Enough Is Enough

Well Smith has done it once more in Edinburgh, took the piss out of the people he makes a living from and sadly I was there to see it again.

The venue was busy, busier than I had expected and without doubt the biggest venue the Fall have played north of the border for some time. By 20:45, the time the band were supposed to come on stage the place was just about full.

Two minutes to nine the band take to the stage followed by Smith less than a minute later which was pretty surprising as it usually takes him three or four minutes to wander on and bask in the adulation (which he pretends to ignore). From the off the band sounded good although it was difficult to hear Tim Presley's guitar until half way through the fourth song when Smith turned the guitar amp up probably the only thing he added to the evening as he then sauntered off stage. I looked at Stiff who shook his head in disbelief, it was happening again.

The band then launched into Laptop and Smith proceeded to deliver the vocals from backstage which was mildly amusing for the first couple of minutes but when he continued to do so for the next song I have to admit my patience expired. And that was it the band struggled through a further 7 songs with no input from Smith whatsoever and then left the stage.

The wife came back on to explain that Smith had sore feet, sore fucking feet! Stiff, Myself and a good number of the crowd then left the building. Apparently the band did come back on for an encore of Mr Pharmacist with Smith briefly taking to the stage but I was on my road home by then, having once again wasted my hard earned money on that fucking waster.

I have decided that, other than when the gruppe are playing Glasgow that will be the last time that I will see them live. I know it may sound like a bit of a cliche but he wouldn't get away with that kind of behaviour in Glasgow, the audience is just not as easy going and Smith knows that. It has to be said that the man is an out and out git and also a  bit of a spineless bastard, leaving the group to take the abuse from the crowd that he knows will follow him leaving the stage because we all know as the fud himself said "if it's me and yir granny on bongos, then it's the Fall" and also hiding behind his wife, having her come out and explain to the crowd why your not there, yeah Mark, really grown up that, taking responsibility for your actions.

Two things that really gaulled me about last night, firstly the band sounded brilliant, very tight which is quite surprising when you realise that the guitarist stepped in at the last minute and had only a couple of weeks to rehearse the new material. Which shows that if Smith had been at all interested it could have been a brilliant gig

And secondly, I just can't fathom the mentality of the fanboys who are prepared to let Smith get away with this shit and they are not in the minority. They obviously have money to burn and are quite happy to be made mugs of by this absolute tosser who In their eyes can do no wrong. Here are a few of the responses posted on the Fall forum regarding last night's pish.

Was a great Fall gig, band were tight, memorable, (just) over an hour from first appearance to the end of Mr P

Anyone that seriously appreciates the band and comes without the review already written would have come away positive after tonight.

I hope everyone going to the rest of the dates gets it as good

Great gig. much better than the Studio 24 Debacle.


Hope he gets better soon..

I fear that that my obsession with the Fall might be just about over what with this and also what I think is a pretty mediocre new album. I will not stop buying new releases and searching for that elusive vinyl copy of The Marshall Suite I just don't think that I will be eagerly awaiting each new release or wishing that they were touring again.

Here is something by a band who never disappoint, well not yet that might all change on Monday night and a group, who could teach Smith a thing or two about his so called work ethic.


Airborne Toxic Event - Missy (live)