FiLmS Full: The Fall - Last Night at the Palais (2007)

The Fall - Last Night at the Palais (2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Night_at_The_Palais

Working across four decades, The Fall have become a venerated musical institution. Remaining musically far left of centre as possible whilst simultaneously enjoying the luxury of wide-scale critical adulation, the band have released over 27 studio albums, and double that in collections. In leader--and only band constant--Mark Edward Smith ruling the group with his particular R.O.D. of iron, the band have lost none of their sneering charm and continue to both delight and repel in equal measure. A favourite of the late, great John Peel (The Fall recorded more BBC Radio 1 Sessions than any other band), the collective have recently been enjoying something of a renaissance due to recent strong album deliveries with Fall Heads Roll and Post Reformational TLC which have drawn approval from fans and reawakened, not only the wider broadsheet critics but also a hackneyed music press

On January 21st 2007, the Hammersmith Palais, one of London’s most historic music venues was condemned to close its doors to be converted into an office complex and restaurant. By a strange quirk of fate, the last band to ever play there was The Fall. Their Hammersmith gig on 1st April had been booked as part of their 20 date UK spring tour to promote the release of their 27th album, Reformation Post TLC. Never one to play a greatest hits set, Smith with this seven-piece though short-lived line-up which mixed the US and UK wings of the band (supporting Smith and his keyboard-playing wife Elena, were guitarists Tim Presley and Pete Greenway, bassists Rob Barbato and Dave "The Eagle" Spurr and the ever-smiling Opheo McCord on drums) delivered a mainly recent, forthcoming and unreleased set of songs to the capacity crowd. The only concessions to The Fall's 80’s & 90’s repertoire being "Right Place, Wrong Time" and "White Lightning". Whilst not quite the sending-off that some die-hard Palais supporters had visualised, it was certainly a memorable one which is thankfully captured here in The Fall’s inimitable way.

Track listing

1. Senior Twilight Stock Replacer
2. Pacifying Joint
3. Fall Sound
4. Over! Over!
5. Theme from Sparta FC
6. Hungry Freaks, Daddy
7. Wrong Place, Right Time
8. My Door Is Never
9. The Wright Stuff
10. White Lightning
11. Blindness
12. Reformation