If any band exemplifies the weird side of post-punk, it would be the Fall. The band started in Manchester in 1976 after Mark E Smith, the lead vocalist, saw the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. Combining relatively esoteric influences (Philip K Dick, Thomas Hardy, Can, Albert Camus, Captain Beefheart, to name a few), Smith’s abstract lyrics and caustic personality resulted in a group both influential and infamous.

They are known for their extremely prolific output (averaging around an album a year since 1979) and the frequent firing of band members by Smith, the group’s sole constant member.

Some of their more well-known fans include John Peel, Frank Skinner, Pavement, John Lydon, Cosey Fanni-Tutti, the list goes on.

Mark passed away on January 24, 2018 at the age of 60, thus marking the dissolution of the Fall.

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