In among all the post-match analysis of MES’s genius way with words and his theatrical gift for apparently effortless vocal dramatics, amid all these sociological meditations upon what the Fall told us about the world, let it not be forgotten what fun it was to be a Fall fan! Our great big brilliant secret. And my phone is filled with shared condolences, many from friends I made because of the Fall.
The places Mark would make us go in his pursuit of minimal venue overheads – vast forgotten Irish clubs in Cricklewood, derelict discotheques in Croydon, five-night runs in rooms above pubs, packed beyond capacity. And the nerveracking thrill of not knowing which side of the thin line between transcendental and terrible tonight’s show might fall. Two nights in a row, in the same room, with the same set list, utterly unrecognisable from one another. And who was still going to be in the band? And what hilarious half-heard fragment would you snatch from the muffled lyrical mix tonight? My favourite from the last album? “All salute at the altar of filo pastry.”
Tributes to artists often end up being more about the person writing them, but MES provided me with an alternative education, looping me into Camus, and Arthur Machen, and William Blake, and Can, and dub and old garage punk and rock’n’roll. I saw the Fall 52 times and without MES my life would have been utterly different and nowhere near as much fun. What on earth are we all going to do with ourselves now?
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World Without End, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Bosco239, youtube
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Idrie, Youtube
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Mearecate, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Brighton Argus
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Anamatronix, Youtube