5 March	The Robin 2, Bilston (near Wolverhampton), wegottickets, ticketline. MES's 50th birthday.
9 March	King George's Hall, Blackburn, wegottickets, ticketline
10 March	Carling Academy, Liverpool, seetickets, wegottickets, ticketline
12 March	Liquid Room, Edinburgh, wegottickets, ticketline
13 March	Liquid Room, Edinburgh, wegottickets, ticketline
14 March	The Tunnels, Aberdeen, tickets available from 1 Up Records, Belmont St., Aberdeen (01224 624662)
15 March	The Tunnels, Aberdeen, tickets available from 1 Up Records, Belmont St., Aberdeen (01224 624662)
16 March	The Ferry, Glasgow, wegottickets, ticketline
17 March	The Ferry, Glasgow, wegottickets, ticketline
21 March	Irish Centre, Leeds, wegottickets, ticketline
22 March	Picturedrome, Holmfirth (near Huddersfield), seetickets, ticketline
26 March	The Point, Cardiff
27 March	The Phoenix, Exeter, wegottickets, seetickets
28 March	Fez Club, Reading, wegottickets, seetickets. Finally confirmed on the offical site.
29 March	Old Market, Hove (next to Brighton), seetickets
31 March	Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, seetickets or through the Brighton Dome. Finally confirmed on the offical site.
1 April	Hammersmith Palais, London, wegottickets, seetickets, ticketline. The last ever gig at the Palais, which is being knocked down to make way for an office block.
3 April	Zodiac, Oxford, wegottickets, seetickets
4 April	Zodiac, Oxford, wegottickets, seetickets
9 April	Jilly's Rockworld, Manchester. ticketline. Now confirmed.
1-3 June ?	Wychwood Music Festival, Cheltenham Racecourse, according to the Independent newspaper
1 July	The Ritz, Manchester, part of the Manchester International Festival. Tickets on sale. Support by readings from Perverted by Language short story collection, published the same day. (Not confirmed on the official site.)

 

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added 12 April

Two Friday the 13th Fall radio specials: one English, one French:

Harley:

http://www.thesoundprojector.com/radio-show/
Friday 13th April 2007, 5.30pm - 7pm BST

Thought you might want to know that this week's edition of Sound Projecting will be a Fall special, our second. This time we're dedicating the show to the avant garde end of The Fall's output, and also presenting some choice selections from the MES solo albums. A show for fans of Mollusc in Tyrol and Das Boat! (I'm not sure that we'll get round to playing Crew Filth though).

As with all Resonance broadcasts, you can tune in on the wireless in Central London on 104.4FM or stream it online via http://www.resonancefm.com.

All being well it'll also be made available as a podcast on the Sound Projector website for a couple of weeks following the show.

Déborah:

Hello, I am doing a show in french at Radio Campus Paris (93.9FM or www.radiocampusparis.org for streaming) about The Fall to celebrate the 30 years of the group's existence and the new album. It is during the night of Friday 13 april to Saturday 14 april at 1am to 4 am.

Although it is in french it is a nice occasion for all fans to hear some Fall's music.

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added 10 April

Monday, 9 April    Jilly's Rockworld, Manchester

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Theme from Sparta FC / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / My Door Is Never / Mountain Energei / The Wright Stuff / White Lightning // Blindness // Reformation

Pete Greenway back. Reviews on the message board. Thanks to Jason for the poster.

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added 14 March; updated 8 April

The Culture Show, BBC2, 7 April ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/cultureshow/ ).

A blurb from the BBC:

Stewart Lee marks the 50th birthday of Mark E. Smith of the Fall. A legion of surprising Fall fans including Frank Skinner, Grayson Perry and dancer Michael Clark join in the tribute to this legendarily difficult Smith who has survived 30 years and countless different line-ups of the Fall, and still seems to be standing.

With thanks to Ocelot, here's the Culture Show Fall bit.

Near the end of it Lauren Laverne mentions interviewing Mark recently; that was broadcast the other day on Channel 4's Transmission program, and here's the clip on youtube.com

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added 5 April; updated 7 April

Tuesday, 4 April    The Zodiac, Oxford

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Theme from Sparta FC / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / I Can Hear the Grass Grow / My Door Is Never / Over! Over! / The Wright Stuff / White Lightning // Reformation / Big New Prinz // Blindness

Reviews on the message board. Both Oxford gigs were among the best of the tour, it's said.

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added 4 April; updated 7 April

Tuesday, 3 April    The Zodiac, Oxford

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / My Door Is Never / Pacifying Joint / Over! Over! / Theme from Sparta FC / Mountain Energei / White Lightning / The Wright Stuff / Systematic Abuse // Blindness

Reviews on the message board. Thanks to Pike1957 for the setlist.

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added 1 April; updated 4 April

Sunday, 1 April    Hammersmith Palais, London

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / Over! Over! / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Wrong Place, Right Time / My Door Is Never / The Wright Stuff / White Lightning / Blindness // Reformation

Pete Greenway back on guitar for the first time since Bilston, the first date of the tour.

Reviews on the message board, the Evening Standard, Yahoo Music, PlayLouder, The Guardian (3 April), The Financial Times (2 April) and the NME. And a bit of hyperbole from contactmusic.com:

A riotous performance by veteran British band THE FALL saw legendary London music venue the Hammersmith Palais close its doors for the last time yesterday (01APR07). During the incident-packed gig, some audience members took offence at frontman MARK E SMITH's refusal to acknowledge the venue's closure, and mayhem ensued as angry concertgoers invaded the stage in protest. The final encore of the hour-long show was cut short after security bundled the troublemakers offstage and fans tried to pull down light fittings as souvenirs.

On Sunday, The Telegraph covered the (apparently "official") last show at the Palais the night before, and previewed the Fall's actual closing. The Independent wrote about the closing, too (31 March).

Thanks as always to Mark for the setlist.

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added 1 April

Saturday, 31 March    Pavilion Theater, Brighton

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / My Door Is Never / Theme from Sparta FC / I Can Hear the Grass Grow / The Wright Stuff / Over! Over! // Blindness

Setlist to be confirmed. Reviews on the message board. Thanks as always to Mark for the set.

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added 31 March

Ding:

"I thought I'd drop you a line to tell you that I will be playing bass for Pixies frontman Mr Frank Black over the summer. I haven't got all the dates yet, but the ones I have so far, I've listed on my Myspace page. Needless to say I'm very excited about the prospect and am greatly looking forward to it."

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added 30 March

Pitchfork has posted a video of Can't Get Enough from the forthcoming Von Sudenfeld album (Tromatic Reflexxions), and it's pretty great.

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added 29 March

Thursday, 29 March    The Old Market, Hove

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Pacifying Joint / Over! Over! / Fall Sound / Theme from Sparta FC / My Door Is Never / Wrong Place, Right Time / What About Us / White Lightning / The Wright Stuff / Blindness // Reformation

Reviews on the message board; by all accounts a great gig. Thanks to Mark for the setlist.

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added 29 March

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added 28 March

Wednesday, 28 March    The Fez Club, Reading

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Systematic Abuse / I Can Hear the Grass Grow / My Door Is Never / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / What About Us / White Lightning / The Wright Stuff / Theme from Sparta FC / Blindness // Reformation (instr.)

Reviews on the message board. Thanks to Mark for the setlist.

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added 28 March; updated 31 March

The Narnack edition of Reformation Post TLC was released last Tuesday. A warning: US promo copies contained 14 tracks, whereas the standard digipack issue has only 13. The Usher is AWOL, despite being mentioned in a few US reviews... However, Insult Song is longer than the UK counterpart and has some extra lyrics, and Narnack says Reformation is "extended" but it's practically the same.

It's an enhanced CD with video clips from the Hiro Ballroom, New York gig (4 November 2006). The clips are Hungry Freaks Daddy, My Door Is Never, Scenario, and Theme from Sparta FC. A couple of people have reported problems playing the videos; I had no problem with my Mac laptop (os 10.4).

There's been a delay sending the CD to people who pre-ordered through the Narnack website; the label is moving from NYC to Hollywood, CA, apparently, and this complicated the mailing. They promise the CDs will be in the post very soon.

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added 28 March; updated 29 March

Tuesday, 27 March    The Phoenix, Exeter

Insult Song > Bad Stuff / Pacifying Joint / My Door Is Never / Fall Sound / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Over! Over! / White Lightning / The Wright Stuff / Systematic Abuse // Reformation

Reviews on the message board. Thanks to Mark for the setlist (what's his batting average? Must be .800 at least.)

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added 26 March

Monday, 26 March    The Point, Cardiff

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / My Door Is Never / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / Blindness / Theme from Sparta FC / Wrong Place, Right Time / Over! Over! / Systematic Abuse * // The Wright Stuff / White Lightning / Reformation // Just Step S'ways (!!)

* featuring MES on harmonica. According to the Track Record (which needs updating), the first appearance of Just Step S'ways since Auckland on 20 August 1982, the night before In a Hole was recorded.

Reviews on the message board.

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added 22 March

Here's a French interview from Paris's Rock & Folk magazine (Avril 2007 issue). Many thanks to Lionel for sending it in.

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added 22 March; updated 11 April

Thursday, 22 March    Picturedrome, Holmfirth

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Pacifying Joint / Over! Over! / Fall Sound / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Wrong Place, Right Time / My Door Is Never / off stage / The Wright Stuff / White Lightning / Systematic Abuse / Blindness // Reformation

Reviews on the message board. A fantastic and huge batch of photos with many thanks to Michael Pollard.

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added 22 March

A catch-up of news on the latest Fall releases, thanks to Conway:

UNIVERSAL REISSUES (release date: 7 May 2007)

Extricate

CD1 (original LP): Sing! Harpy / I'm Frank / Bill Is Dead / Black Monk Theme Part I / Popcorn Double Feature / Telephone Thing / Hilary / Chicago, Now! / The Littlest Rebel / And Therein...

CD2 (singles, extras, Peel session): Telephone Thing (extended) / Telephone Dub / British People In Hot Weather / Butterflies 4 Brains / Arms Control Poseur (single version) / Arms Control Poseur (album CD bonus track) / Zandra / Black Monk Theme Pt. II / Extricate / Theme From Error-Orrori! / Chicago Now (Peel session) / Black Monk Theme (Peel session) / Hilary (Peel session) / Whizz Bang (Peel session, not broadcast)

Shift Work

CD1 (original LP): So What About It? / Idiot Joy Showland / Edinburgh Man / Pittsville Direkt / The Book Of Lies / The War Against Intelligence / Shift-Work / You Haven't Found It Yet / The Mixer / A Lot Of Wind / Rose / Sinister Waltz

CD2 (singles, extras, Peel session): White Lightning / Blood Outta Stone / Zagreb (Movements I+II+III) / Life Just Bounces / The Funeral Mix / High Tension Line / Xmas With Simon / Don't Take The Pizza / So What About It? (promo remix 1) / So What About It? (promo remix 2) / So What About It? (promo remix 3) / The Re-Mixer / Cloud Of Black / Arid Al's Dream / The War Against Intelligence (Peel session) / Idiot Joy Showland (Peel session) / A Lot Of Wind (Peel session) / The Mixer (Peel session)

Code: Selfish

CD1 (original LP): The Birmingham School Of Business School / Free Range / Return / Time Enough At Last / Everything Hurtz / Immortality / Two-Face! / Just Waiting / So-Called Dangerous / Gentlemen's Agreement / Married, 2 Kids / Crew Filth

CD2 (singles, extras, Peel session): Free Range (single version) / Return (single version) / Dangerous (single version) / Everything Hurtz (single version) / Ed's Babe / Pumpkin Head Xscapes / The Knight The Devil And Death / Free Ranger / Noel's Chemical Effluence / Legend Of Xanadu / Free Range (Peel session) / Kimble (Peel session) / Immortality (Peel session) / Return (Peel session)

The tracklistings were compiled by Conway. Sleeve notes by Daryl Easlea. Released on Fontana via Mercury Records, a Universal Music company. Inserts are 12 page booklets rather than the Sanctuary-style folded sheet. Typeface is slightly larger than the last Sanctuary releases which were a bit hard to read. No slipcases. Mid price. Release date: 7 May 2007. The CDs are currently at mastering, so 7 May should hold firm.

REFORMATION SINGLE :

The single versions of Over! Over! and My Door are different to the album versions.

RPTLC ALBUM MIX

Future pressings of the CD will switch to the LP mix and drop track 14 (Outro), as per the vinyl. It may take a while before the new pressing appears on shelves.

HEX ENDUCTION HOUR DIGIPAK

Sanctuary is issuing a special digipak single CD version of Hex Enduction Hour especially for HMV stores. It will be the original album tracks only, taken from the 2005 remastering. Mid price on their Sanctuary Midline label. Release date: 23 April 2007.

WHAT? NOISE EP

On 27 February, Julia Adamson released another (the third) 4-track EP of What? Noise tracks, entitled "The Childraising EP," through her Invisible Girl label. The tracks are all previously unreleased from 1991-93: Thaw / Mickey Mouse Ears / A Hippy Hit Me / Hover And Brood. Available for download on iTunes.

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added 21 March

Wednesday, 21 March    Irish Centre, Leeds

Reformation / Pacifying Joint / Over! Over! / Fall Sound / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / My Door Is Never / The Wright Stuff / off stage / Blindness / White Lightning / Systematic Abuse // Mountain Energie / What About Us

Setlist to be confirmed. Reviews on the message board.

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added 19 March

There's an article on the forthcoming short story collection Perverted By Language in today's Independent, which mentions that the Fall will play the Manchester International Festival on 1 July in conjunction with the book's launch.

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added 18 March

Saturday, 17 March    The Ferry, Glasgow

Insult Song (instr.) > Pacifying Joint / My Door Is Never / Fall Sound / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Over! Over! / Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Systematic Abuse / The Wright Stuff // Reformation / White Lightning / Blindness

Setlist to be confirmed. Reviews and photos on the message board.

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added 17 March

Here's a recent M.E.S. interview from Ireland's Foggy Notions (issue 95, March 2007). The scans aren't the greatest but they're legible. Many thanks to Vinnie for sending them in.

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added 17 March; updated 26 March

Friday, 16 March    The Ferry, Glasgow

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer>Systematic Abuse / Pacifying Joint / My Door Is Never / Fall Sound / Mountain Energei / Over! Over! / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Theme from Sparta FC / Wrong Place, Right Time / I Can Hear The Grass Grow // Reformation / White Lightning / Blindness

Reviews on the message board. Thanks to Bobby for the setlist.

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added 16 March; updated 17 March

Thursday, 15 March    Tunnels, Aberdeen

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / Pacifying Joint / My Door Is Never / Fall Sound / Mountain Energei / Over! Over / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Theme from Sparta FC / Wrong Place, Right Time / I Can Hear the Grass Grow / Blindness // Reformation / White Lightning / The Wright Stuff

Reviews on the message board.

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added 15 March; updated 17 March

Wednesday, 14 March    Tunnels, Aberdeen

Bo Demmick / Pacifying Joint / Over! Over! / Theme from Sparta FC / Fall Sound / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / My Door Is Never / What About Us / White Lightning / The Wright Stuff // Reformation

Reviews on the message board. Jamie Buchan's review in the Press & Journal. Thanks to Mark and Toby for the setlist.

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added 15 March

There's an uninformative interview with Mark in today's Telegraph.

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added 14 March; updated 16 March

Tuesday, 13 March    Liquid Room, Edinburgh

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / What About Us / Fall Sound / My Door Is Never / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Blindness / Mountain Energei / I Can Hear the Grass Grow / The Wright Stuff / Over! Over! / Reformation / Pacifying Joint

Reviews on the message board. David Pollock's review in The Scotsman, Neil Cooper's review (of both Edinburgh nights) in the Glasgow Herald.

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added 14 March

Sanctuary says:

The forthcoming Fall single, Reformation, has been chosen as one of BBC 6Music's Rebel Playlist candidates this week, up against Muse and The Earlies! The winner of this is voted for by the public so let's get everyone we can to go here and vote for it - http://bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/steve_lamacq/ . It will mean guaranteed plays across the network over the next couple of weeks if we win.

In case you don't want to wade through that BBC page, here's the email address and subject line to vote for Reformation: lamacq.6music@bbc.co.uk?subject=TRACK2.

If you don't have an email program associated with your browser, simply send an email to lamacq.6music@bbc.co.uk with the subject line TRACK2 (in CAPS).

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added 13 March

Monday, 12 March    Liquid Room, Edinburgh

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / My Door Is Never / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Wrong Place, Right Time / Blindness // The Wright Stuff / White Lightning / Reformation

Reviews on the message board, including a scan of the Edinburgh Evening News review (here's an online version on scotsman.com).

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added 11 March

Saturday, 10 March    Carling Academy, Liverpool

Senior Twilight Stock Replacer / My Door Is Never / Over! Over! / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Theme from Sparta FC / Mountain Energei / White Lightning / The Wright Stuff // Wrong Place, Right Time / Reformation // Systematic Abuse

Line-up as in Blackburn. Reviews and great photos on the message board. More photos on flickr.

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added 10 March

Friday, 9 March    King George's Hall, Blackburn

Insult Song > Bad Stuff / Systematic Abuse / Wrong Place, Right Time / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / Blindness / The Wright Stuff / Theme from Sparta FC // Over! Over! / White Lightning / Reformation

Line-up same as Bilston minus Pete Greenway. Reviews on the message board.

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added 10 March

Mute Station has released a podcast to promote the Inspiral Carpets compilation "Keep the Circle," which includes a snippet of Saturn 5 and discussion of Mark's collaboration on that track and I Want You. The MES bit is in part 4 of the podcast: http://mutestation.com/inspirals_04.mp3. Thanks to Paul for the link.

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added 9 March; updated 11 March

Another Fall radio special in honour of MES's 50th, this one by "incredibly strange music deejay" Carlos Slazenger. I didn't know about the original broadcast, but it'll be repeated tonight at 22:00 GMT (not this morning at 10:00 as previously reported!) on www.vinylmicrostore.gr. Carlos has the obligatory myspace page.

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added 6 March

Bad news... it appears that Penguin/Viking has pushed Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith (formerly Renegade: The Gospel According to Mark E. Smith and before that The Two-Year Gap) back to February 2008.

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added 6 March; updated 8 March

Monday, 5 March    Robin 2, Bilston

Thanks to Altfish for the ticket, John for the flyer, and Nick for the setlist

Insult Song > Bad Stuff / Pacifying Joint / Fall Sound / Theme from Sparta FC / Hungry Freaks, Daddy / Over! Over! / Wrong Place, Right Time / Reformation / band leave stage / The Wright Stuff / My Door Is Never / White Lightning / Blindness // Wolve Kidult Man (a song Rob wrote for MES's 50th)

lineup: MES, Elena, Tim, Pete (from Hungry Freaks onward), Rob, Eagle, Orpheo

Reviews on the message board, including one from the Independent. Many thanks to Rob Shuttleworth for all these photos.

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added 14 February; updated 8 March

Smith's 50      

Marcelle van Hoof will devote her terrific three-hour Another Nice Mess show today to the Fall, "including rare records and live footage, interviews by Marcelle with M.E.S. from the 1990’s, Fall cover versions, songs about Mark E. Smith et cetera." You can listen live on http://www.dfm.nu from 1800-2100 hours GMT, or later on via http://www.anothernicemess.com.

Marcelle adds: "You are welcome to request your favourite (or least favourite) Fall song. Please tell me why you chose that particular song... For the Fall requests, email Marcelle at info@anothernicemess.com. She broadcasts from home, so she might play your requested Fall song (almost) instantly."

There was a very entertaining MES interview on Tom Robinson's BBC 6FM show yesterday. You can listen again for the next week from Tom's page: it's the Monday show and the interview starts about 1h10m into the show.

Michael Bradshaw and Stephen Fall from the forum recorded a Fall special for Michael's Daily Show, which is available for streaming on http://www.totallyradio.com. You have to register to listen, but it's free.

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added 28 February

An Uncut readers' Q&A from this month's issue. Thanks to Pike1957 for the scans.

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added 28 February

Thanks to Lionel for sending in this scan of the MES interview in the 22 February issue of the French newspaper Liberation.

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added 28 February

As reported here last month, Mark E. Smith has joined forces with Mouse on Mars as Von Südenfed (myspace page). According to Pitchfork, the album -- Tromatic Reflexxions -- is due for release on Domino Records 21 May in the UK and 5 June in the USA and contains the following tracks:

01 Fledermaus Can't Get Enough
02 The Rhinohead
03 Family Feud
04 Flooded
05 Duckrog
06 The Young the Faceless and the Codes
07 Speech Contamination/German Fear of Osterreich
08 Serious Brainskin
09 Chicken Yiamas
10 That Sound Wiped
11 Jbak Lois Lane
12 Dearest Friend

Also according to Pitchfork, a tour is planned for this summer followed by the recording of a second album.

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added 21 February

New Fall single and Reformation Post TLC vinyl (UK):

- Slogan will release a Fall single on 9 April on 12" and CD. Both formats will have the same tracks:

A-side: Reformation (Uncut)
B-side: Over Over / My Door / Reformation (Edit)

- Slogan will release a double LP of RPTLC on 5 March. They say the vinyl will be a slightly different mix to the CD and track 14 (Outro) has been dropped.

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added 31 January; updated 5 April

Reformation Post TLC reviews are piling up...

Houston Press (4 April)

Seattle Weekly (4 April)

Live Daily (30 March)

Dusted (26 March)

Popmatters.com (27 March)

Gogoparis.com

Pitchfork (March 12, 4 out of 10!)

Wire (March issue), thanks to Kyle

Yahoo's Launch music page by Luke Turner. Is that the same Luke what does playlouder.com?

The French magazine Rock & Folk (March issue), thanks to Lionel

A somewhat bizarre review in inthenews.co.uk (15 Feb)

The Times (9 February)

The Sunday Times (11 February) by Stewart Lee, thanks to Claire.

The Evening Standard's London Lite (9 February), scroll down

The Daily Mirror (9 February), scroll down

A lengthy review in today's Guardian by Alexis Petridis, wherein he mentions the similarity between the United States of America's "Coming Down" and Reformation's "Over! Over!". If you're not familiar with the USA track, you can hear it on the band's myspace page.

The Independent (9 February)

The Scotsman (9 February)

The Japan Times (9 February)

Word, March 2007, thanks to Ocelot.

Thanks to freeranger for sending in this RPTLC review from the latest Uncut, which includes "Reformation Uncut" (a slightly different version to the album's Reformation) on the freebie CD.

Here's one from the latest Q, thanks to Claire.

As usual, playlouder.com has a better review than the UK glossies.

Belfast Telegraph (12 January) says it's the best Fall album since 1979 and gave it 4 stars in the printed version.

The NME (6 February), thanks to Graeme.

Mojo (February), includes a short interview with MES. Many thanks to Ocelot for scanning it in.

 

 

 

Fall News archive