The Fall, Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall

The gig kicked off with The Misanthropic Sounds Of Pubic Fringe, a five-piece band from the Black Country.

The work of Manchurian poet laureate John Cooper Clarke, the man behind the hair, recited his most recent material including favourites 'It's A Hire Car Baby' taken from the book 'Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt'.

They don't come much more idiosyncratic than Mark E. Smith, musical genius of The Fall. Formed at the height in Manchester in 1976, The Fall has released around 50 singles, 25 studio albums and perhaps 50 albums.

Famously the band has gone through numerous personnel changes but always present is the enigmatic Mark E. Smith.

Finally the band appeared on stage at Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall, several minutes after Mark E. Smith made his entrance joining the band in the opening song.

The Fall have a new mix of kraut-punk rock ability with it's slick beats and glossy synths with an added touch of glamour.

Fall Heads Roll is an amazing snapshot of the band's aesthetic, benefited from Elena Smith who has clearly had a major impact on her husband with a talent playing on keyboards which gave the gig a mix of the obscure and immediate.

After a 40 minute set with the mischievous Smith upsetting his band by tampering with guitar/bass amps and drum mics, they strode off to applause from a generation of Fall fans with new song Blindness.

I caught up with Mark over the phone to talk about his new album -Fall Heads Roll.

Tell me the story behind your new album? "We went to these studios in New York and then finished the recording in Rochdale, it took 8 months to do."

Track 10 - Early days of Channel Fuehrer - can you tell me about the song? "Ben our guitarist wrote it. The band are all younger and decide to put these ideas together for some of the songs, but I don't let them get carried away"

Where do you find the inspiration for writing these songs? "I get my influences by watching the TV and listening to the radio and write about what's going on."

I noticed the poet John Cooper Clarke will be joining you on tour, how did you meet John? "I first met him in 1980 and he let the band rehearse at his home. If he does well with the crowd we leave him out there all night."

We saw The Fall make their first TV debut on Later... with Jools Holland in May, why so long a wait? "We were offered four times to appear but I don't like playing TV.

What are you memories of the very first Peel Session in 1978? "I remember we didn't have a bass player at the time, and we had been playing in working men's clubs, we had no idea how it was going to turn out".

Reflecting on 29 years since The Fall first started out, are you still excited about making music as you did back in 1976? "Yes I am just as excited as ever making music".

Matthew Rea