Saturday, 29 August 2015 DOMOFFON Festival, Lodz, Poland
Amorator! / Venice with the Girls / Dedication Not Medication / Snazzy / First One Today / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Wolf Kidult Man // Mr. Pharmacist / Theme from Sparta F.C.
Saturday, 22 August 2015 Green Man Festival, Breton Beacons, Wales
Amorator / Venice with the Girls / Dedication Not Medication / First One Day / Fibre Book Troll / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Wolf Kidult Man / Quit iPhone / White Lightning / Mr. Pharmacist / Theme from Sparta F.C.
RIP Jon the Postman (aka John Ormrod), Manchester legend. And as all good Fall trainspotters know, MES's first appearance on vinyl was introducing "Louie Louie" on Jon's "Puerile" LP.
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added 5 July
Saturday, 4 July 2015 Preview Zanne Festival, Monastero dei Benedettini, Catania, Italy
Systematic Abuse / Venice with the Girls / Dedication Not Medication / First One Today / Mister Rode / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Wolf Kidult Man / Quit iPhone // White Lightning / Mr. Pharmacist / Theme From Sparta F.C.
My Door Is Never / Venice with the Girls / Dedication Not Medication / First One Today / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Dropout Boogie / Wolf Kidult Man / Pledge / Theme from Sparta F.C. / Auto Chip 2014-2016
Reviews on the forum. "Thanks for turning the volume down, cunt on the desk."
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added 6 June
Friday, 5 June 2015 Lunar Festival, Umberlade Estate, Warwickshire
My Door Is Never / Venice with the Girls / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Dedication Not Medication / Theme from Sparta F.C. / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Weather Report / Mister Rode
The Fall and Rise of Touch Sensitive, on the 1709 Blog ("In 1709 the Statute of Anne created the first purpose-built copyright law. This blog, founded just 300 short and unextended years later, is dedicated to all things copyright, warts and all.)
"I Don't Like Northern People, I Don't Like Mancunians": Mark E. Smith's Guide to Britain.
A good interview by Daniel Dylan Wray on Noisey/Vice. MES mentions "The Circle" by Dave Eggers again ("it's very good").
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added 1 June
Sunday, 31 May 2015 The Globe, Cardiff
My Door Is Never / Venice with the Girls / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Theme from Sparta F.C. / Dedication Not Medication / Wolf Kidult Man / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Weather Report / Mister Rode / Sir William Wray / Quit iPhone // White Lightning
Off down to Cardiff last night to meet up with Barrie, formerly of this parish, and mutual mate Ron, who hadn't got a ticket and therefore had to stay in the pub while Barrie and I went to The Globe.
We arrived late but the supporting act were still on. AAAK - As Able as Kane - apparently they've been around for quite a bit. I liked them, and they seemed to get a good reception from the audience.
Then onto The Fall, onstage at around 10.00pm. Don't ask me for a set-list - haven't a clue. I recognised Sparta FC, Wolf Kidult Man, White Lightning and one or two others but I'm guessing there was a lot of material from the last few albums which hasn't had a chance to penetrate my brain yet. MES seemed on very good form, joking around with the band, everyone looking quite relaxed and into it. Good loud, driving sound - very tight, especially with present two drummer line-up.
Struck me that MES was looking well - perhaps it's the stage lights? But he never looks as gnarled and wrinkly on stage as he does in press photos. Lots of MES-isms - double-handed mic holding, some very odd contortions with his arms, lots of chewing and swallowing type gestures, lots of coming on and off stage, hiding behind the speakers, knob fiddling etc. You'd want your money back otherwise.
When offering the mike to the audience, he was smiling in quite a touching way, like a kindly uncle offering a Werther's Original to a reluctant toddler.
I think they were on and off by 11.00, and only one encore. Good concert though, and as is inevitable at these things, I spotted a mutual friend I didn't know cared for The Fall ("last time I saw them was Brixton academy, 1984").
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added 31 May
Saturday, 30 May 2015 Trades Club, Hebden Bridge (Brix and the Extricated)
U.S. 80s-90s / Feeling Numb / Leave the Capitol / 2 x 4 / Hotel Bloedel / Faced with Time / L. A. / C.R.E.E.P. / Cruiser's Creek / Glory Days / Something to Lose / Hotel Bloedel / Dead Beat Descendant / Totally Wired / Lay of the Land // Hit the North / Mr. Pharmacist // Big New Prinz
Friday, 29 May 2015 Manchester Cathedral, Manchester
Systematic Abuse / Venice with the Girls / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Dedication Not Medication / First One Today / No Respects / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Weather Report / Theme from Sparta F.C. // Mister Rode
Reviews on the forum and thanks to Chris Goodhead for the video.
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added 30 May
Friday, 29 May 2015 100 Club, London (Brix and the Extricated)
U.S. 80s-90s / Feeling Numb / Leave the Capitol / 2 x 4 / new song / L. A. / C.R.E.E.P. / Cruiser's Creek / new song / new song / Hotel Bloedel / Dead Beat Descendant / Totally Wired / Lay of the Land // Hit the North / Mr. Pharmacist // Big New Prinz
Reviews on the forum. They're working on an album so the three new songs may be from the following: Accolade Riot, Glory Days, Temporary Insanity, Faced with Time, Something to Lose, Lucky Star, Gravitation.
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added 28 May
Wednesday, 27 May 2015 Sub89, Reading
Quit iPhone / Mister Rode / Venice with the Girls / Dedication Not Medication / Weather Report / White Lightning / First One Today / No Respects / Auto Chip 2014-2016 // Junger Cloth / Theme from Sparta F.C.
Reviews on the forum, and thanks to Mark for the setlist.
"Sub-Lingual Tablet" is out now on CD, 2xLP, and download.
The noticeably different tracks on the vinyl are Dedication Not Medication, Auto Chip 2014-2016, Pledge, Fibre Book Troll, and Quit iPhone. Those who've heard both editions tend to prefer the CD over the LP. (Although this listener prefers the LP Dedication Not Medication for obvious reasons!)
The Fall and Rise of Touch Sensitive, on the 1709 Blog ("In 1709 the Statute of Anne created the first purpose-built copyright law. This blog, founded just 300 short and unextended years later, is dedicated to all things copyright, warts and all.)
Systematic Abuse / Venice with the Girls / The Remainderer / Dedication Not Medication / First One Today / No Respects / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Weather Report / Fibre Book Troll // Snazzy
Venue changed from the Boiler Shop to Riverside a couple of days beforehand.
Reviews on the forum; thanks to Superjudge for the setlist and Chris Goodhead for the video.
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added 15 May
Thursday, 14 May 2015 The Institute, Birmingham
My Door Is Never / Venice with the Girls / Mister Rode / Dedication Not Medication / First One Today / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Dropout Boogie / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Theme from Sparta F.C. / Fibre Book Troll
Reviews on the forum, and thanks to Mark H. for the setlists.
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added 14 May
Wednesday, 13 May 2015 Kazimier, Liverpool
My Door Is Never / Venice with the Girls / Mister Rode / Dedication Not Medication / First One Today / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Dropout Boogie / Pledge // Theme from Sparta F.C. // Blindness
Daren back on drums (and vocals, on Dedication). First outing for Captain Beefheart's "Dropout Boogie". Reviews on the forum.
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added 11 May
From Milltag.cc, Official Racewear Supplier To The Inaugural 2015 Tour De Yorkshire:
The Fall released their new album, “Sub-Lingual Tablet” on 11 May with one of the tracks titled “Dedication Not Medication”. The song is about cyclist Dieter Wiedemann, a sporting hero of East Germany who kept under close surveillance by the Stasi before defecting to West Germany whilst qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. Once in the west, he signed professional forms with Torpedo and fulfilled a lifetime ambition of riding the Tour de France. This limited edition jersey is styled on the Torpedo jersey and pays tribute to all those cyclists who strive for, and have achieved, excellence through sheer dedication.
Jersey (£70) + Matching Cap (£15) available on their site.
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added 10 May
Saturday, 9 May 2015 Warehouse23, Wakefield
Mister Rode / Quit iPhone / Dedication Not Medication / My Door Is Never / First One Today / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Auto Chip 2014-2016 // Stout Man / Fibre Book Troll // Theme From Sparta F.C.
No Daren. Reviews on the forum, and thanks to Chris for the video and Dolb for the setlist.
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added 27 April; updated 29 April
The CD edition of Sub-Lingual Tablet was on sale at the April gigs (£12), and pre-ordered copies from Action Records have been dispatched (they are all gone now). The LP won't be available until 25 May according to Cherry Red.
Reviews are trickling in on the forum, and Mojo gave it 4 stars:
Pierce Brosnan, how dare you prescribe me bed wet pills!" is a fine opening line for anybody's song, but especially so as shrieked by our Mark Edward Smith with hilarious borderline-Kenneth Williams indignation, on Dedication Not Medication. Its central to his ongoing four-decade appeal that we're no closer to ever knowing what he's really on about, and — heroically in this day and age — he's revealing nothing.
Though his Fall's omnipresence/intransigence can sometimes feel like a curse, Sub-Lingual Tablet turns these tables: it's mighty good.
Early on, Black Door's varispeed insanity makes a welcome break from the band's post-millenial, Peter Greenway-led Kraut/garage comfort zone for a thrilling anything may happen edge. Stout Man piledrives with fearsome Stoogean muscle while Auto Chip 2014-2016 brings a familiar MES rant about English musicians, to a 10-minute motorik that could only result in a lifetime driving ban.
Swipes elsewhere at social media and iTunes/Bono/fan-funding make this the most on-message Fall album since The Infotainment Scan. Rejoice-ah!
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added 26 April
Sunday, 26 April 2015 Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
My Door Is Never / Venice with the Girls / Mister Rode / Dedication Not Medication / First One Today / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Stout Man / Auto Chip 2014-2016 // Theme from Sparta F.C. // Weather Report / Quit iPhone
Reviews on the forum and thanks to Mark H. for the setlist.
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added 25 April
Saturday, 25 April 2015 St. Mary in the Castle, Hastings
Mister Rode / Quit iPhone / Dedication Not Medication / My Door Is Never / First One Today / Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Stout Man / Fibre Book Troll // Weather Report / Theme From Sparta F.C. / Reformation
Reviews on the forum, and thanks to Mark H. for the setlist.
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added 25 April
Friday, 24 April 2015 Electric Brixton, London
My Door Is Never / First One Today / Quite iPhone / Dedication Not Medication / Mister Rode / Auto Chip 2014-2016 / Weather Report // Hittite Man > Junger Cloth / Fibre Book Troll / Stout Man // Venice with the Girls / Bury // Theme from Sparta F.C.
Most of the gig's on youtube, many thanks epidemic271.
Reviews on the forum, and thanks to Paul for the setlist. And a review on The Arts Desk, by Tim Cumming.
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added 22 April
It was a really fun listen on Brian Turner's WFMU show yesterday. Fall live tracks, phone call with Steve Hanley, and an excellent set of Fall covers by supergroup Spectre Folk, featuring members of Magik Markers, Sonic Youth, Pavement, Nation of Ulysses and Tall Firs. Archive stream here.
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added 22 April
Henry Rollins played the CD and vinyl versions of "Dedication Not Medication" on his podcast this week. They are very different. And it's made me very happy indeed: a namecheck in a Fall song, for my "full cooperation with the anti-Fall Association" (Extricated, SHanley, Simon W, et al., I suppose). Thank you MES!!
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added 19 April
A massive thank you to Gordon of Action Records for many years of supporting The Fall and their fans.
Tuesday, April 21st, 3pm - 6pm [that's New Jersey time]:
The Fall special with Stephen Hanley, Brix Smith-Start, and Marc Riley, plus Spectre Folk covers the Fall live in studio
Today's entire three hours is dedicated to the exhuming of some stellar live tapes in Brian's collection from The Fall, mainly soundboard and FM broadcasts from mostly of the '78 to '96 era. As a bonus, three of the band's biggest instrumental anchors of that period, guitarist Marc Riley (1978-83, and now a well-beloved BBC Radio6 DJ), post-Riley guitarist Brix Smith Start (1983-89) and bassist Stephen Hanley (1979-98) speak to WFMU on life inside of and outside of the band; in fact Hanley has recently released a memoir called The Big Midweek. And as a double bonus, we get a live set in the WFMU studio of Fall covers courtesy of Spectre Folk (featuring members of Magik Markers, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and Tall Firs). Hope we can pack it all into three hours!
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added 29 March
Saturday, 28 March 2015 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (Brix & The Extricated)
Thanks to Engine for the setlist and Ian Wilson for the video. Reviews on the forum.
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added 15 March; updated 27 March
Amazon UK has short samples of all the tracks. And several on the forum already have a copy, so not sure why the long wait until it's out.
New LP "Sub-Lingual Tablet" to be released on 11 May, according to Cherry Red. There's also a limited 2xLP vinyl edition out on 25 May; they say the vinyl features different mixes...
Venice with the Girls
Black Root
Dedication Not Medication
First One Today
Junger Cloth
Stout Man
Auto Chip 2014-2016
Pledge
Snazzy
Fibre Book Troll
Quit iPhone
John Peel once mentioned that there was no Fall song beginning with "Q".
Also, thanks to BuyKurious for the alternate cover.
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added 16 March
Many thanks to junk-man for posting his recent chat with Steve Hanley.
With great regret, we have to decided to cancel our 29th March event with The John Peel Archive. Mark E Smith was not entirely happy with former band members representing ‘Hex Enduction Hour’ and Classic Album Sundays and The John Peel Archive felt the best outcome would be to cancel the event. We apologise for any disappointment and inconvenience and look forward to working on future events with The John Peel Archive and The John Peel Centre.
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added 22 February; updated 23 February
Saturday, 21 February 2015 BBC6music Festival, Sage Gateshead
Amorator / Mr. Rode / Venice With The Girls / Hittite Man / Jungle
also Wolf Kidult Man, Dedication (Not), and Reformation in there somewhere, probably at the end. The set was about 41 minutes.
Broadcast in chunks on BBC6. Video of Mr. Rode, and Venice/Hittite/Jungle 31m50s into this iPlayer. And Dedication (Not) 1h51m40s into this one.
They say The Fall and Wire sets will be online next Saturday (28 February) at 22:00. If the show's really only 45 minutes, then highlights only.
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added 21 February
This morning Liz Kershaw played a track "First One Today" (called "BAM" on recent setlists) from the upcoming LP "Sublingual Tablet", out mid-April says Mark E. Smith in his special message to Liz.
Many thanks to Gryffe for scanning in the "I Am Curious, Orange" piece in the current Mojo, wherein Steve Hanley and MES look back at performing the ballet.
MES says: "I was busy getting the useless group I had to play in time every night. That wasn't difficult for me, but it was difficult for the group. I should have fired that lot after that, on reflection. The poison dwarf, Brix, was in the middle."
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added 18 February
They're showing the Fall film "It's Not Repetition, It's Discipline" at the Brudenell in Leeds on Friday, 20 Feb. Plus live music by Esper Scout and a DJ. Details on the forum.
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added 16 February
Longtime readers may remember Deni / Timekode's "Cheap Space Chant" featuring her M.E.S. Vox Simulator.
She's been doing some writing and fellow Fall fans might enjoy reading her second book, "The Real Experiment." It's a free download on the Products page of her site.
Here it is on the iPlayer. And here's their Fall timeline; at least a couple of mistakes (Ding, Daren) but a good effort.
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added 11 February
Luke Haines's "Caravan Man"—an homage to "Container Drivers" and part of last year's "Adventures in Dementia" micro-opera, wherein a M.E.S. impersonator confronts a member of Skrewdriver, as mentioned a while back on the Fall news. The micro-soundtrack is out now on Cherry Red.
My good friend Jón Atli Benediktsson is running for Rector of the University of Iceland. (He's also a longtime Fall fan and moved mountains to secure the 1983 Austurbaejarbio reel tapes, subsequently released on Voiceprint.)
Please do him a favour and "like" his public Facebook page, which apparently will help his campaign. You can read more about Jón and his campaign on this webpage.
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added 8 February
I mentioned Ozit's Deeply Vale box set in the last Fall news, which purported to include two Fall tracks that they had held back from their 2005 Live at Deeply Vale CD—Bingo Master's Breakout and Brand New Cadillac. Turns out that only Brand New Cadillac is included on the box whilst Frightened—already on Live at Deeply Vale—is on the box set instead of Bingo Master's, despite what the tracklisting and press releases say.
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added 3 February
For Facebook addicts/lookback bores, a bonanza of early Fall photos from Eric's in Liverpool, 1978 (they played at least three gigs there that year, so can't narrow it down). All photos by Mick Finkler.
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added 31 January; updated 2 February
Friday, 30 January 2015 Grauzone Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amorator / Mr. Rode / Gone to Venice / The Remainderer / Bam / Dedication / Cock / Hittite Man / Jungle / Cowboy George / Bury // White Lightning
Video of November 16, 2014's "A Literary and Literal Celebration of the Legendary Fall" at the Louder Than Words Festival in Manchester.
From their site: "With Steve Hanley & Olivia Piekarski (The Big Midweek), Funky Si Wolstencroft (You Can Drum But You Can’t Hide), Daryl Easlea (author of 30 sleevenotes for The Fall’s catalogue; compiler and annotator of 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong), Matt Davies (music fanatic and academic – researching the use of corpus software using the lyrics of Mark E Smith) all brought together and co-ordinated in conversation by author, journalist, DJ and Louder’s mate, Mick Middles."
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added 20 January
Something for M.E.S. to look forward to: Brix's memoir, "The Rise, The Fall & The Rise" is due for publication by Faber Social in 2016.
Apparently there's an "announcement party" in London tomorrow. Follow @FaberSocial by 11pm for a chance to win tickets.
Stewart Lee & co. are trying to save the Arthur Machen collection of books and papers. They're currently housed in Newport's central library, which faces closure as Newport City Council tries to cut £10 million from its budget.
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added 13 January
Luz's cover for the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo. You may remember his superb comic book "The Joke" about The Fall.
Luz overslept on the day of the Charlie Hebdo shootings; otherwise he would likely be dead. Be well, friend.
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added 13 January
Three high quality videos from the 27 November gig at the Garage in London: Dedication, Hittite Man, Jungle.
"I'll Be Your Mirror" by Una Baines and Keith McDougall about Una's first date with MES. We had a preview a couple of months ago but this is the full story.
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30 Aug 2015
This is the latest news and gossip off the message board, Fallnet, and elsewhere. If you have something to contribute, please email Stefan at fallnews@gmail.com.
27dec14Sept>Nov gigs: UK + Helsinki; Uurop VIII-XII live CD; Simon Wolstencroft's memoir; more "The Big Midweek" press; Mark E. Smith Predicts; Brix & The Extricated; Ultraradio Fall comics issue; Deeply Vale box; Una Baines int.; MCR Evening News, Granada Reports, BBC 6music ints.; "It's Not Repetition, It's Discipline" screenings; Fat White Family's "I Am Mark E. Smith"; discography revamp.
01sep14 UK & Euro gigs, Steve Hanley's "The Big Midweek" book launch + Q&A for the Fall News, Danish Fall documentary, Q's "Let's Do Lunch With Mark E. Smith", Loud and Quiet interview, RIP Gary Burger & Scott Asheton," disavowal of "13 Killers" and "White Lightning", Luke Haines's MES micro-opera, BK's "The Skriking", American Tourister rips off "Touch Sensitive", "21 Again" on Mouse on Mars comp, Claus selling signed Perverted By Language posters.
17jan14Ireland, Portugal, France, London, NL, Leeds, Germany gigs; The Remainderer; Lou Reed (inc. MES poem); Louder Than Words video w/Hanleys + Simon W; Noisey interview; "What I See in the Mirror"; Bal Speer's "Black Charity"; Mutation LP; Tony Millionaire.
05aug13May/June gigs, Re-Mit, Vulture, Independent int., Stuart & Maconie chat, Beggars Archive 5cd box, Copenhagen exhibition, SHanley joins The Membranes, Craig Robinson's Fall timeline, SF 2001 on Ozit, The Real New Forum LP
29may13Nov/Dec '12 gigs, April '13 gigs; Re-Mit preview; Sir William Wray RSD 7"; Guardian, Q Mag Q&As; Lancashire Telegraph, Going Thru Vinyl, Viva Brighton, Scotland Herald interviews; Ding on Salford Radio; IAKO video; Beggars 5xcd box; Steve Hanley book deal; Fall Fans Round Table, 2 Librans Lockdown.
23oct12European gigs (Greece, France, UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden); Ginger Wildheart's Mutation; Woog Riots LP; Fall-A-Thon in Ohio; Night & Day and Greek interviews; NME Heroes, Blaine Harrison & MES; The Frenz Equivalent cover LP; Night of the Humerons 7"; Another Nice Mess "Worst of the Fall" special; Sex, Drugs & HIV; MES T-shirts, Action Man, and Birthday Cake; Simon W's "You Can Drum But You Can't Hide" book; Pascal Le Gras paintings; Magic Band magic footage.
22dec11
Ersatz GB + reviews + press + interviews, Laptop Dog 7", summer festivals in Europe and UK, Nov UK tour, Live at the Hac pt. 2; Kill Pretty (Mike Leigh); Perverted by Mark E. promo vid; Brian Blessed Alarm Clock + Skinnybrain (Dave Milner); Uncut w/MES on old Fall lineups; Julia Adamson int.; Steve Trafford album; Pascal's "Blue Christmas" video.
31aug11
Live at the Hacienda DVD; MES Guardian Q&A; Timekode
& MES video clips; Fall sign to Cherry Red; Marshall
Suite, Wonderful & Frightening World and TNSG
reissues; Before the Fall compilation
28apr11
TNSG Omnibus; Danny Baker; Euro/UK/OZ/NZ/Israel gigs;
Don Van Vliet, Rex Sergeant, Steve Ormod, r.i.p.; Before
The Fall comp; White Lightning promo vid; Pop Fiction;
Marshall Suite 3xCD; FoF's "Hex Enduction Ours";
Bracewell & Wilde "The Art of The Fall" (1992);
Middles' "Story of The Fall" doc; The Fall in Iceland
press; Sex, Drugs & HIV; M.E.S. I.P.A.; MES Quietus
interview; Factory Star's "Enter Castle Perilous"
25oct10
East Village Radio session; Ideal; new Scanlon demos;
UK/Euro festivals; NZ/Aus tour preview; Eat Y'Self
Fitter redux; Susan Vale; Quietus, Vice & Brag ints;
Mike Joyce, Adrian Sherwood ints.
03jun10
YFOC reviews; UK tour + Primavera; Times (London &
New York interviews); "worker bees" interview; Bury,
England's Heartbeat videos; caption comp.; Beleaguered
Fall Fan; Paintwork conference book; Bury/Cowboy Gregori
7"; Mojo, Tim Cumming Q&As.
02apr10
Berlin gig; FIGFALP; Domino YFOC press release; Tate's
"Sound & Vision" series; Gorillaz' Glitter Freeze;
Gavin Friday int.; Beggars archive update; #1 Cult
Figure (Alex Chilton, rip); MES as Narrative Lyric
Writer; Quietus, Independent interviews; couple of
Youtubes.
@fallnews on Twitter
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added 25 April 
