I’ve thought hard about commenting on the demise of Mark E. Smith, as I have little truck with folk reminiscing about the dead. Sorry, and all that. I’m sure BRAPA will arrange a suitable pisstake on his next blog.
But after 3 pints in Stockport tonight, and noticing the sad closure of Winters, I relented. Winter, from Hex Induction Hour, is one of the great Fall, er, tunes.
The Fall are, with Joy Division, pretty much the reason I fell for Manchester in my mid-teens. And MES was one of the great #PubMen, pretty much the face of Holts over the last couple of decades. And a City fan, who probably hated the recent success as much as I do.
Compare 2010s Mark with the feesh-faced poster of 1987.
Anyway, just for Mudgie, here’s a video of cats licking themselves, to the accompaniment of “Bill Is Dead” by the Fall, Not the best version, but one of the best songs I’ve ever heard.
retiredmartin 
A fantastic picture. Great cover of Victoria from the Kinks back catalogue and there are too many others too mention.
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Victoria a great cover, though it’s the weird/scaryearly ’80s stuff I fell for. Saw them over a 30 year period, a peerless live act.
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Unique! Industrial estate – a song I heard on a punk documentary – is still one of my favourite Fall tunes…
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Someone mentioned that tonight, never heard that one. MES must have written as many songs as Prince !
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More I reckon!
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I now have the mental image of this insane archive buried under the remains of Maine Road. Although MES probably released everything he ever recorded.
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I wouldn’t look under the remains of Maine Road if I were you, those pies were radioactive. Would love to know what the Dutch make The Fall. Is there a Dutch Fall.
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I imagine the Fall must have played the Paradiso in the 70’s when it was a truly strange underground squat type venue, not heard of them making it over here in recent years.
Closest Dutch version of MES I can think of would be Herman Brood. Although there may have been even weirder stuff late sixties/early seventies. Not a lot of it traveled as far as I know.
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Good call, Didn’t know Herman Brood were Dutch, assumed they were from Wigan !
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Would Nina Hagen go out with someone from Wigan? Or MES?
BYW, were the radioactive pies better?
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The radioactive pie and peas were better than the rubbish served at the Etihad now, which is why I always go for the Arndale Food court or This’n’That before the match.
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I’m always sad when a Smith dies. There are so few of us.*
Cheers
* Hopefully the above isn’t taken as disrespectful. Living on this side of the Atlantic I was not familiar with The Fall or MES.
But after doing some poking around on the Net I must I like the cut of his jib and will be checking their music out on YouTube.
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“And a City fan, who probably hated the recent success as much as I do.”
Absolutely classic ! You are the day’s deserved recipient of the Order of Peter Swales Blueness ( with Kinkladze bar).
Am I hallucinating or did you post something about the St Peters gate tap and four hours????
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Yep, that was my Twitter. Came up from Cambridge last night, A616 closed, took forever.
At least you saw Swales at the ground, not like this modern lot.
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Ah the connoisseurs route! Is it a temporary closure? If not where? Going to London tomorrow on that route, Marple-Chesterfield-Palterton-Cuckney-Budby-Ollerton-North Muskham-A1.
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Don’t know, Google didn’t show it. Went thru Penistone. Your route is A6, of course 😉
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Bill is Dead is wonderful, but the album it comes from contains probably the best opening lines to any song ever:
“Hilary,
Where’s the sixty quid you borrowed off me
For the gas?”
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So it does ! That was the Fall’s last pitch for proper success. I saw them do “Bill is Dead” for the first time, at Cambridge Corn Exchange in ’89, genuinely one of great moments of my life.
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In the late 80s/early 90s I’d often see MES drinking in the Stage Door; the pub next to the Palace Theatre at the top of Oxford Road. He cut an incongruous figure among the theatregoers and minor celebs who were the usual clientele.
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Our American readers have no idea who we’re talking about. but I note Mark is still (as they) “trending” with folk reminiscing this morning. You’re better off watching the interviews and trying to understand the music, you’ll never be 15 in 1980 again and in awe of “Elastic Man”.
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