28 Apr - The Fall @ QMU, Glasgow.

A first for me tonight. Why I have not seen The Fall before now is a mystery to me as I've loved them for years but nothing was going to stop me this time. The gig was originally to be at the Renfrew Ferry but its refurbishment meant a switch the Glasgow Universitys Queen Margaret Union (QMU) and although I had looked forward to attending my first gig in a boat, the QMU is superb and I was actually quite pleased.

A quick mention of the support act, Uncle John and Whitlock, I'd heard quite a bit about this band but not actually heard their music and I was glad to be in on time to catch their set, do check them out if you can.

After a wait of almost 2 hours, The Fall came onstage and began with Theme From Starka FC, which was superb and from then on in every song was superb. I was concerned about how fit Mark E. Smith would be for the gig as he does appear a little "unfit" when I've seen him recently on TV but what a showman. His constant fiddling with the guitar and bass amps was hilarious for the audience but a pain in the arse for the musicians onstage, and his insistence on having the mic stands stuffed into the bass drum and random synth solos were also very funny and showed a cheeky school boy side that was very entertaining.

A great gig and I'd encourage everyone to witness The Fall before Mark E. Smith hangs up his mic stand for good, which surely can't be too long in the future.

Top stuff.

Al