The Fall (band)

The Fall
The Fall, Perverted by Language Tour in Hamburg, Germany (Markthalle), April 1984; L–R: Craig Scanlon, Mark E. Smith, Karl Burns, and Steve Hanley
Background information
Origin	Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England
Genres	Post-punk alternative rock (later)
Years active	1976–2018
Labels	Step forward/Faulty Products Rough Trade Kamera Beggars Banquet Situation Two Narnack Phonogram/Fontana Matador Permanent Slogan Domino Action Cherry Red
Spinoffs	The Adult Net Blue Orchids Brix & the Extricated The Creepers Imperial Wax Von Südenfed
Past members	Mark E. Smith See members section for others

The Fall were an English post-punk group, formed in 1976 in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. They had many line-up changes, with vocalist and founder Mark E. Smith being the only constant member.^[1][2] The Fall's long-term musicians included drummers Paul Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft and Karl Burns; guitarists Craig Scanlon, Marc Riley, and Brix Smith; and bassist Steve Hanley, whose melodic, circular bass lines are widely credited with shaping the band's sound from early 1980s albums such as Hex Enduction Hour to the late 1990s.^[3]

First associated with the late 1970s punk movement, the Fall's music underwent numerous stylistic changes often concurrently with changes in the group's lineup. Their music was generally characterised by an abrasive, repetitive guitar-driven sound, tense bass and drum rhythms, and Smith's caustic lyrics.^[4] The critic Simon Reynolds described Smith's lyrics as "a kind of Northern English magic realism that mixed industrial grime with the unearthly and uncanny," voiced through a "one-note delivery somewhere between amphetamine-spiked rant and alcohol-addled yarn".^[5] While the Fall never achieved widespread success beyond minor hit singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they have maintained a strong cult following.

The Fall have been called "the most prolific band of the British post-punk movement".^[6] From 1979 to 2017, they released 31 studio albums, plus dozens of live albums and compilations released against Smith's wishes. They were associated with the BBC DJ John Peel, who championed them from early on in their career and described them as his favourite band, saying: "They are always different; they are always the same."^[7] The group disbanded after Smith's death in 2018.