AH taen a norry tae gang an see ane o the few rael survivors frae the punk era playin at Glesga last Setterday; The Fall, live at Oran Mor. Musically, punk rock wis ma cauf kintra; ah hae mind o takkin three 45rpm records that ah’d juist bocht in Glesga tae the schuil. They wir the Sex Pistols’ Anarchy In The UK, The Damned’s New Rose an The Ramones’ California Sun EP. The teachers in the music department pit thaim oan ane o thae auld wuiden Dansettes they hud, screwed up their faces, an chainged the speed tae 78rpm. They werenae impressed.

Nou, 40 year sinsyne ah still like tae listen tae these raucous anthems that gien the soundtrack tae ma teenage years. Tho punk wis verra much a caundle that burnt fiercely an briefly – an fir ma mind is a thing o its time – nou at the hoary age o 55 somethin steered in me an ah ettled tae see The Fall.

The late, great BBC DJ John Peel said o The Fall (an ah Scottify his summin up in this airticle!) “Always different – Always the same!” An so they are!

There hus bin myriad memmership o The Fall ower the past decades; frae the earliest incarnation o Live At The Witch Trials; throu the classic Brix Smith era wi the Scottish Ballet star Michael Clark settin classical ballet tae their music; throu til the praisent day ... The ae constant bein the unbekent ferlie that is Mark E Smith – as he says, gin it’s me an yer grannie oan the bongos, it’s The Fall!

Ootside the Oran Mor oan a daicent Scots simmer nicht a mixtie-maxtie motley squad o auld rockers wis gaithert tae pey homage tae Mark E an his troubadours. Maistly middle-aged lik masel they slaely trickled doun the stane steps (that reeked o pish an ganja!) intil the dungeon-like crypt o the venue.

The current line-up o The Fall haes bin constant syne 2006, wi Mark E Smith vocals, (occasional keyboards – mind, thon’s a loose term), Dave Spurr bass (2006–present), Pete Greenway guitar (2006–present) an Keiron Melling drums (2006, 2007–present). Mark E Smith’s wife Elena Poulou wis missin frae the line-up, an oan the nicht The Fall uised twa drummers onstage.

The hall wis packt tae the gunnels! Bein oan ma ain ah jundied ma wey richt up til the front o the stage, an poseetioned masel ircht in front o Mark E’s microphone staund. Ah’d timed it fair braw! In five meenits oan trooped The Fall tae deifinin applause.

Pete Greenway an the baun providit a ticht, solid musical backin fir Mark E Smith’s dense an impenetrable lyrics an singin style. He cam oan twa or three verses intil the first song, clutchin a hauntle o blauds wi coorse, bold lyrics written oan thaim. These he keekt at nou an agane, aiblins scrunchin thaim up intae a baw, syne smuithin thaim oot agane an appearin tae gant at thaim. His dress wis his usual charity shoap chi – he widnae hae luiked oot o place merkin the buird in a bookie’s shoap! But the crowd luved him! “The Fall, The Fall!” they screiched!

The front o the stage wis ae muckle melee; a dizzen or sae maistly verra fat guys formed their ain mosh-pit an wir aa lowpin up an doun fir aa they wir warth. A few younger fowk jined in as weel. Beer wis bein showered around an nou an again a bealin bouncer wid wade in an yoke oan ane o the punters.

The noise wis tremendous an tho Mark E’s lyrics wir maistly unintelligible tae aa but The Fall’s hardcore support the baun wir oan blisterin form an seemt tae hae a kindae telepathic link gaun oan atween thaim.

Smith’s legendary stage antics wis aa tae the fore; he twiddled an footert wi Greenway’s Fender twin-valve amp’s settins an controls (somethin that wid hae drave maist guitarists ah ken gyte!); he vamped up an doun his keybuird, haudin doun random keys; he gien a microphone oot intil the mosh pit crood, wha proceedit tae screich an yaw intil it; he wid disappear aff the stage then retour tae staun, airms foldit, glarin at his audience wi a wuid luik in his ee.

They anely played fir aboot an hour. Afore the end o their brief set Smith hud tae be retrieved bi baund members frae ahint the stage a couple o times, then Dave Spurr, the bass player, suddently abandoned his post, leain the bass amp boomin in a kind o deep feedback hum – ah hud tae cuiver ma ears! Then the drummer left an anely Greenway wis left, pummelin his guitar tae daith afore he tae walked aff, an that seemed tae be it!?

The crood cheered, roared, clapped an screiched fir mair! Eftir a a meenit or twa The Fall cam back oan an played a daicent, albeit brief, version o the auld George Jones rockabilly classic White Lightning. The mosh pit erupted agane in ae last mass pogo frae the middle-aged spread boys! An The Fall wir aff!

The set-leet frae this tour haes sangs lik Venice With The Girls, First One Today, Wise Old Man, White Lightning, an Tuff Life Boogie. Music til Fall fans' lugs!

Mark E Smith; genius or lunatic? Discuss! Fir certes he’s a true an byordnar British original – wha ne’er fails tae delicht an infuriate in aqual measuir!

But it seems til me there is somethin Joycean in his lyrics; a luve o language an the eiks an ens o human existence; the sublime an the rideeculous; intensity an playfulness; aiblins the lyrics o The Fall are a Ulysses fir oor times?

Trauchlin ma wey oot throu the fum o ganja reek – an nane o the ceetie’s black banditti in sicht! – ah mused oan pop an punk heroes lang deid, an ithers whaes nems hae faded frae oor memories, ceptin fir when a record’s played oan a radio.

The Fall are aamaist lane survivors likesay frae that heatwave simmer langsyne, pleuchin their unique furrow agin the tide o modren pop. Aye, ye werenae faur aff the mark John Peel; Ayeweys Different – Ayeweys the Same!

Rab Wilson is a Scots poet