The Fall (with support from Schneider)

Temple Bar Music Centre, 12th October 2001

Support tonight came from Schindler, and unfortunately a short set barely rose above predictable, turgid rock, despite several attempts by the lead singer to encourage the crowd to inch closer. No thanks, ears no like.

The standard of a Fall gig is normally determined by the ever changing temperament of eccentric indie perennial Mark E. Smith. Thankfully tonight he's leaning towards the coherent as he casually takes to the stage during an instrumental intro. The sheer quantity of Fall albums (near 40 including compilations) ensures that probably not a soul present would extract complete satisfaction from the setlist, but a good range of songs covering the tempestuous, fractured life of the Fall are in evidence tonight.

Two major highlights are "Folding Money" and "Mr Pharmacist" which encapsulates the acerbic Northern attitude they're synonymous with. It's Manchester attitude that comes naturally in buckets to Mark E as opposed to the pseudo-Gallagher style. Countless line-up changes (entry to the Fall is by swing doors only) have not diluted the hard charged sound and new tracks from current album "Are you are missing winner" seem promising, while "ten houses of Eve" and "(Jung Nev's) Antidotes" have never sounded better.

This time the chance you need to take on a Fall gig pays off, and the ever present first five rows at Fall gigs go home as happy as a Fall fan can be.

Mark Jenkins