THE fall

Earlier on, this stage had been chosen to launch ‘Perverted by Language’ – a book of short fiction inspired by the Fall, although judging by the crowds reaction (ie, an air of uneasiness) it lacked the anarchic charge that has made Mark E Smith a true legend. After a montage of short films that missed the mark by a long way, Stewart Lee was a refreshing antidote, with his ironic observations of the city that is in the midst of hosting its first International Festival. On stage Mark E Smith is a wonder, a genius that doesn’t disappoint. He may have seemed a little spaced out, and his creative wordplay not quite as apparent as it is on record, but he did display true literary prowess – and a performance so engrossed that he was was almost childlike. Meanwhile his supporting band encapsulated his craft perfectly, and they gave no less than two encores from a much adoring crowd. Highlights of the performance included “Frightened” which was delivered with transical beauty, “Muzerweri’s Daughter” which had an almost haunting native Indian blend, and the superbly melodic “Your Heart Out”. The Fall are clearly still at the cutting edge of their game after three decades of influencing some of today’s most prominent bands. Suitably. At the end of the gig a Terry Nutkin’s Doppelganger approached me to warmly comment that his “ears had gone numb”.