The first U.S. concerts by The Fall in more than 11 years will have to wait until next year, as the band today announced the postponement of its seven-night New York City residency and cancellation of a Kentucky festival appearance due to the ill health of frontman Mark E. Smith.
The Cropped Out Festival in Louisville, Ky., which The Fall was to have headlined on Sept. 23, shared a statement from the band’s management announcing the cancellations “due mostly to terrible timing, reality and a mix of bizarre and rare (true to form) medical issues that Mark is currently being treated for.”
According to manager Pamela Vander, the 60-year-old Smith’s “current problems are connected to his throat, mouth/dental and respiratory system… so throwing all the meds together and continuing with the travel/shows would certainly harm any progress that we have made over the past few weeks.”
Vander goes on to assure fans that Smith fully intends to bring the Fall to America:
“…this will still be happening in 2018. Your Lord and Saviour Markus E. Smith wants to let you all know that even though he can’t play live for a short while, the cabin fever is spitting out a new album already and new music is now (as ever) The Fall’s main focus.”
The band had been scheduled to play sold-out shows at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn on Sept. 11 through 17; those concerts now have been rescheduled for Feb. 19 through 25, with the original tickets to the September shows to be honored at the new dates.
The organizers of the Cropped Out festival also are hoping to book a rescheduled date in Louisville:
“Obviously (for those of you doing the math), we won’t have a festival happening at that time, but…who knows what we can pull off by then. They’ll keep you posted on those dates / details as they unfold. For now, we not only wish M.E.S. a quick and bumpless recovery, but also send our best to the rest of the band, who are no doubt as utterly squashed by today’s bad news as any of us.”
The rare U.S. dates were to have followed the recent release of New Facts Emerge, the 32nd album from The Fall. The 11-song collection is the band’s first since 2015’s Sub-Lingual Tablet.
The band had dates in the U.K. and Portugal scheduled in October and November, though it’s not clear if they will go on or not. The American concerts now scheduled for February will mark The Fall’s first performances in the U.S. since a May 2006 tour.
Here’s the full statement from The Fall’s management:
“It is with great regret to announce that Mark E. Smith & The Fall have had to cancel all upcoming U.S shows in New York (Baby’s All Right) & Louisville (Cropped Out Festival) due mostly to terrible timing, reality and a mix of bizarre and rare (true to form) medical issues that Mark is currently being treated for. Unfortunately it would be a gamble on his health to fly anywhere over the next couple of months. Mark’s current problems are connected to his throat, mouth/dental & respiratory system… so throwing all the meds together and continuing with the travel/shows would certainly harm any progress that we have made over the past few weeks.
We understand that this is a huge deal for both American/worldwide fans of The Fall and The Fall themselves, Mark & the guys have been really excited and everyone is gutted about the outcome. However, it’s high-time Mark put his health first and that’s what we are gonna do.
So here’s the good news… NYC has been rescheduled already and we are gonna arrange another show in Louisville. Both promoters have been incredibly helpful & fantastic in securing The Fall a safe passage to America, and this will still be happening in 2018. Your Lord and Saviour Markus E. Smith wants to let you all know that even though he can’t play live for a short while, the cabin fever is spitting out a new album already and new music is now (as ever) The Fall’s main focus.”
Yours, Pamela Vander
Group Manager
And the band’s current tour dates:
The Fall tour dates:
Sept. 11: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Sept. 12: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Sept. 13: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Sept. 14: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Sept. 15: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Sept. 16: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Sept. 17: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Sept. 23: Cropped Out Festival, Louisville, KY, USA
Oct. 20: Unity Works, Wakefield, UK
Oct. 23: Boiler Shop, Newcastle, UK
Nov. 4: Oran Mor, Glasgow, UK
Nov. 18: Hard Club, Porto, Portugal
Nov. 29: Fiddler’s Club, Bristol, UK
Nov. 30: Koko, London, UK
Feb. 19: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Feb. 20: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Feb. 21: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Feb. 22: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Feb. 23: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Feb. 24: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Feb. 25: Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NY, USA
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- A week of The Fall: Mark E. Smith and Co. extend Brooklyn residency to 7 nights
- The Fall returns to America for 5-night Brooklyn residency, Kentucky festival
- The Fall to release ‘New Facts Emerge’ — band’s 32nd studio album — in July
- The Fall to release ‘Sub-Lingual Tablet’ — band’s 31st studio album — in May
- The Fall, Icicle Works, Buffalo Tom to receive next ‘5 Albums’ box sets from Beggars
Anyone who’s heard the new record would probably wonder about the man’s condition. Hopefully he can get it together.