The Fall

rostasi · 06-19-2021, 07:18 PM

The early years were always the best ones, I think, but even tho MES got more belligerent as he got older, there was always some kind of spectacle that would be happening when they played. In the early days of the 80s, there was the solid playing with an edge that was great and, then, in the mid 80s, I managed a record store and one of the guys who worked there went to high school with Brix and so on the night The Fall were to play, she came around to the store to hang out ... and then the concert itself, that night, was almost joyous in it’s energy. MES seemed like a happy guy and not the sloppy drunk he sometimes became at later shows (mostly, slurring lyrics to the point you had no idea what he was saying to constantly fucking with other members and their instruments while they were playing, etc...). The only time that had stopped happening during the later years was when he came out and did a whole show in a wheelchair ‘cause he had gone out a few days earlier for some cigs and fell on the ice. My wife started having doubts about going towards the end (and she’s a big fan) because she couldn’t understand what he was singing about on the tunes he wrote and was kinda uninspiring when he’d sing something he didn’t write, like Mr. Pharmacist.

SGR · 06-20-2021, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

The early years were always the best ones, I think, but even tho MES got more belligerent as he got older, there was always some kind of spectacle that would be happening when they played. In the early days of the 80s, there was the solid playing with an edge that was great and, then, in the mid 80s, I managed a record store and one of the guys who worked there went to high school with Brix and so on the night The Fall were to play, she came around to the store to hang out ... and then the concert itself, that night, was almost joyous in it’s energy. MES seemed like a happy guy and not the sloppy drunk he sometimes became at later shows (mostly, slurring lyrics to the point you had no idea what he was saying to constantly fucking with other members and their instruments while they were playing, etc...). The only time that had stopped happening during the later years was when he came out and did a whole show in a wheelchair ‘cause he had gone out a few days earlier for some cigs and fell on the ice. My wife started having doubts about going towards the end (and she’s a big fan) because she couldn’t understand what he was singing about on the tunes he wrote and was kinda uninspiring when he’d sing something he didn’t write, like Mr. Pharmacist.

Well color me extremely jealous. I wish I had the chance to smoke some cigarettes with Brix and chat about her contributions to the Fall. As for MES, yeah, he was struggling at the end, but the fact that he still came out and performed in a wheel chair, despite his condition, instilled even more respect for him than I already had.

@elph - you finishing your Fall journal any time soon? Come on man, you got one album left.

rostasi · 02-18-2022, 08:10 PM

Brix Smith to release solo album ‘Valley Of The Dolls’, forms all-female live supergroup.

Queen Boo · 02-21-2022, 06:31 AM

Once had a dream where Mark E. Smith came to my house and made me do chores, it was weird.

rostasi · 02-21-2022, 09:10 AM

Was his name “Pete”? (sincere question)

SGR · 02-24-2022, 09:21 AM

From the link rostasi posted, looks like her 'supergroup' is gonna have two members of My Bloody Valentine.

And this quote:

“I’ve always been a woman in a man’s world,” she added. “The Fall were dirty, ugly blokes, you know?"

Queen Boo · 02-24-2022, 10:46 PM

Before I knew about The Fall back when he was Urban Hatemonger's avatar I thought he was just some random crazy old guy.

SGR · 02-25-2022, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Queen Boo

Before I knew about The Fall back when he was Urban Hatemonger's avatar I thought he was just some random crazy old guy.

If MES was alive today, I don't think he'd take issue with that characterization.

Brix and Marcia were definitely an improvement to the band's image, from a 'maybe we can try and have a hit and a popular music video' point of view:

Queen Boo · 02-25-2022, 11:47 AM

Mark really wasn't that bad looking in his youth, amphetamine is a hell of a drug.

SGR · 02-25-2022, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elphenor

I think it was mostly the drinking, dude looked 40 at 25, dehydrated skin

It was honestly probably drinking + hard drugs + chain smoking altogether they aged him so quickly

02-21-2022, 09:10 AM	#195 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,007	Was his name “Pete”? (sincere question) Last edited by rostasi; 02-21-2022 at 09:19 AM.

06-19-2021, 07:18 PM	#191 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,007	The early years were always the best ones, I think, but even tho MES got more belligerent as he got older, there was always some kind of spectacle that would be happening when they played. In the early days of the 80s, there was the solid playing with an edge that was great and, then, in the mid 80s, I managed a record store and one of the guys who worked there went to high school with Brix and so on the night The Fall were to play, she came around to the store to hang out ... and then the concert itself, that night, was almost joyous in it’s energy. MES seemed like a happy guy and not the sloppy drunk he sometimes became at later shows (mostly, slurring lyrics to the point you had no idea what he was saying to constantly fucking with other members and their instruments while they were playing, etc...). The only time that had stopped happening during the later years was when he came out and did a whole show in a wheelchair ‘cause he had gone out a few days earlier for some cigs and fell on the ice. My wife started having doubts about going towards the end (and she’s a big fan) because she couldn’t understand what he was singing about on the tunes he wrote and was kinda uninspiring when he’d sing something he didn’t write, like Mr. Pharmacist.

02-18-2022, 08:10 PM	#193 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,007	Brix Smith to release solo album ‘Valley Of The Dolls’, forms all-female live supergroup.

02-24-2022, 09:21 AM	#196 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,326	From the link rostasi posted, looks like her 'supergroup' is gonna have two members of My Bloody Valentine. And this quote: “I’ve always been a woman in a man’s world,” she added. “The Fall were dirty, ugly blokes, you know?"