Concert Review: The Fall Powerstation

The Fall. Photo / Supplied

What: The Fall
Where and when: Powerstation

You can't help but chuckle when Mark E. Smith - the Fall's founder and only constant member in the British post-punk band's 34-year career - walks on stage.

He looks like a cross between Mr Magoo and something cuddly yet grumpy out of Finding Nemo, and strolls around with stilted and staunch movements like one of the Wilberforces.

And when he starts singing, in that indecipherable yet biting drawl of his, there is this overwhelming realisation that there really is only one Mark E. Smith. He is one of music's most unique specimens - both in mind, music and voice.

The guy is a genius even though he's fittingly shambolic, using three microphones with chords getting chaotically tangled, altering levels on his band mates' monitors, and sorting through his lyrics sheets.

Hey, you'd have the lyrics written down too if you had 28 albums and thousands of songs to choose from.

It is a devilishly loud, heavy and beautifully confronting set, devoid of any of the more swinging and funkier Fall material of the Extricate and I Am Kurious Oranj late 80s era.

This is punishing and beat-laden punk rock taking in early tracks such as Psykick Dancehall and the harrowing Muzorewi's Daughter from 1979 through to the ear-splitting Cowboy George and the banging jaunt of O.F.Y.C. Showcase, both from this year's Your Future, Our Clutter album.

Smith's chaotic stage presence is countered by his unflinching and solid young band with beefy bass and drum grooves, and some scything and ruthless guitaring. And then there's keyboardist Eleni Poulou - Smith's gorgeous wife of 10 years (What is the 53-year-old's secret?) - who as well as playing also has to lend her hubbie the occasional steadying hand as he nears the front of the stage.

She takes over the singing on many of the songs including Reformation, as he mashes the keys on her small wee Korg keyboard making a menace of himself.

While Smith is the band leader he's also happy to leave them to it on I've Been Duped, where they play the entire song without him.

With this show the Fall - and not just Smith alone - prove themselves one of those bands to see before you die.