2nd Dark Age / Psykick Dancehall 2
The last release by The Fall on Step Forward Records before humping all the new tunes over to the other west London based label of the day, Rough Trade Records.
One of the finest and most original bands to emerge post punk, the material from 1978 until 1983 is absolutely wonderful in a Beefheartian kind of way, and well worth searching out on CD or secondhand vinyl shops.
The LP’s ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Hex Education Hour’, both on Rough Trade are a couple of the finest releases by this band. I say 1983 (above) because the last record I purchased from the band was the ‘Perverted By Language’ LP which was released in that year. I am sure the band were, and are still, releasing material at the cutting edge, after 1983 until the present day, I have just not heard much of it…
Quite a few of the very early releases were recorded with the help, on the mixing desk, by Here And Now soundman Grant Showbiz, which fits quite nicely on the Here And Now / Alternative TV / Zounds / The Mob / The Astronauts axies, which of course fits nicely with this site.
Above is the band running order for the Deeply Vale Peoples Festival from 1978, with The Fall on the bill with Alternative TV and Here And Now. The Ruts and Misty In Roots played the following evening.
Some comments about performance from The Falls site visi.com:
It was later estimated that 18,000 people attended the festival. The Fall played on the festival’s Saturday “New Wave Afternoon.” Many thanks to Mark for the festival running order.
Dave: “You say about 18,000 people attended Deeply Vale July 78. I was there – no more than 3000 at most I would say. Anyway, I seem to remember seeing the Fall there – memory a little hazy so I may be completely wrong – they played in the pouring rain. About 30 people in front of the stage (me included) everyone else huddling in tents and under bin bags. Just me and my brother and a few strangers shuffling about in front of the high stage. Most animated punter was …. you guessed it – Jon The Postman – oblivious to the elements. Can anyone else corroborate my story?”
later Dave added: “There were 20,000 people there!!! The Fall did play in the afternoon and the afternoon was compered by Tony Wilson. Been thinking about the 78 festival – it wasn’t entirely a pleasant experience – Hell’s Angels drove through the middle of the site on motorbikes and generally behaved aggressively. Looking into people’s tents looking for Punks to beat up. Police turned up on site. Things got a bit threatening so I left late one night and went home!
Eagle eyed browsers may notice both Oasis and Nirvana performing at this festival. Perhaps a law suit is in order for both Geffen and Creation records for a bunch of mid to late 1980’s misfits stealing these bands names from the original 1978 lot!
Martin C
October 5, 2008 at 3:22 amProb the only record to namecheck Bjorn from Abba, Helen Duncan and Jack Dash*? (*well, that’s what I read into it) “eat this grenade” indeed!
Though was more of a Brix era fan myself, and, personally, I reckon some of the 90s stuff on the albums ‘Extricate’, ‘Infotainment Scan’ (another disco crossover – check their cover of ‘Lost in Music’) and ‘Middle Class Revolt’ beat the early 80s stuff hands down. Oh, and that single (“Inch”) he did with DOSE, around ’97? – fucking killer played loud.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NMoGDzkplrI
Lazy Rod
October 5, 2008 at 12:47 pmThe FALL are possibly the greatest band of all time! Well certainly MY favourite band of all time. First heard on Peel’s wing-ding in ’78 and still buying their records. Saw them last year for the godknowshowmanyth time and Mark E’s still an impressive and miserable performer! Anyone interested may want to visit my blog as I’ve posted most of the unreleased radio sessions that haven’t been officially released (yet!). Gotta be said that pre-84 era Fall is still the best for me, but in all these years they still haven’t made a duff album…
smith3000
October 5, 2008 at 8:53 pmBrilliant.
I think you’re missing out on some great albums that came out after Perverted by Language though – stuff which immediately springs to mind includes I Am Kurious Oranj, This Nation’s Saving Grace, Interim and Fall Heads Roll, all of which compare to the early classics – and MES also did a superb album with Mouse on Mars under the name Von Sudenfed last year.
That Deeply Vale running order is a little piece of history. Also included on the bill above are Pegasus (featuring Andy McClusky who went onto form OMD before ending up creating Atomic Kitten) and Danny and the Dressmakers (with Graham Massey from Biting Tongues, 808 State, Homelife, Sisters of Transistors etc).
I think this might have been the year when the festival went a bit punk rock and Wilful Damage’s singer was manhandled off the stage by Sid Rawle …
Graham Burnett
October 6, 2008 at 10:31 amI wonder if ‘Dave’ who commented on the Deeply Vale festival was getting confused with Stonehenge 1980, as surely that was the event with 20,000 people and the violence against punks by bikers?? Although I don’t remember the fall playing there… Didn’t go to Deeply Vale, but I had friends who did, and they never mentioned any violence or trouble.
Graham Burnett
October 6, 2008 at 1:59 pm> “Eagle eyed browsers may notice both Oasis and Nirvana performing at this festival.”
And Aqua.
I wonder if the original lyrics to their classic song read “Come on Barbie, lets go party. At Deeply Vale. With Steve Hillage and Crispy Ambulance.”
Farmer Glitch
October 6, 2008 at 3:14 pmIn total agreement with Lazy Rod – The Fall rock this household and have done for the past 30 years – the last 4 or so releases have been absolutely slamming – and ’50 Year Old man’ off the last one is as good as anything they have produced ..
Bloody brilliant stuff !!
Nic
October 6, 2008 at 7:50 pmI can remember hearing this the night John Peel first played it – it still sounds great…
MES usually comes up with something interesting – great writer…
(1st heard them in 1978 when someone played me ‘It’s the New Thing’ – “Crash! Smash! Crack! Ring!”)
“I wonder if the original lyrics to their classic song read “Come on Barbie, lets go party. At Deeply Vale. With Steve Hillage and Crispy Ambulance.””
Hellfire, that cracked me up Graham…
🙂
If anyone wants to look into Deeply Vale more, here’s the site:
http://www.deeplyvale.com/
(WARNING: May contain Hippies)
smith3000
October 6, 2008 at 8:31 pmMES sez: “There were a lot of hells angels there – and they weren’t messing about ..”
There’s a longish piece on Deeply Vale here:
http://smith3000.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/feature-truly-madly-deeply-vale/
Didn’t go myself but it sounds like a right laugh ..
Nic
October 7, 2008 at 12:00 pmHippy Connections…
Engineered by Dave Anderson (1st bassist of Hawkwind) at his Foel Studio…
Produced by Mayo Thompson (Red Crayola)…