Margaret Hussey?

New Musical Express, April ?, 1993

Why Are People Grudgeful ?

It's easy to talk about The Fall in terms of numbers. Their new single Why Are People Grudgeful? is their 50th NME Single Of The Week. And next month they release their 17th LP The Infotainment Scan.

They are also to embark on their umpeenth tour of Britain. But the Fall, led by iconoclastic singer Mark E Smith, are far from being rock dinosaurs and are still as rebellious today as they were almost two decades ago.

Craig Scanlon, lead and rhythm guitarist, says the band are much more geared up now since they were dropped from Phonogram. "They messed us around. They kept flapping about the recession but we just wanted to get an album out.

"We are pleased to have left Phonogram as we are working with an old manager. Better the devil you know... The new album is much better than Code: Selfish. There's massive guitars and drums working together."

The band kick off a tour to promote the album next week, starting at Newcastle University. "It's a bit worrying really as we don't like touring, especially in Britain," says Craig. "But we are going to try and do things differently with scenery and some kind of theme."

This will be followed by 'more touring'. The band will go to Europe and then America. "We haven't been in America for about three years. We always seem to sell out in big cities like Chicago and New York."

In between gigs the band play badminton to relax - hardly the sport of rock kings. But then Craig admits they are not quite up with the pop world these days. "We don't listen to or watch Top Of The Pops anymore. We've seen bands like Take That who seem really hyped.

"They seem to get followed around by girls everywhere but then again, so do we."

The Fall play Newcastle University on May 6.