INTRODUCTION PART ONE

BEING A FAN OF THE FALL IS BASICALLY A YOKE AS MUCH AS IT IS A JOY BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH STUFF.

ONCE YOU PLOUGH THROUGH THE INTENDED VERSIONS OF THE STUDIO ALBUMS THERE'S THE EXTENDED PLAYS, SINGLES AND B-SIDES (WHICH DIDN'T APPEAR ON ALBUMS UNTIL MES WAS SHORT OF CASH SO THEY EVENTUALLY DID). 

THEN ONCE YOU'VE GOT THROUGH THOSE THERE'S THE TRIFLING MATTER OF 6 DISCS OF PEEL SESSIONS (24 SESSIONS IN TOTAL). AND YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY DO THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE GREAT FUN.

LAST OF ALL, PERHAPS, WOULD BE THE LIVE ALBUMS. THERE'S MORE OF THESE THAN PROBABLY EVERY OTHER CATEGORY PUT TOGETHER. MOST FANS WON'T BOTHER WITH THEM AND UNTIL THIS PROJECT I CERTAINLY WASN'T THIRSTING FOR THEM.

THE FALL AS A LIVE FORCE SEEM TO HAVE BEEN MERCURIAL. THE GREATEST BAND IN THE WORLD ON ONE NIGHT AND SUB-LOCAL BAND THE NEXT. I SAW THEM TWICE:

• 29/11/01: IN A PUB ON OXFORD ROAD IN MANCHESTER TOURING THE ARE YOU ARE MISSING WINNER ALBUM (OPENING ACT: AZIVEED [FROM RUNCORN]) WHERE THEY WERE SO GUTLESS AND ORDINARY THAT I REMEMBER ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT THE SHOW EXCEPT SOME RANDOM GUY GETTING UP TO SING ONE WITH THEM (I THINK IT WAS 'TOUCH SENSITIVE'). I SOLD MY TICKET TO A FELLER OFF THE FALL FORUM AND ABOUT A YEAR LATER HE DIED.

• 02/02/04: AT THE BARFLY IN CAMDEN HEADLINING OVER JARCREW AND MCLUSKY WHO WERE BOTH YOUNG AND TIGHT AND IN THEIR SALAD DAYS; THE FALL EFFORTLESSLY TROUNCED BOTH.
  

EITHER YOU WERE GOING TO GET AN EXPERIENCE THAT INTENSIFIES THE MODE OF THE SONG THEY'RE PLAYING IE. SURREAL, HYPNOTIC, INTENSE, CHAOTIC, HILARIOUS, DIRGELIKE. OR YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE BRUNT OF MES' CHAGRIN AND THE BRUNT OF A VENGEFUL SOUND ENGINEER, HELD TOGETHER BY A BAND WHO HAVE PRACTISED APPROXIMATELY 2.3 TIMES. 

WHY THEY DON'T CHERRYPICK THE FORMER FOR THEIR LIVE ALBUMS I DO NOT KNOW, BUT THAT'S THE FALL FOR YER.