The Fall, Queen's Hall: Dedicated Smith keeps the crowd enraptured

VERY few acts could really serve as an appropriate support for such a unique band as The Fall these days. For the show last night at the Queen's Hall, no less than two had been booked, but sadly, John Cooper Clarke – the great 'punk' poet had fallen ill, and had to withdraw, to the dismay of many.

This left a gaping, unfilled hole of around an hour and a half between the raw energy of relative newcomers, Milophobia and Mark E Smith's relentless steamroller of a band. So devoted were The Fall fans though, that they simply refuelled once again at the bar, and waited patiently, discussing which of the band's 27 studio albums were the best.

51 year old Smith is the one and only constant member of The Fall. Famously quoted as once saying, "If it's me and your Granny, it's The Fall," he was fortunate on this occasion to have, not someone's Granny, but one of the tightest bands this side of The Blockheads behind him, including third wife, Elena Poulou on keyboards and vocals.

Dave Spurr's thunderous and frightening bass was given a helping hand from Smith at one point, as the vocalist seemed to play with the tone controls on the bass amplifiers, threatening to shake the building's foundations. A 'big sound' doesn't even begin to describe what emerged from the four instrumentalists.

Songs like Wolf Kidult Man, Theme from Sparta FC, I've Been Duped and the self referential 50 Year Old Man kept the unusually varied crowd pogoing and moshing for the entire set, including a fairly rare three song encore.

Towards the end it became clear that Smith's reputed grumpiness was either undeserved, or the infamous curmudgeon had mellowed over time, because not only did he not complain when a few fans invaded the stage, he even gave one of them a cuddle.