14/02/1979

Bowdon Vale Youth Club(Early)

In the repository - not yet reviewed 

Altrincham

14/02/1979

Bowden Vale Youth Club (Late)

In the repository - not yet reviewed 

Altrincham

19/02/1979

Manchester Polytechnic

Manchester

25/02/1979

The Lyceum

In the repository - not yet reviewed 

 

London

26/02/1979

Carlton Club

Warrington

01/03/1979

Nashville Room

In the repository - not yet reviewed 

London

02/03/1979

Lafayette

Wolverhampton 

??/??/1979

Wellington Club, Hull

Hull

17/03/1979

The Plough Inn,

Cheltenham

18/03/1979

Royal Standard, Bradford

Bradford

21/03/1979

Pop Club

York

23/03/1979

Kings Hall, Belle Vue

Manchester

25/03/1979

The Lyceum

This is an ancient and very poor recording. Crowd noise is limited but the band sounds distant and the material is patchy and in some cases not clear at all. Some serious tape wow/flutter and the drums are mostly inaudible.

One of those short gigs to fit in with the other bands on a packed bill at the alleged "Gig of the Century" - in this case Stiff Little Fingers, The Gang of Four, Human League, The Good Missionaries and the Mekons. The recording I have is so dire that it becomes almost unlistenable in places. However nuggets of sound do occasionally peek through from the murk and given this was coming to the end of the first Bramah era, and that few recordings of the last parts ofthis tour are avaialable it is a useful historical document.

Interesting that the band should choose to concentrate on slower material with only"Underground Medecin" picking up any real speed. This perhaps demonstrates the emerging change in direction that would be realised on Dragnet. There is an almost wilfull attempt here to play slow and with walls of sound rather than adopt the punk ethic of the time. More akin to Can perhaps than the contemporary onetwofreefour noise.

Probably why Mark Smith was attacked by a stage invader!

For completists only (unless you have a better recorded version than I do)

London

Mark E Smith - Vocals
Martin Bramah - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Bass, Backing Vocals
Yvonne Pawlett - Keyboards
Mike Leigh - Drums

A figure walks (4:13)
Before the moon falls (3:23)
Underground Medecin (2:45)
Music Scene (6:55) incomplete
Total Gig Time - 17:18

28/03/1979

Hazel Grove Youth Club

Stockport

30/03/1979

Eric's 

Liverpool

03/04/1979

Barbarella's 

Birmingham

04/04/1979

Stowaway Club

Newport

05/04/1979

Knights Grange Barn

Winsford

14/04/1979

Sandpiper Club

Nottingham

17/04/1979

Tops Club

Plymouth

18/04/1979

Grand Hotel

Dawlish

09/05/1979

Music Hall

Aberdeen

10/05/1979

Astoria

Edinburgh

11/05/1979

Wigtown Market Hall

Carlilse

12/05/1979

Bolton Polytechnic

Bolton

15/05/1979

Digbeth Civic Hall

Birmingham

17/05/1979

Tiffany's

Coventry

18/05/1979

Apollo 

Manchester

??/05/1979

Lyceum 

The exact date of this recording is unknown but it is assumed it is somewhere between the 18th and 26th May.

A very poor audience recording. Drums are mostly inaudible, the rest is a sludge, and Mark is sort of audible. Some very bad peaking. Guitar and keyboards occasionally poke through the murk. The bass is mostly missing in action. There is some audience noise but that's badly recorded as well (!).

The earliest recording of a gig with Craig and Paul in the line up and the only recording of this iteration of the band as far as we know so for the serious Fall collector this is a must. However the capture is so dire as to make it only just about tolerable to listen to.

I assume this is a short set because of the five band line-up that was on this tour (Users, Dolly Mixture, Transmitters, Sinix being the other turns on the programme)

A fascinating transition between the Bramah Fall and the emerging two guitar line-up of Scanlon and Riley which would stay together for another three years. It is not clear from the recording who is picking up the Bramah parts but I would guess from the tone that it is Marc. Interestingly, whilst he is playing the Bramah lines, the tone is less spiky and the exposition is more fluid and less spidery than his predecessor. Also an interesting dual guitar approach on "New Thing" which has a wonderful chiming feel. There is some serious guitar noodling on "Two Steps Back" which has a real Can like feel to it.

It is difficult to assess the bands performance given the sound quality but I did notice some minor off moments in what generally is an up tempo and brash performance. The audience seems generally unresponsive, but that could be the recording.

Another unique point about this gig is the performance of "Let's (Pop Stickers) " which was only ever played live and eventually morphed into "Choc Stock". This is its last known recorded appearance. It's a basic pop tune with an ascending riff that collapses into some serious atonal guitar nonsense with interlacing riffs in the middle that appears to enrage sections of the crowd. Elements of "Choc Stock" are there lyrically but its a pretty poor affair and it's not suprising it was eventually ditched.

The closing "Psycho Mafia" feels like it was pretty immense on the night but is lost in a wall of dense splurge and cuts out for about a second half way through.

Only the most avid Fallite should apply.

London

Mark E. Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Yvonne Pawlett - Keyboards
Mike Leigh -Drums

Tune to "Jumper Clown" with Crap-Rap Lyrics (1:45)
Printhead (3:15)
Mess of my age (3:24)
Various Times (5:43)
No Xmas for John Quays (5:22)
It's the new thing (3:57)
Two steps back (5:58)
Let's (3:33)
Psycho Mafia (3:09)

26/05/1979

Corn Exchange 

Cambridge

14/06/1979

Derby

Derby

16/06/1979

New Planet City

 

Lancaster

28/06/1979

Hull

Hull

06/07/1979

Eric's

Liverpool

07/07/1979

Rochdale Technical College

Rochdale

20/07/1979

Factory at the Russell Club

 

 

Manchester

28/07/1979

Mayflower Club, Gorton

 

Manchester

29/07/1979

Marquee

Very good audience capture for its age. Everything is very clear.

The first gig of line-up #11 due to the "loss" of Yvonne Pawlett that very morning. The band would enter Cargo Studios in Rochdale four days later to record the "Dragnet" album. The mutation from the early punk ethos now fully complete to create the early Fall garage noise. Mark introduces the songs and provides quite a bit of inter-song narrative!

This is an exceptional performance of a band trying very hard to stamp its schema on a diffident and wasted extant music scene.

Some wordplay kicks off "Before the Moon falls" which leads to a gig interspersed with the new material. The duelling guitars on "In my area" are a revelation. Stunning bass from Hanley on "Rowche" defies description. Lyrics from "Spector vs Rector" presage and interpolate a muscular/angry "Psycho" which is probably the highlight of a very fine gig indeed

"We lost our keyboard player this morning, so this is for her" introduces a brash and vituperous "Rebellious Jukebox". "Heart Out" is nearly perfect as is "Dice Man" and Mark is suitably arch when introducing "Various Times" he suggests "even our record company is changing its name to "Step Backwards"".

We get the heavy metal recorded in the back bar of "The Dog and Bucket" in Heckmondwike version of "John Quays" which would clear the palate of the most jaded lotus eater with its abrasive noise fest. Compare this with the hypnotic rumble of "Dancehall" which offers a sensuous journey into a parallel cosmos.

Mark sings accapella to introduce "Put Away", urges Marc to play, tells the Londoners that their "city is dead" and then launches into a protean version full of dynamics.

So in essence you get the whole of the Dragnet album net of "Flat of Angles" and "Spector vs Rector" just before its recording. Excellent stuff, well recorded and a definate one for any collection. 

London

Mark E Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar , Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Mike Leigh - Drums

Before the Moon Falls (5:00)
Steppin' Out (4:01)
Printhead (3:34)
In my area (4:41)
Rowche Rumble (4:20)
Psycho Mafia (inc lyrics from Spector vs Rector) (3:40)
A figure walks (4:49)
Rebellious Jukebox (3:16)
Muzorewis Daughter (3:31)
Your Heart Out (2:33)
Dice Man (1:51)
Various Times (5:47)
Choc-Stock (2:59)
No Xmas John Quays (6:28)
Psykick Dancehall (5:50)
Put Away (4:07)
PA plays "In my Area" single (4:06)

06/08/1979

Peoples Free Festival

Deeply Vale

24/08/1979

Funhouse 

Manchester

01/09/1979

JB's

In the repository - not yet reviewed 

Dudley

09/09/1979

Futurama Festival

 

Leeds

15/09/1979

Prince of Wales Conference Centre YMCA

Appears to be a soundboard. Sound is a bit dodgy in bits at the start as the guitar drowns out the vox but generally an exquisite recording - drums are a bit muddy in places.

One wonders how this one slipped through the net of those fishermen whose dire audience recordings released officially capturing this period are so very inferior to this. Conjecture indeed my dear friends. This is a superb recording of the "Dragnet" band in its pomp. There are some classic Smith interjections and some great playing from the lads - apart from a serious key faux pas on "Fiery Jack".

So here we are seven gigs into line-up #11 three of which were in London and the band is buzzing along at a fair pace. The clarity of the recording makes this a vital piece of listening for any Fall archivist especially the extremely clear version of "Spectre vs Rector" where the lyrics are as crisp as a burnt Rector. There are some serious Beefheartian moments on this reading.

Unfortunately on my recording its cut annoyingly short.

A more fulsome review will follow when I have acquired the whole thing.

Essential.

London

 

Mark E Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboard, Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Mike Leigh - Drums

Psykick Dancehall (4:04)
Rebellious Jukebox (3:10)
A figure walks (3:43)
Choc Stock (2:52)
Rowche Rumble (4:36)
Fiery Jack (4:02)
Muzorewi's Daughter (3:33)
No Xmas for John Quays (4:47)
In my area (4:14)
Before the moon falls (3:46)
Dice Man (1:50)
Spectre vs Rector (5:12)
Printhead (NOT ON MY VERSION)
Psycho Mafia (NOT ON MY VERSION)

08/10/1979

Eric's 

Liverpool

23/10/1979

Brunel Rooms

Swindon

24/10/1979

Penthouse Basement

Sheffield

25/10/1979

Fan Club

Leeds

26/10/1979

Penthouse

Scarborough

27/10/1979

Bircoats Leisure Centre

Doncaster

01/11/1979

Palm Cove

Bradford

02/11/1979

Newport Village

Newport

03/11/1979

JBs Club

Dudley

04/11/1979

Rock Garden

Appears to be a soundboard or very good audience. Sound is good albeit a touch muffled on the drums and a bit condensed/flat in places - having said that this is an excellent piece of sound given its age.

A wonderfully sloppy affair full of spiky attitude. Attentive audience and band in good form albeit a bit untogether in places. There are few recordings of this October/November tour .....so this is a gem. Also a nice companion to the material on Totales Turns (Castle CMRCD882).

A good mix of material from the first two albums and attendant singles as well as a look forward to the January '80 release of Fiery Jack.

Some classic Smith asides at this gig (thanks to Stefan for the hard work in transcribing them)

- "Guitars through monitors A BIT" to sound man
- "You picked all the wrong ones tonight, I'm afraid. This one was a hit for me and the lads in Tibet, it's about drinking. Jukebox!" (before Rebellious Jukebox)
- "This next one is epic. Okey dokey! (in a wierd high-pitched voice!)" (before Muzorewi's Daughter)
- "I know it's been hard going so far, but you've got to face up to it one day. You are stock you are pop you are pop stock." (before Choc Stock)
- "There's no requests tonight, sorry."
- "We'd like to finish off with a religious song, seeing as it's Sunday." (That Man)

Receptive audience is keen to hear material from "Witch Trials" era and Smith eventually lets them have their wish with an immense "Psycho Mafia" which features lyrics from "Spectre vs Rector".

Aside from that a wonderous tumble through early Fall with manic polyrhythmic drumming from Mike Leigh and some interesting Bramah cloning from Scanlon and Riley. This is a bit special and deserves a good listen.

 

Middlesborough

Mark E. Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Mike Leigh - Drums

Crap Rap (0:56)
Printhead (3:14)
Rowche Rumble (4:49)
A Figure Walks (5:30)
Rebellious Jukebox (3:07)
2nd Dark Age (1:46)
Various Times (4:13)
No Xmas for John Quays (6:01)
Muzorewi's Daughter (3:59)
In My Area (4:30)
Choc-Stock (2:57)
Fiery Jack (5:54)
Psycho Mafia (3:57)
That Man (2:00)

total gig length = 53:01

07/11/1979

London School of Economics

London

08/11/1979

Eric's 

Liverpool

09/11/1979

Stockport Technical College

Stockport

10/11/1979

Norbeck Castle 

Blackpool

12/11/1979

Preston Polytechnic

In the repository - not yet reviewed

Preston

13/11/1979

Cromwells 

Norwich

14/11/1979

Cascade

Shrewsbury

15/11/1979

Dacorum College

Hemel Hempstead

16/11/1979

Porterhouse

Retford

17/11/1979

Brighton Polytechnic

Brighton

18/11/1979

Marquee 

London

29/11/1979

Hot Club

Philadephia

30/11/1979

Emerald City, Cherry Hill

New Jersey

01/12/1979

Palladium Theatre

An audience tape of middling quality. The sound suffers from being recorded in what appears to be a large echoey hall. The drums are muffled, the bass non-existent but the guitars and vocals are reasonably presented. Conjecture as to whether the version is incomplete

Supporting the Buzzcocks the band are in venomous mood. Scratchy, scribbly and angry. The audience noise is acceptable on this lo-fi recording with Mark sounding like he is singing in a large metal can. A vital record of the bands first American tour and a precursor to the following nights better recorded gig in Cambridge Massachusetts. Notably this is one of the handful of three currently available gigs from the nine date tour.

Interesting to hear the impact of Mike Leighs drumming at this time which is replete with rolls and drives the band into a raucous turn of sound soon to be replaced by the more stripped down Paul Hanley version the following March.

I am trying to picture how an American audience would have reacted at the time to this particularly English sound. Notably the applause is reasonably fulsome around the taper and there are a fair few whoops and hollers but the general impression gained is that the band did not captivate the whole audience.

Memorable also is Smiths’ reading of “Flat of Angles” with the psychic yelp of the other material being replaced by a sardonic and emotive mix of wordplay.

Probably for obsessives only but historically important 

New York

Mark E. Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards , Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass,
Mike Leigh - Drums

Fiery Jack (5:05)
Muzorewi's Daughter (3:12)
Rowche Rumble (4:11)
Various Times (5:14)
Psykick Dancehall (3:38)
Flat of Angles (4:02)
Choc-Stock (2:34)
Total Set Time = 27:59

03/12/1979

The Club

In the repository - not yet reviewed

Cambridge

05/12/1979

Catamaran Hotel

San Diego

06/12/1979

Madame Wongs West

Santa Monica

13/12/1979

Al's Bar

Los Angeles

14/12/1979

Hope Street Hall

Los Angeles

14/12/1979

Anticlub

Los Angeles