Fall a few times but my
abiding memory is probably their set at Skipton’s Beacons Festival in 2014. The
weather had been, to put it mildly, absolutely horrendous. Less dancing in the
rain and more hoping your tent could withstand the gale force winds
sweeping, unrelentingly, across the North Yorkshire countryside (my £10 tent, unsurprisingly,
didn’t).
It was Sunday evening and the terrible weather had hit some
kind of peak just in time for The Falls set. The band were on fire from the
start but the weather had other ideas, water started to leak through the marque’s
roof and on to the stage. Now, even a cursory knowledge of science will tell
you that water and electricity are uncomfortable bedfellows at best.
A member of the Beacons team appeared and tried, in vain, to
get the band off stage. Every time Mark shrugged off the increasingly concerned
staff member the crowd cheered. The Fall weren’t going anywhere. I felt pretty
bad for the woman trying to convince Smith, quite rightly really, that he
should stop the set. Eventually, and to the relief of the entire health and safety
team, the band left the stage.
When they returned an hour later, Smith seemed invigorated
as they threw themselves into a sublime rendition of ‘Mr Pharmacist’. A mere glimpse
into the drama, disaster and unlikely triumph that helped define what it meant
to be The Fall. Storm-like conditions could only ever hope to temporarily halt
the band. Like their leader and only constant member, Mark E Smith, The Fall often seemed unstoppable.
It’s with this in mind that last night’s news seemed like
such a shock. Yes, there had been various reports of Smith’s ailing health. And
yes, his passing had already been falsely reported only last year. But this was
Mark E Smith we were talking about. A man who, like Shane Macgowan, could
weather any storm. Was a world with no prospect of a new Fall album even
possible?
For the fans, he leaves us with an impossibly huge and
endlessly impressive amount of music. Releasing Live at the Witch Trials way back in 1979, The Fall would go on to
produce an absolutely staggering 32 studio albums. That’s without mentioning the
live albums and various compilations. A band in a constant state of evolution,
thanks to Smith’s unsentimental approach to hiring-and-firing band members, The
Fall would outlive many of their contemporaries.
Despite a brief mid-nineties dalliance with advertising, The
Fall never became a household name. Yet their influence on any number of
artists is undeniable. Some of my favourite things simply wouldn’t have existed
in quite the same way without the influence of The Fall. Pavements Slanted and Enchanted LP, the witty
lyricism of Jeffrey Lewis and Stewart Lee’s deliberate use of repetition spring
to mind. And it wouldn’t seem right not to mention the bands inexorable ties to
the late, great, John Peel. It sounds silly but I think I assumed The Fall
would always be there. Sometimes drifting into the background but always,
always appreciated.
The Fall refused to rest on their laurels and simply ‘play
the hits’, more of an ongoing experiment than your typical band. Everyone has a
favourite song or album but ultimately you knew that their next release had the
potential to be your new number one Fall record. Many who worked with Mark have
said he could be a little awkward, a little uncompromising at times yet The
Fall was, by their ever-changing nature, an extremely positive and forward
thinking proposition. And, after all is said and done, who was The Fall? The hip
priest himself, Mark E Smith.
Across the country there’s an odd silence filling up the local record shops, a nod of respect and an acknowledgment that we’ve lost a true original. Thanks for the tunes Mark. RIP.
Across the country there’s an odd silence filling up the local record shops, a nod of respect and an acknowledgment that we’ve lost a true original. Thanks for the tunes Mark. RIP.
Here's a snap I took when they played The Brudenell Social Club in 2014
