Mark E Smith

[Ricky Bobby]

RIP Mark. Legend. Edinburgh man.

[Mibbes Aye]

He was something else. The man the word 'irascible' was coined for.

[Colr]

Tragic!!

He was a great musician. Saw them at the Kings with Michael Clark. Original and brilliant. Great loss!

[heretoday]

Genius.

[heretoday]

RIP Mark. Legend. Edinburgh man.

He stayed in Leith for a couple of years I gather during a fallow period in his career.

Edinburgh Man is a beautiful song right enough.

[Stonewall]

Never comfortable listening but capable of being genuinely moving.

A true artist: RIP Mark.

[Johnny Clash]

Very sad news - saw The Fall at the Nite Club (above The Playhouse) - amazing gig.

RIP Mark E Smith - totally wired!

[PeeJay]

Sad to hear that such a dogged, challenging and "interesting" musician has passed so early - didn't care much for his music myself, but he certainly deserves respect for his prolific output and independent stance ...

[heretoday]

The thing is he was genuine. He didn't take any prisoners, hired and fired band members at will, and wrote some extraordinary songs - some of which are barely listenable. I can only compare him to Capt Beefheart but unlike him he retained his hard edge to the end.

[patch1875]

Seen The Fall a couple of times as a mate thought they were great the gigs were certainly an event but never quite got them myself.

He was certainly an enigma.


RIP

[Carheenlea]

First saw them in 1990 and have been to goodness knows how many gigs in the time to now, and have every album plus lots of compilations/bootlegs. It was known he was in bad health, but without any official statements to explain exactly what his condition was, fans were left to speculate.
We had booked to go and see them play in Wakefield back in October, but then Hibs got to the league cup semi against Celtic to be played the following day. We changed our plans to drive down and back on the night, and when Mark E Smith entered the stage in a wheelchair looking awful, bloated with swelling in his face and an arm in a sling, it looked like he was seriously ill. Bizarrely though, he sounded better than he had done for years, and it was a top performance. A couple of nights later they played Newcastle, and again I drove down, this time on my own to see a slightly better looking Mark E Smith and and even better show - it was blistering. A couple of weeks later the next gig was Glasgow, and along we went again to witness another great show, and this time he even managed to wheel himself about the stage to fiddle with the amps like he always did, but the question was how long can this go on for? It was a real body blow and quite upsetting to learn of his passing, despite never actually meeting the man. The inexhaustible back catalogue will always be there, but the excitement and adventure of being a Fall fan, travelling the country, the camaraderie with like minded people you meet on the way and that nervousness before gigs with not knowing exactly how it's going to go, will be hugely missed.
The tributes in print, and on Radio 6 have been fantastic, and even MOTD paid tribute. I just hope that those who thought he was crap before still think he is crap now he is gone.. Last thing we want is Fall t shirts in H&M.

Here was his final arrival onstage


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcZ4vsqe5hE&app=desktop

[Johnny Clash]

First saw them in 1990 and have been to goodness knows how many gigs in the time to now, and have every album plus lots of compilations/bootlegs. It was known he was in bad health, but without any official statements to explain exactly what his condition was, fans were left to speculate.
We had booked to go and see them play in Wakefield back in October, but then Hibs got to the league cup semi against Celtic to be played the following day. We changed our plans to drive down and back on the night, and when Mark E Smith entered the stage in a wheelchair looking awful, bloated with swelling in his face and an arm in a sling, it looked like he was seriously ill. Bizarrely though, he sounded better than he had done for years, and it was a top performance. A couple of nights later they played Newcastle, and again I drove down, this time on my own to see a slightly better looking Mark E Smith and and even better show - it was blistering. A couple of weeks later the next gig was Glasgow, and along we went again to witness another great show, and this time he even managed to wheel himself about the stage to fiddle with the amps like he always did, but the question was how long can this go on for? It was a real body blow and quite upsetting to learn of his passing, despite never actually meeting the man. The inexhaustible back catalogue will always be there, but the excitement and adventure of being a Fall fan, travelling the country, the camaraderie with like minded people you meet on the way and that nervousness before gigs with not knowing exactly how it's going to go, will be hugely missed.
The tributes in print, and on Radio 6 have been fantastic, and even MOTD paid tribute. I just hope that those who thought he was crap before still think he is crap now he is gone.. Last thing we want is Fall t shirts in H&M.

Here was his final arrival onstage


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcZ4vsqe5hE&app=desktop

great post!

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

Not a band i know anything about, and hadnt realised he was an Edinburgh man. Sounds like some guy.

I hesitate to say sad news though, as i sometimes think its best for these type of characters not to live into old age. It doesnt seem to suit them.

[heretoday]

Not a band i know anything about, and hadnt realised he was an Edinburgh man. Sounds like some guy.

I hesitate to say sad news though, as i sometimes think its best for these type of characters not to live into old age. It doesnt seem to suit them.

Certainly adds to their mystique. It wouldn't have done for Jim Morrison or Brian Jones, say, to have ended up as judges on Britain's Got Talent or something!

Smith wasn't an Edinburgh man by the way. He just stayed here for a bit and subsequently wrote a sublime song about the city.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

Certainly adds to their mystique. It wouldn't have done for Jim Morrison or Brian Jones, say, to have ended up as judges on Britain's Got Talent or something!

Smith wasn't an Edinburgh man by the way. He just stayed here for a bit and subsequently wrote a sublime song about the city.

Ok, my mistake cheers.

Will check the song out.

[Carheenlea]

He moved to Edinburgh from Prestwich following the death of his father and break up in his marriage and lived for about a year in Leith and the New Town. Typically, this was at the same time Madchester was exploding, and the city of Manchester being the centre point of 'the second summer of love', a scene that The Fall, and Mark E Smith played no part in.

The song Edinburgh Man is a bit of a diversion away from the more traditional Fall sound.

[heretoday]

He moved to Edinburgh from Prestwich following the death of his father and break up in his marriage and lived for about a year in Leith and the New Town. Typically, this was at the same time Madchester was exploding, and the city of Manchester being the centre point of 'the second summer of love', a scene that The Fall, and Mark E Smith played no part in.

The song Edinburgh Man is a bit of a diversion away from the more traditional Fall sound.

It is but he wrote several quite melodic numbers.

[xyz23jc]

For the aficionados...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRZFhrV6iFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG-CLFPU6RY