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The Biggest Library Yet 5

The Biggest Library Yet 5 US 94 tour as told by members of Fallnet Published February 1996 SOLD OUT Cut and paste job, non-digital. Well-documented. Too well-documented. according to some. Download the best pages from this issue (100-130k each) issue5a.gif issue5b.gif issue5c.gif issue5d.gif issue5e.gif issue5f.gif issue5g.gif

He exceeded his usual aloof self, and appeared not to have ay interest in performing well or thrilling his audience, or me. I chuckled to myself when he inspected his cuticles when singing.

Then I asked Brix how it was to tour with Mark again. Wasn't it hard after all those nasty things he said in his songs about you? She replied: 'I asked Mark if those songs were about me, and he assured me that they were not. Mark married again right after our divorce and that marriage ended quickly and ugly - he made a big mistake. Perhaps those songs were about the second wife.'

As I said in my post yesterday, I was only a few feet from MES, and he definitely was either really drunk or high or both. His eyes had that glazed over look to them.

Whilst hanging around in the bar before the show we spotted Simon Wolstencroft seemingly loading up on cigarettes for the whole band. Unable to miss this opportunity we introduced ourselves and throwing cool to the wind asked for an autograph. We were immediately invited onto the tour bus where we met Brix and Dave Bush. We both found them to be perfect hosts... After 20 minutes the rest of the band turned up on the bus and as room became limited we left them to sort themselves out - but not before Mark appeared and asked Simon if we were new members of the band.

Oddest moment for me were the occasions when a couple of female fans hopped up next to him and go-goed merrily for a few moments before security shoveled them back into the crowd - other than a flicker of apprehension this didn't appear to register with MES.

I thought The Fall were great - 2nd best show I've ever seen - Brix's return was crucial... Somebody had a note which they held up to Brix, who smiled and shrugged. Later, they got over to MES and held up the same note. MES, without looking directly at it, snagged the note, still not looking at it, and calmly crumpled it up and dropped it behind him.

...he always looks bored, it's part of the band's image. I would hate them bouncing around the stage like Madonna; it would be just as bad as Craig and Steve thrashing their heads around grunge-style.

Mark grabbed his old rock star leather sportcoat, cup, papers, and walks over to Brix. Shouts in her ear as the song begins. She looks at him strangely and nods.Later, she told a group of us that he said: 'Sing the fuckin' song.' Of course, she didn't know the lyrics but sung 'Hey student, hey student, wow wow wow wow' and made up some other words.

Brix in person is one of the more adorable people you'll ever see. I said something to this effect to Karl, who replied: 'Well... she's all right I guess.'

Someone from the audience offered Mark a beer but he politely declined, went up to the mike and gave a molnologue on the evils of intoxication... Then, my favourite moment, Mark thanked the other musicians and they all gathered and gave a big group hug to each other, and Mark threw some flowers out to the audience. Roses!

Highlights for me:
1. Interesting creative tension I perceived among Karl Burns, Brix and Dave Bush
2. Extended version of Ladybird
3. New, heavier, almost sultry version of Middle Class Revolt
4. Mere Pseud Mag.Ed.!
5. Trippy evil Dave Bush synth lines

The next song was Free Range, and I was totally convinced here that The Fall are still indeed the Mighty Fall...

(I also wanted to mention Mark's aluminium foil shirt.)

Random quotes

The way I was brought up you put on a clean shirt and have a wash before you go out.
Mark E Smith

I'm a bit short with journalists. They all go on about the Velvet Underground. And they talk down to you. They'll be pushing the Velvet Underground and I've known about them since I was 16. I know who the bass player was on the third album.
Mark E Smith

If you join the Fallnet, be prepared (amongst other things) for lots of meaningless traffic, particularly from the other side of the pond, without any relation whatsoever to The Fall. Anon



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Below is the cover pic used for issue 5.1. You won a highly limited TBLY if you knew what the connection was between Mark E Smith, Barry Humphries and Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Thanks to CBM for suggesting the question - the only correct entry knew that they were all members of the Arthur Machen Society.
Arthur Machen (1863-1947) was a Welsh writer. His supernatural tales of evil and horror include The Great God Pan (1894), who turns up in Leave the Capitol.