RIP Mark E Smith

[naughty boy]

I've read some really sweet tributes over the last couple of days. More than you'd expect are testament to how helpful and friendly the man was - especially to fans, friends, and struggling musicians. Much of what I've read brought a tear to my eye - especially what his old manager and g/f Kay Carroll and his old pal and The Comic Strip Presents... star Alan Pillay wrote.

Something quite telling happens here about 2:45:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv7dP0ADrNE&t=297s

He was like that with me when I met him

Yeah, he was a cunt at times, and a lot of that was to do with the booze, but also it was a response to the journos who asked him daft questions. In that respect - as well as many others - he was like Lou Reed. And the fact he was a 'true artist' (not sure I buy into this idea 100%, but, whatever...I can forgive him a lot for the fabulous music he was responsible for).

[naughty boy]

Simon Reynolds’ collected bits:

http://reynoldsretro.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... l.html?m=1

[clive gash]

^^^

Plenty of inky memories there, the Hoskyns piece is ace.

Would read again.

[Goat Boy]

I'm pretty sure the lasses brother told me a story once about being so pissed off at a Fall performance he drunkenly went back stage to confront him but when he saw MES he thought better of it and chickened out

[naughty boy]

I had drinks with him in Edinburgh a few times when he lived in here. Funny and clever if delusional guy. Nothing was ever Mark's fault

Any stories?

[Goat Boy]

I've heard his local was the Central bar.

[naughty boy]

https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/henry- ... adcast-461

[naughty boy]

http://thefall.org/news/fallnews.html

[Snarfyguy]

http://thefall.org/news/fallnews.html

Thanks!

Currently enjoying a retrospective of live material on WFMU at http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/77281

[naughty boy]

There are MASSES of tributes and recollections up now - some from really unlikely sources, and many of them are touching and funny.

I was on a train yesterday and 'Groundsboy' (off the last LP) popped up on my iPod and I wept. It was strange and unexpected. I had to pull myself together quickly as the guard came to check tickets!


I'm going to post just one memory that's just been posted (from David Kleiler - no, me neither) which made me smile:

Mark E. Smith...nooo...

This makes me - to quote my favorite Fall song "Wings" - "hit a time lock"...a fond music video memory I'm going to indulge...
Back in 1994, Smith had taken money from Matador Records to make a video for the song "15 Ways." He sent them back unusable, unedited footage where he appeared as a "man on the street" reporter. It didn't constitute a music video. Matador needed a video with performance to get on MTV, but they didn't want to piss Smith off or force him to do anything. Apparently, for his last music video shoot, he only agreed to be on set for 45 minutes.

So, Mott Hupfel and I were sent to Manchester to remake the video and placate Smith. We met with him in this insane, ornate Victorian drinking club. He was late and after more than a few drinks, relished in recounting the story of getting arrested in JFK after smoking on a transcontinental flight. As he told the story, WE became the American cops he was yelling at IN the story. He glared at me, and kept saying "Do you know the MEANING of the word POLICE?!?" It was a conversation that devolved into Fall lyrics.
Eventually we explained that while keeping his TV reporter motif, we were going to do more of a "real" video, but we could break the shoot up over the course of a couple of days, he wouldn't have to be there when we shot the band and he wouldn't have to worry about lip synching because he could read the lyrics off of a "script" as old time news anchors did. I over-planned the shoot with multiple locations knowing that if Smith only showed up for half of them, we would still have a video.

It all sounded good to him. After assuring us HE wouldn't be a problem - his pesky bandmates were the unreliable ones - he was fairly cooperative. A couple of days later we did some low-impact shooting just with him around Manchester, kind of lip-synching and roaming about. The whole time pinching myself, "I can't believe I'm shooting a video for The Fall and it's going so well." Then, on the next day of the real studio shoot he was five hours late only to be found naked/passed out in his apartment. He insisted that we include his buddy's girlfriend in the video. At one point, when we were outside again, he spat at the camera, HATING that we were shooting on streets near where he had bad associations...I think he ultimately abandoned us at that location, but we already had a video in the can...

That said, we had a good time. He was funny and smart as shit. He spoke like his writing/singing: urgent, emphatic and cutting. He knew how to press buttons and had an evil ability to assess people. I was starstruck throughout. I always thought of The Fall as Brecht meets rock...and a whole bunch of other things...A total fucking genius...whew...

R.I.P.


Mark E Smith is getting buried today, by the way.

[naughty boy]

We would like to thank family, friends and fans for all their kind words, condolences and memories about our brother Mark.

Also, the N.H.S and staff who treated Mark throughout and Mark’s partner Pam who loved, cared and cherished our brother.

Mark fought a long and hard battle after his diagnosis of terminal lung and kidney cancer. He took every treatment going, which could be brutal at times and left Mark with some horrible side effects. Mark was such a strong man and hated letting his fans down and tried to carry on regardless against all advice.

Mark had a great life and loved and lived it to the full and always by his own rules and we, as his sisters were privileged to be part of it too.

Mark is at peace now and pain free, but we, his three sisters have been left heartbroken and will miss our big brother very much.

Barbara, Suzanne and Caroline.

[naughty boy]

So pleased he made the cover of one of the monthlies:

[Pool Hall Richard]

So pleased he made the cover of one of the monthlies:

Splendid