Another fine show in the smaller venue on the first floor rather than the big room upstairs which helped. 70+ minutes from just after the usual 10 o'clock:

New Instrumental - now with Your Future Our Clutter lyrics
Strange Town
Wolf Kidult Man
Slippy Floor
Chino Splashback
50 Yr old Man
I've been Duped
New Cowboy - now with words!
Cowboy George
I'm not from Bury - roadie did some lyrics at end after MES left half way through
Scenario - with Beefheart lyrics again
Psychic Dancehall
Reformation - some inspired mosh pit lyrics. It's the new Blindness you know.
Encore - Hot Cake

Good gig, both MES and group in fine form. I'd not heard any of the new tracks until tonight and thought that three or four of them sound cracking. There's a couple that seem a bit duff though.

MES' amp fiddling brought some unexpectedly good results, especially when Pete's guitar became very loud and distorted. It really aided the opening few songs.

Set was comprised mainly of IWS and new songs, with Scenario and Reformation thrown in for good measure. I'm enjoying the fact that the group seem to have cast off Pacifying Joint, Sparta, What About Us etc but could do with more showings of Blindness!

I believe I was standing next to a fellow FOF-er (Bald, glasses, IWS shirt). I was a the long haired chap with a shit beige cardigan.

Personal highlights of the set:

Strangetown
Wolf Kidult Man
Scenario
Psykick Dancehall
Reformation.



P.S.

There'll be a few photos up tomorrow too.

P.P.S.

22/11/2009*

slaphead and glasses....yeah, that was me!

cracking show last night, I especially liked the moment where the lad in the serving hatch (thats what it looked like) went to shake Mark's hand and Mark just twisted his arm!

We stayed over in the Liner hotel, just up from the venue and who should I bump into this morning helping himself to a couple of rashers of streaky and a fried egg, Dave Spurr!

He seemed genuinely shcked that someone recognised him and I didn't really strike up a conversation as he looked a little uncomfortable!

Ha! When I got home from the gig there was already a setlist up on here. What a bunch of nerds we are. A bit dissapointed there was no Blindness, but what other band could play only songs from their last two albums and still have the fans going mental?

I was a bit jealous at the Poole setlist, imagine if they'd played that in Liverpool? There were quite a few overexcited types there as it was, dropping Blindness or Mr Pharmacist would have sent us over the edge.

My first fall concert for quite a while and I would advise Pavement to start practising now before they play with the Fall next May, unless they want to absolutely, massively pissed on by a band led by a man old enough to be their dad.

Well now. From where I was standing, that was - to quote another recent post about this tour - one of the best gigs I've ever seen, by anyone.

Where I was standing might have something to do with that, as well: I was right up front, against the barrier, and so was receiving the sound from the stage at its starkest and sharpest. I think this helps, particularly with the current crop of material.

Great setlist, too. I loved the fact that it was mainly new material (including for encore, nice one). It feels fresher without Sparta, Pacifying Joint and Blindness, for me. The Fall don't need 'classics', they are a moving force, and are above all that. 'Reformation' might have been around for a while now, but the way they play it is different every time. Last night, the subtleties of light and shade/peak and trough in the performance of it, and the unity with which it was played, were stunning - it was like one person was playing all of it.

I had heard some of the new songs on bootlegs, Youtube etc and found some a bit dull - 'Sloppy Floor', for instance. However, they really work live. What seems to be happening at the moment is a stripping down of the song to its absolute bare essentials, then driving as much force through this essence as possible. There was absolutely no chaff whatsoever. Every note and pulse seemed to matter, and it seemed to me that band are really into what they are playing and - in a pleasingly forceful way - are exercising a great deal of care and attention. A big word for Kieron Melling here: one of the best performances I've seen from a Fall (or any) drummer - unshowy yet subtle, mechanical yet spiteful.

MES seemed very interested and attentive too; indeed, a few songs seemed to particularly matter to him in different ways ('Cowboy George', '50 Year Old Man', and especially 'Scenario' - a beautifully restrained version, full of different sorts of shadow). The amp-fiddling really worked too - when the guitar amp went up full in 'Strangetown' it seemed to lift me off my feet.

'Chino' simply oozed; 'Hot Cake' was like a broken-chair saloon brawl; '50 Year Old Man' lurching wonderfully along like a comical confusion between cartoon and documentary. Also, the best version of 'Duped' I've heard yet (why play 2 notes when one will do?).

Loved the intro and outro tape as well.

Big shout for whoever did the sound too - spot on.

Inspired moshpit lyrics - yes indeed!

My only regret: no T. Cooper backdrop.

Re: the above - Pavement have no chance.

Also, the singer of one of the support groups (The Temps) is a mate of mine. I'm so bloody jealous. Before I left my old group I tried so hard to get a Fall support slot. Oh well.

I would have said a brief hello to you but you were enjoying yourself so I didn't want to bring you back to reality!

"Wolf Kidult Man", Liverpool 02 Academy 23/11/09

"50 Year Old Man", Liverpool 02 Academy 23/11/09

Not mine, obviously.

am I being harsh, or was Girl Peculiar pretty terrible?

Really didn't think much of that at all

yeah, she wasn't great... but Blaney didn't really help, did he? ....and I'm one of the people who really like the Smith and Blaney records...

the Temps were kinda pretty good - loads of enthusiasm and energy. I thought the guitarist and bassist were fantastic.... if only they could find a drummer and singer of equal stature.... particularly a singer who doesn't feel the need to give out band myspace URLs onstage and to ask people to clap along.... pretty embarrassing really. Still, they're pretty young and may yet learn....

It is a shame if no one recorded this based on your report- thanks for making the effort - it is much appreciated by us all.