The Fall Live - 1981

15/01/1981

Rafters Manchester

17/01/1981

Sports Centre

Recorded in a toliet somewhere in the Eastern Himalayas by the sound of it. Almost impossible to review due to the extremely distant sound of the band. Sounds more like something from the back of Wembley Arena than a small venue in Bolton.

Clearly this is "Slates" focused with most of the material from the forthcoming ten inch. There are plenty of other better recordings of this tour so until a better version of this emerges its best just to record it happened at this stage.

 Bolton

Mark E Smith - Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Paul Hanley - Drums

Leave the Capitol (4:14)
Container Drivers (3:35)
Muzorewi's Daughter (3:53)
Impression of J. Temperance (4:27)
Middle Mass (4:20)
Totally Wired (3:50)
An Older Lover (5:04)
City Hobgoblins (2:17)
The N.W.R.A. (9:16)
Prole Art Threat (2:37)
Slates, Slags, etc. (6:31)
How I Wrote Elastic Man (5:36)
English Scheme (2:33)
Winter (7:02)

24/01/1981

University of East Anglia, Norwich

31/01/1981

Polytechnic Leicester

04/02/1981

Kent University, Canterbury

05/02/1981

Queen Mary's College London

In the repository - not yet reviewed

07/02/1981

University, Cardiff

20/02/1981

Technical College

Good audience tape. Track one is mostly lost due to sound drop-outs.

Commentary

Fine gig with the band hitting all the right targets. Some occassional sloppy drumming from Hanley P. but generally very passable indeed.

The opening cackle and whine of "Blob/Early Lie Dream" is mostly lost to the vagaries of the tape machine. However this is redeemed with a scabrous "Prole Art Threat", an excellent "Jaw Bone" and a transcendant "Middlemass". Much has been at the time of writing this review about the Galtymore gigs of middle September 2006 and Smiths shamanic grasp of the Fall ethos. Here in "Middlemass" this is clearly evident with the violent polemic he delivers.

"Rowche Rumble" gets some backing vocals from the crowd and is delivered with some verve. The sound collapses slightly as the drums merge with the keyboards but Smith is generally audible. "An Older Lover" is a welcome respite from the preceding density of sound - however still wracked with tension as Smith provides a relentless backbone to the shifting guitar and bass patterns. "It's Friday and its crap-a-rap" announces as a jaunty ramble round hobgoblin land .... and then the sublime motorik ritual of "Leave the Capitol" performed with clinical clarity and definition that gives a shiver up the back.

The audience gets over nine minutes of the Totale mythos - some of the tension and violence from the proceeding is transformed into a rolling morasse of sensual cloying rhythm overlayed with manic hip-preacherdom from Smith. The keys and guitars are particularly harsh and unforgiving.

"Gramme Friday" is delivered well, a definative live version of this number from "Grotesque after the Gramme". Mark announces "Slates" in an cod-rock star fashion.

The two encores are beset by some audience banter with Smith who pushes "Fit and Workin Again" against the requests for earlier material. The audience around the taper express glee at the appearance of "Muzorewis" which completes the gig with notable energy.

A good gig with some high points.

Acknowledgement - Gracias a mi amigo Martin por esto

St. Helens

Mark E. Smith -Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Paul Hanley - Drums
Kay Carroll - Backing Vocals (*)

Blob 59 > Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (1:10)
Prole Art Threat (2:21)
Jawbone and the Air Rifle (4:04)
Middle Mass (4:14)
Rowche Rumble (4:52)
An Older Lover (5:10)
City Hobgoblins (2:42)
Leave the Capitol (4:43)
The N.W.R.A. (9:38)
Gramme Friday (3:37)
Slates, Slags, etc. (6:51)
Fit and Working Again (3:22)*
Muzorewi's Daughter (4:01)

21/02/1981

Brady's Liverpool

23/02/1981

Plaza Glasgow

25/02/1981

Bungalow Bar

Mostly good. Drums are a bit clunky in places. Sound breaks up occasionally.

Commentary

A wonderously sloppy night with the country 'n' northern boys. "Container Drivers" and "Before the Moon Falls" are loose and free. "Moon" advises MES has not been played for two years...you wouldn't guess it...a sensuous brooding tangle of guitar, keyboards and bass and Smith with that chuckle in his voice that shows he is enjoying this noise. Smith is in fine form tonight with little asides between the songs.

"Winter" in its early form takes awhile to get going and features some oddly dischordant playing....the rhythm is not quite right....there are lyrical variations which are quite fascinating. Smith gets quite histrionic towards the end. Fascinating.

A scots wag shouts "F-ing rubbish" which allows Mark to vary the opening line to "English Scheme" to include the classic put down ....."shut your face". One or two people in the audience either don't like the band or each other as there many calls for people to "go forth and multiply".

A rabid "Pay Your Rates" is nicely dischordant leading to a melodic driving "Capitol" performed with effortless arrogance and more lyrical variation and vocal histrionics. Problems with the monitors lead Mark to observe he may have wax in his ear. There is more banter with the audience and the band launch into a mammoth "Elastic Man".

"Middlemass" is delivered with some bile. An excellent interplay of guitar shards and insistent keyboards underpins Smiths delivery. "Hobgoblins" is wonderous.

"The NWRA" is announced as a "Long cabaret number....a bit of entertainment for ya" - and very entertaining it is too. "Jawbone" is stricken with some timing problems but the band carries it off.

"Slates" ........simply breathtaking.

Not sure if Dave Tucker played on this. There is some evidence of odd clarinet type noises and in some places you would guess that there is some keyboard playing whilst two guitars are thrashing away so on balance I would say he is here.(*)

Worth getting for the altogether sloppy nature of the playing, the banter with the audience and the lyrical variation.

Addendum

(*) I have been advised by Mr Jake and Mr Martin that Mr Tucker is indeed present at this very boutique.

Paisley

Mark E. Smith - Vocals

Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals

Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Steve Hanley - Bass

Paul Hanley - Drums

Dave Tucker - Keyboards, Clarinet

Container Drivers (3:39)

Before the Moon Falls (5:14)

Winter (7:49)

English Scheme (2:29)

Pay Your Rates (3:59)

Leave the Capitol (5:23)

How I Wrote Elastic Man (5:57)

Middle Mass (4:52)

City Hobgoblins (2:16)

The N.W.R.A. (10:19)

Jawbone and the Air Rifle (3:59)

Slates, Slags, etc. (8:29)

28/02/1981

University, Sheffield

17/03/1981

Riley Smith Hall Leeds

In the repository - not yet reviewed

09/05/1981

Eksit Rotterdam

10/05/1981

Doornroosje Rotterdam

13/05/1981

Kijhuis Tilburg

14/05/1981

 Alcazar Koningshooikt

17/05/1981

Vera Groningen

19/05/1981

Markethalle Hamburg

20/05/1981

Jovel Cinema Munster

22/05/1981

Hof Alter Banhof, Hof 

23/05/1981

SO 36 Kreuzberg Berlin

25/05/1981

Bonn

31/05/1981

Oklahoma City Oklahoma

03/06/1981

The Underground, New York

04/06/1981

Maxwells

Good audience tape. Quite a lot of sound break up but nothing too distracting. Can be a bit bassy in parts.

The two openers from "Grotesque" are played with consummate ease and make for an interesting personal introduction to the rolling glory that is "Leave the Capital". Mark advises that "Lie Dream" is "set in Wigan and we had better get it right this time" - well they do although there is an slight nervousness in the playing and some odd notes in one of the descending riffs and a mess up on the lyrics in places.

Interesting early version of "Deer Park" with higher guitar riff and different use of the words giving a different intonation. Also a reversal of "Deer Park" and "Fortress" and a more leaden and slightly different take on the latter. Fascinating to see the emergence of these numbers and their changes before the final version committed to history on "Hex".

A worried version of "Older Lover" suffers from a sense of turbulence rhythmically, this is rescued by a vituperative and blistered version of "Wired" and a simlarly obloquious "Prole Art Threat". Things are brought back down to earth with a sparse version of "Hip Priest" and an explanation that "Middlemass" is "about Switzerland". "Session Musician" rolls and tumbles like it usually does and is beset by booming bass problems.

"Fantastic Life" is a touch untogether until Smith enters and pulls it together - some excellent vocals here. "Hobgoblins" is wonderfully spasmodic with reference to spiders and gremlins.

An odd little gig - not helped by the volume loss in place and some bass booming. Worth it for tracking down the original version of "Deer Park/Fortress"

Acknowledgement - otra contribución maravillosa del grise de la eminencia en España

 Hoboken

Mark E. Smith - Vocals, Kazoo
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Karl Burns - Drums


Cash 'n' Carry (4:32)
Gramme Friday (3:50)
Leave the Capitol (6:05)
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:14)
Deer Park (3:44)
Fortress (2:35)
An Older Lover (7:37)
Totally Wired (4:28)
Prole Art Threat (2:58)
Hip Priest (8:10)
Middle Mass (5:05)
Session Musician (9:42)
Fantastic Life (4:30)
City Hobgoblins (3:00)

05/06/1981

Peppermint Lounge, New York

06/06/1981

Irving Plaza, New York

09/06/1981

Bonds, New York

11/06/1981

Spit Boston

12/06/1981

City Gardens Trenton

13/06/1981

Club Interferon, New York

14?15/06/81

Mudd Club , New York

16/06/1981

Omni Philadelphia

17/06/1981

9:30 Club, Washington

19/06/1981

688 Club Atlanta

20/06/1981

Antenna, Atlanta

21?22/06/1981

Memphis

23/06/1981

Jimmy's

A medium quality audience recording with instruments a little distant but generally audible with the exception of Scanlons guitar which is a little low in the mix. Some versions present as one wave file and no track splitting. Some gigographies omit "Lie Dream of a Casino Soul" from the set-list.

Starts with a remarkable exhortation "Good evening we are the Fall, don't expect any left wing sh*t because at home we've got enough of it."

A solid workmanlike performance of a band on a very long American tour. Whilst Smith seems up for it, the band is a tad lacklustre in places - however that may be more of a reflection of the quality of the audience recording - the drumming sometimes lacks punch.

The material is mostly from Slates and Grotesque however some older tracks appear as well as a developing "Deer Park" with slightly different lyrics and "Hip Priest" from next years "Hex Enduction Hour".

"Impression of J Temperance" displays a baleful anger not often heard from the band. Versions of "Fit and Working Again" and "Totally Wired" are particularly good, and the version of "Hip Priest" is, as always, hypnotically compelling.

There are many available gigs from this tour so this is not an essential item to collect however it is a nicely balanced little show.

New Orleans

Mark E. Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Karl Burns - Drums
Kay Carroll - Backing Vocals **

 Deer Park
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul
Impression of J. Temperance
Leave the Capitol
Fit and Working Again**
Totally Wired
Hip Priest
How I Wrote Elastic Man
C'n'C-s Mithering
Gramme Friday
Session Musician*
No Xmas for John Quays

Total Gig Length - 68.07

*Session Musician on Sanctuary's expanded "A Part of America Therein." CD
 

24/06/1981

The Island Houston

25/06/1981

Clubfoot Austin

26/06/1981

Hot Club Dallas

27/06/1981

Hot Club Dallas

29/06/1981

El Paseo de la luz, Santa Fe

??/07/1981

Tumbleweeds, Tucson

01/07/1981

American Legion Hall, Phoenux

03/07/1981

Los Angeles

04/07/1981

Als Bar , Los Angeles

05/07/1981

Los Angeles

07/07/1981

Myrons Ballroom, Los Angeles

08/07/1981

Palo Alto

Passable audience capture. Very little close audience noise. Some tracks are cut due to inept tape finger syndrome.

Well nose pickers this is a good 'un. The massive May-July tour of '81 is of course well recorded and indeed "Your Heart Out" from this gig appears on the "Expanded" version of "A part of America Therein". Not that this snippet of information in any way should divert you from tracking down this little beauty. Here is a band well into a tour showing some extreme tightness, and confidence in their material.

"Good evening, we are The Fall from Manchester...here is a little cabaret number to cheer everyone up..." says Mark with characteristic reverse psychology. "In Edinburgh I stayed on my own for a while" sticks out as a chilling rasputarian iconography of the Bard of Sedgley Park.

After worrying the audience into dumb silence for ten minutes the band add another 8 minutes of intense reportage on the state of those with substance abuse problems at Winterfest. Mark improvises quite freely here as Riley hammers out atonal chords with some aplomb. The perky poppy "Heart Out" seems somewhat alien in this company, albeit that it is a great reading.

Matters get a little more intense with a chilling reading of "Hip Priest" and a tensioned filled early version of "Deer Park".

In between all of this and beyond there are memorable readings of extant material. A well above average performance concluding with a memorably repetitious and brain scouring reading of "Stop Mithering". A "treatise to explain these" indeed with some great variation. It morphs into a suitably chastening version of "Gramme Friday".

Highly recommended to those of you who like to wear flares. 

San Francisco

Mark E Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Karl Burns - Drums
Kay Carroll - Backing Vocals*

Prole Art Threat (missing beginning)(2:04)
Jawbone and the Air Rifle (4:04)
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:21)
The N.W.R.A. (10:31)
No Xmas for John Quays (8:05)
Your Heart Out* (3:32)
Hip Priest (7:21)
Deer Park (5:12)
2nd Dark Age (1:53)
Leave the Capitol (4:33)
Fit and Working Again (3:00)
CnC - S.Mithering> Gramme Friday (8:16)

10/07/1981

Keystone

Radio Broadcast - excellent quality. The show was broadcast on KALX Cabinet Tapes on the 17th July 1981. The short nature of the set list on the available recording implies other numbers were played on the night.

An exceptionally clear recording. Lacks a little ambience due to the distance of the audience noise however this does not spoil the enjoyment of a tight gig. It is good to hear Karl Burns drums presented with so much clarity particularly as he is in such fine form.

Dominated by material from "Grotesque" and "Slates" and contemperaneous singles. "The NWRA" is a tour de force amongst many gems on the evening. The performance of "Hip Priest" is remarkably laid back and demonstrates the capacity of the band to capture and deliver tension. "New Face in Hell" is suitably manic with some fine scratchy guitar noise from Craig underpinning Marc's keyboard meanderings. Some interesting changes in tempo and breaks lead to MES's utterances. "Prole" and "Containers" are snappy and driven the latter featuring some nifty bass playing from Steve.

Interesting to hear such a clear rendition of "John Quays" - the guitar is notably absent for a short section at the beginning. Interesting comments about "Black Hawk 61 Eskimo replica" and other lyrical variations.

A good one to get given its exceptional quality.

Berkeley

Mark E. Smith - Vocals

Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals

Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Steve Hanley - Bass

Karl Burns - Drums

Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:35)

An Older Lover (6:23)

Totally Wired (4:06)

The N.W.R.A. (9:48)

Fit and Working Again (2:50)

Hip Priest (6:53)

New Face in Hell (6:59)

Prole Art Threat (2:36)

Container Drivers (3:34)

No Xmas for John Quays (8:42) ...fades at end

11/07/1981

The Stone 

San Francisco

12/07/1981

Indian Centre 

San Francisco

13/07/1981

I-Beam Club

Good. Some audience chatter and initial problems with vocal distortion that are soon sorted. The drums can be a little overpowering at times but generally a great listening experience.

That this tour is well documented is obviously a truism given the official release of "A part of America Therein" however there is also a raft of gigs on the trading circuit which add value to the original album.

Another great gig taken at an amazing pace. It starts well with an intense "NWRA" and leaps into a rambunctious hippety-hop through "Hobgoblins" replete with an odd introduction of the band as the "British Royal Navy". The band is re-introduced as "swinging pantaloons" as it launches into phenomenal "Deer Park" where MES takes a trip "down south" to "Notting Hill Gate".

After some keyboard mangleing from MES we get a funky and acerbic "S.Mithering" (with some interesting lyrical variations) which is followed by the wonderfully wacky "Stars on 45" . There was an unfortunate tendency at the time for the release of singles comprimising several famous hits mangled together in a compilation. This is Mark's typically obtuse way of reflecting this trend.

A motorik rush through "Lie Dream" gives no pause for breath as we tumble into "Printhead" with joyous abandon and a degree of inchoate playing. Things are centred with "Winter" but we are soon back up to speed with an intense and very fast "Totally Wired"with some amazing bass playing from Hanley. "Prole Art Threat" is manic and "Session Musician" an in your face apoplectic rant.

It concludes with an exquisite reading of "Leave the Capitol".

Essential listening due to the speed at which the gig is handled.

Thanks to Splart for the gig.

San Francisco

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

The N.W.R.A. (11:19)
City Hobgoblins (3:05)
Deer Park (5:12)
Impression of J. Temperance (5:00)
C'n'C-s Mithering > I'm into C.B. (medley) (6:15)
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:28)
Printhead (2:53)
Winter (7:53)
Totally Wired (4:25)
Prole Art Threat (2:59)
Session Musician (10:39)
Leave the Capitol (4:36)

Total Gig Length = 67:44

16/07/1981

Tuts Chicago

Chicago

04/09/1981

Sheffield Polytechnic, Sheffield

09/09/1981

Hotel Borg, Reykjavik

10/09/1981

Hotel Borg, Reykjavik

12/09/1981

Austerbaejarbio Reykjavik

30/09/1981

Fagins Manchester

??/10/1981

Blackpool

09/10/1981

North London Polytechnic

 In the repository - not yet reviewed

21/10/1981

X-Treems

Front of house noisy sprawl type thingy. Damn good - just like being at the gig. Not the highest fidelity - but hell who gives a hoot!

Absolutely stunning.

Band firing on all cylinders and more. Its hard to single out any one track here. But one has to try!

It starts with an awesome bass driven, kazoo mithered version of Blob 59/89 with Mark doing his best WMC vocal performance and launches into a violent "2nd Dark Age" which benefits from the two drum drive. Breathtaking in your face version.

Scribbly guitars, rampant riffing bass, and speedy drums push "Deer Park" into classic garage band territory....similarly "Lie Dream" cuts across and accelerates into nerve jangling dance pattern....the immense "Session" is dominated by Hanley S and worries itself into history as an immense piece of Fall pre-cog.

Again Steve ploughs a deep bass furrow on "Look Know" - an early take where Mark takes all the vocal chores - intense take on this song - Mark does not give a shit what he looks like when he goes out and rants about it with pleasing abandon.

The version of "Nazis" is exemplary......

Mark berates, not without some humour, the audience and "Plastic Man" starts and the crowd acclaim - and so they should - nervous, jittery, and sublime. Declamatory magnificence over the swampiest beat since "Clear Spot".

The audience howls in the opening "quiet" section of Winter - soon all is quiet as Mark's tense delivery pushes the noise down to a background cackle. This is funky - its a funky tune....pure magic. The intensity of this performance defies description.

Soon keyboard improv leads to a sexy "Capitol" with sliding lyrics and hip shaking rhythmical interplay....the riff of "Just Step" remains as vital as it did 20+ years ago and Marks vocal histrionics are superb.

Strange juddering noises lead into a cough and phlegm and keyboard swirl rumble through "Mithering" - riffs jump from the keyboards amongst the fettling noises - Mark rants and opines over the sparse but intense riffing - at 5:08 it jumps into a menacingly fast "Prole Art Threat".

"Jawbone" cycles inexorably into "the" classic Fall via Can number "Fantastic Life"....

Essential - a night of pure genius - the sound quality is irrelevant - turn it up loud and dance around.....

 Brighton

Mark E. Smith - Vocals, Kazoo
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Kazoo
Steve Hanley - Bass
Paul Hanley - Drums
Karl Burns - Drums

Blob 59 (1:32)
2nd Dark Age (2:03)
Deer Park (4:45)
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:23)
Session Musician (9:32)
Look, Know (5:26)
Who Makes the Nazis (3:58)
How I Wrote Elastic Man (6:49)
Winter (6:02)
Leave the Capitol (4:22)
Just Step Sideways (3:15)
C'n'C-S. Mithering>Prole Art Threat (cuts) (7:30)
Jawbone and the Air Rifle (4:24)
Fantastic Life (7:12)

Total Gig - 70:21

22/10/1981

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

23/10/1981

Manchester University

Good quality audience tape. Vocals very clear. Some hiss.

Containing one of the two available live recordings of "Middle Mass Explanation" this is an essential recording. Smith is on fine form throughout dealing with a boisterous crowd at Manchester University with aplomb.

A muscular "Slates" kicks it off with MES not appearing until well into the song - but when he does it is with perfectly delivered bile. A short but savage "Fortress" leads to "Explanation" where Smith deals with a heckler with a perfectly delivered put down. "Middlemass" itself is jaunty and swings perfectly into a manic "Fantastic Life" which echoes its progenitor with a definate central pulse.

"New Face in Hell" is delivered at quite a pace and the twin drum line powers it along. The kazoo part from the album is played on the keyboard. "Good evening we are the swinging scones" I believe Smith intones - the kazoo enters and repeats the part previously played on the keyboard (murdered some 30 seconds before by agents of government allegedly) - Smith explains he doesn't go in for this conspiracy stuff before launching into a rapid fire delivery.

An early version of "Look Know" and a chunky "Jawbone" precede a tension packed version of "Hip Priest". Similarly short and sharp versions of "Lie Dream" and an early take on "Just Step Sideways" are delivered before an interlude of pure farce leading to an amazing version of "Winter" where Smith is barracked by and barracks back at a section of the audience which is clearly not enjoying the gig. The vast majority of the audience is clearly enjoying the gig given the warm applause at end of "Winter".

An absolutely captivating gig demonstrating the power of a band playing at a provincial university where clearly some members of the intelligensia havent quite what the Fall are about. Before the encores Smith sings with some irony "That was disgraceful...come on kids" before an intense and speedy "Draygo's Guilt" finishing with a mid paced "Nazis".

Another essential one for the collection.

Manchester

Mark E. Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass,Backing Vocals
Paul Hanley - Drums
Karl Burns - Drums

Slates, Slags, etc. (08:45)
Fortress (1:40)
Middle Mass Explanation (1:07)
Middle Mass (4:48)
Fantastic Life (6:47)
New Face in Hell (7:35)
Look, Know (5:28)
Jawbone and the Air Rifle (4:01)
Hip Priest (8:05)
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:27)
Just Step Sideways (3:32)
Winter (9:10)
Encore Call (0:39)
Draygo's Guilt (3:18)
Who Makes the Nazis? (5:34)

Total Gig Length = 74:03

26/10/1981

Coasters, Edinburgh

27/10/1981

Bierkeller, Newcastle

28/10/1981

Tower Club, Hull

29/10/1981

Limit Club, Sheffield

30/10/1981

North East London Polytechnic

Very good quality (courtesy of Michael J and Andrew). Some audience chatter and a little change in tone and some tape flips but quite frankly the band sounds so good you can easily ignore it. Smiths voice dominates - not a bad thing actually - you can hear the words!

Quite simply a stunning Fall gig.

The stage is set with a thundering twin drum run-through from Hanley & Burns at the sound check. The two sound-check pieces are not particularly high-fi but when we get to the gig itself following a "jolly" intro from Alan Pellay we get a far superior sound.

Atonal guitars chime whilst Mark narrates the words to an early version "I'm into CB". After the first two verses the band launches into the groups greatest riffs with Pyschik Dancehall, Fiery Jack, amongst others ...emerging from the band as Mark continues to narrate....the band slips almost seamlessly into an excellent version of "Look, Know" - without the Marc Riley backing vocals.

"Fortress" is an early slightly slower and less complex rhythmically version with a slight variation to the lyrics. "Deer Park" is exceptional - driven, and intense - there is a slight tape flip which does not detract (excellent editing from MJ). Hanley S is magnificent holding the centre of the riff. All too short.

A muscular "Lie Dream" features some excellent backing vocals from the audience near the taper, Riley has the keyboard part down just right. It leads into an wonderful "Fantastic Life" (an easily ignored Fall classic) - Smith is laconic but at the same time precise - the band is tight and follows the leader perfectly. This is hypnotic rhythmic Fall at the zenith of its powers.

And if 6 and a half minutes of that was not good enough you get close on 11 minutes of "NWRA" with Smith spluttering and yelling. The opening words are clear and distinct - tales of soap and sodium pentathol etc...an amazing tour de force the band supplying the perfect framework for Mark's dense prose - a backing tape is used to add value to the words - Smith provides the dynamics with his manipulation of the melody and the narrative. Breath-taking stuff.

Interchanges with the mixing desk about problems with the monitors soon sort out the sound and the band delivers a slinky version of "Just Step Sideways", a slighly slower take on this classic from "Hex" dominated by Steve Hanley's bass. Smith asks the band to play it "faster".

"Slates" is a tad loose but still a fine rendition, and "Middlemass" is an exercise in sturm and drang - the solid 4/4 beat being corrupted by angular guitar, dischordant keyboards and slithering vocals.

Mark explains that its "like shouting against a brick wall" and then the band drifts into an initially brooding version of "Winter". Mark controls the volume of his delivery to vary the impact of the lyrics - some audience noise upsets the tension - but then the drums kick in and the whole thing (despite a small tape flip) develops into a rolling bruising rant. Exceptional stuff.

The encores are a "wee tale from the Hebredians" which is suitably Hexen-like and despite calls for "Fiery Jack" the band finish the gig with a mid-tempo, rolling take on "Leave the Capitol" with some interesting lyrical variations that push a faster pace about three minutes in.

This is an essential gig. The sound is good but not perfect but the chance to hear Smith lyrics with such clarity cannot be missed.

 London

Mark E. Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar , Backing Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, keyboards, kazoo
Steve Hanley - Bass
Paul Hanley - Drums
Karl Burns - Drums

Soundcheck

Jawbone & the Air Rifle - Instrumental (1:25)
Jawbone & the Air Rifle (5:04)

Allan Pellay Introduction (1:01)
I'm into CB (early version with Riff Medley) > Look, Know (9;46)
Fortress > Deer Park (4:37)
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:46)
Fantastic Life (6:34)
The N.W.R.A. (10:40)
Just Step Sideways (3:53)
Slates, Slags, etc. (7:33)
Middle Mass (5:05)
Winter (8:59)
Jawbone and the Air Rifle (4:57)
Leave the Capitol (6:31)

Total Gig Length = 76:40 (82:09 with soundchecks)

31/10/1981

Totnes Civic Hall

01/11/1981

Top Rank

Remarkably good audience recording - a tad hissy but generally a great listen. There is a touch of audience noise that tends to pervade during the "quieter" numbers.

The early atonal two note son of "Spoonful" version of "I'm into CB" is an unforgiving noisy thing and soon morphs into the riff medley which includes 2nd Dark Age, Fiery Jack, Container Drivers and extreme silliness on kazoos. Band launches into a tight "Casino Soul" (just released pop-pickers on the Kamera lable). Band is in full noisy garage form - even Riley's keys have a tense non-nonsense sound about them. Quickly followed by the "other" A-side in the form of the exceptional "Fantastic Life" taken at an energy sapping pace as tales of "Guy Burgess" and "pill pushers" mesh with squealing guitar free form-ness.

If all that were not enough to stir the sinews a bubbling tension racked version of "Nazis" has more funk than Mr Funky the Funkmeister....backing tapes into the fray half way through adding a strange 6 o'clock regional TV feel to the whole affair. It ends with more kazoo excess and after a polite request to turn the lights down ("its like a sauna up here") the gruppe launches into a masterful "Sideways". A short rumble through a memorable "Fortress" - with slight lyrical variation - leaps into a muttering and angry version of "Middlemass" all clashing and screaming and twangy bass from Steve. Mark indulges in some extemporisation in the closing section. Quite a bit of chatter messes up the enjoyment of the fledging "Look, Know".

"Fiery Jack" is simply exceptional - a speed garage classic with exceptional riffing and chording and drawling laconic sneers from Mark. The band takes it up a peg or two at the end with double time drumming as it speeds up into a violent coda.

After all this madness its time for an initially slow and reverential version of "Winter" which develops into a pulsing motorik amble through the latter part - some dropped beats here and there in this. The band resurrected the catchy "Put Away" for a few of the dates on this tour - its a good version but almost a little throw away light relief in the context of the more recent and denser material.

Atonal keyboard sprawls introduce a jerky swing laden "CnC" - this is brutal stuff - the drums kick in and MES launches into it with some sprightly rhythmic lyrics - Mark advises that visits to Sheffield are not recommended - early quotes from "Mere Pseud Mag Ed" are dropped into the mix and band tumbles through to an exceptionally bluesy version of "Gramme Version" which is full of contradictions as it moves from one part to the other. "Jawbone" is stunning, and "Draygo" is full of bile and a little loose in the guitar area.

After a short encore break the kazoos return and launch into an incredible version of "Leave the Capitol" which has some remarkable drumming - this band transcends brilliance in situations like this - tight as a ducks chuff with MES sliding all over tunescape but on the button on the choruses. It closes with a joyfully riotous "Session Musician".

Highly recommended.

 Plymouth

Mark E Smith - Vocals
Craig Scanlon - Guitar, Vocals
Marc Riley - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Steve Hanley - Bass
Paul Hanley - Drums
Karl Burns - Drums

I'm into CB (early version)>Riff Medley (4:51)
Lie Dream of a Casino Soul (3:15)
Fantastic Life (6:49)
Who makes the Nazis? (4:44)
Just Step Sideways (3:03)
Fortress (1:41)
Middlemass (4:16)
Look, Know (5:23)
Fiery Jack (5:53)
Winter (7:56)
Put Away (3:04)
CnC - S Mithering (5:15)
Gramme Friday (4:11)
Jawbone and the Air Rifle(3:35)
Draygo's Guilt (3:12)
Leave the Capitol (4:29)
Session Musician (8:08)

03/11/1981

Warehouse Liverpool

04/11/1981

Gaiety Bar Blackpool

05/11/1981

Bierkellar, Leeds

06/11/1981

Imperial Cinema 

 Birmingham

05/12/1981

The Venue

London