The RIP Thread

Only been around for forty plus years, after your time.

 

I’ll be honest with you, The Fall and Mark E Smith kinda passed me by. Dunno why. Always a fan of so much of the so-called post-punk stuff, but The Fall never troubled my radar.

 

Me too
Heard of them
just don't think i heard them

 

No one famous, just my Dad who died 40 years ago.

 

Fair play strolls keep the memories.

 

God bless you, Strolls. Lost my father 3 months ago (and lots of fallout - nothing like a death in the family to bring out the worst in people) and am sure that if I survive another 40 years I’ll still miss the irascible old cuss.

 

To be honest I love the idea of the Fall, but a lot of their stuff is almost unlistenable, repetitive rockabilly riffs with shouted obscure rants over the top. Until the irritation becomes hypnotic fascination and something clicks. Totally pure, not done for money or fame. It’s odder to get it than not to get it, and I only get it some of the time. Mark E Smith was a genius but also seemed to be a complete ****, one of those heroes you really don’t ever want to meet. The fact that they existed and survived, despite the fact that probably the vast majority of people would be bewildered, offended and threatened by them, speaks volumes about this country in an odd kind of way.

 

Thank you. You never get over it, really. Commiserations.

 

Totally agree. Irrespective of your political livery, a country that has produced the likes of Morrissey, Lydon or Bragg can’t be all bad.

 

10 years ago next month for my old man. Still think about him every day. Which is as it should be.

 

The Fall were never particularly radio-friendly, which is probably why they didn't appeal to the masses, but they are very highly thought of within the industry. John Peel was once asked to stand-in for one of the daytime DJs on Radio 1 and only did it on the condition that he could play a couple of Fall songs every hour!

Mark E Smith was a one-of-a-kind, an eccentric man who was also a poetic genius - his music wasn't easy to listen too, but if you persevered with his oddities there was a "Eureka" moment where it all suddenly made sense - his lyrics were deeply acerbic, funny and sometimes brutally honest. The Fall have been cited as major influences on a plethora of bands since their inception - although not as easily accesible as say Joy Division or The Smiths, they came from a similar dark working class background, and Mark E Smith never wavered from that (unlike Morrissey who, although also a lyrical genius, is so far up his own arse!). Apparently very difficult to work with, having gone through over 60 members of his band - famously sacking a member of his crew because they were eating a salad! He came across in interviews as witty and gruff but with an acid sense of humour. He will be missed - RIP Mark E Smith

 

To be honest nines the Fall were the same for me. Not radio friendly but one of those bands hip DJ's love to name check. I did once however many many years ago buy a copy of the NME with a cassette compilation which I can remember to this day with one of their songs 'Rowche Rumble' on it. Slightly disjointed but back then it seemed quite thrilling, in a middle class NW London way. Manchester was always revered from afar due to the Smiths and New Order.

Nowhere near the Damned the Clash for me to warrant this sort of coverage, but a passing nonetheless as my youth slowly evaporates

RIP Mark E Smith and I guess by default the Fall also

 

I also vaguely recall Mark E Smith's American ex wife Brix shacked up with 'mad' Villa violinist Nigel Kennedy in one of those weird vague celeb couplings - think Shane Warne /Liz Hurley

That's my complete knowledge of the Fall done and dusted

 

This will give you a flavour of Smith, in ‘conversation’with Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave. Very intelligent and equally belligerent. According to MacGowan he was out of his head on ecstasy and booze, Smith was pissed on bitter, Cave was sober just having come out of rehab and Cave wound the other two up to have a go at each other, which doesn’t come across from the transcript.

http://thequietus.com/articles/09277-mark-e-smith-nick-cave-shane-macgowan-nme-interview

Almost everything you read paints Smith as a very bright, verbally and physically aggressive nutter, constantly on the wind up, looking for a fight and more than happy to have one. Rumours that his death was a least partly due to problems breathing through having his jaw and teeth busted so often, but a lifetime of alcohol and speed abuse probably didn't help. But John Cooper Clarke claims whenever he met him he was very polite and civil.

 

I remember her mate. Such sad news. Mr's Ellers has literally just told me. RIP

 

Ingvar Kampard Ikea founder RIP
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/28/ikea-founder-ingvar-kamprad-dies-aged-91

I have this image in my head of a joke I saw once where someone was being buried after being squashed by a steamroller and the coffin was flat. I keep thinking of flatpack

 

Had the privilige of reporting to his youngest son Mathias where we did a turnaround of IKEA Denmark. Lovely people, Ingvar himself was a hugger who was into every detail and no member of staff to lowly to speak to.
With his Billions he still prefered his 20 year old Volvo.
The top execs in Belgium (where the real HQ was) would be tipped off the day before he was coming so that they would drive in to work in their au pairs' cars instead of their Mercs and BMWs - he hated excess.

His mantra was simple - Find the competitive edge with cost consciousness.

Not sure we get to see this like again.