Futures and Pasts: A Festival Celebrating 50 Years of The Fall
In the summer of 1976, a group of friends who were interested in poetry and music decided they were going to form a band. The resulting sound, attitude, look and ambition was like nothing else around them, either locally across Manchester or elsewhere around the world. Driven by a proletarian work ethic, Mark E Smith carried this on relentlessly for over forty years.
Now, for the first time, a festival is set to honour the seismic legacy and continuing influence of The Fall. Five decades on from their formation, it would be hard to image our cultural landscape without them. Their vibrations do live on.
When & Where
5th-7th June 2026, Band on ther Wall, Manchester
What’s On
DAS GRUPPE ON THE WALL (book launch)
The Look Back Bores
Lost in Music (one-off band)
Funky Si’s Walking Tour of Manchester
The Fall 93 94: The Dave Bush Tapes (film premier)
Grant Showbiz
WE ARE THE FALL
Poppycock
DJ Sets by Marc Riley & Craig Scanlon
Jim Moir
Hey! Luciani Q&A with original cast
Hey! Luciani (Directed by Graham Duff)
Hey! Student
The Church of The Fall
Middle Mass-termind with Frank Skinner
DJ Set by Simon Armitage
Oh! Brother with Simon Armitage
Imperial Wax
The Fallen Women
Art Exhibition curated by Michelle Hickman (8bitnorthxstitch)
Tickets available include full weekend passes, plus daypasses for Friday, Saturday and Sunday::
Full Weekend Pass | Click here
Stan Chow's poster for the festival. High-quality prints are available direct from Stan's studio in a variety of sizes. Click here for details and to order.
Programme Details
FRIDAY
EVENING: 5PM-10PM
Welcome: 5PM
Welcome messages and introduction to the weekend.
Book Launch: 6PM
DAS GRUPPE ON THE WALL: A monograph by Paul Hanley.
Q&A with Daryl Easlea
A monograph specially commissioned for the festival tells the story of The Fall at Band on the Wall, an historic venue in Manchester which played an important role in the early career development of many groups in the city, thanks in the main to the activities of the Manchester Musicians’ Collective.
The Fall played at the Band on the Wall eight times between 1977 and 1982. The line-ups that brought us Live at the Witch Trials and Hex Enduction Hour both gave seminal performances there. In his capacity as a fan and member of the group, Paul Hanley leads us through those performances and explains how The Fall and the venue – both iconic, uncompromising and with histories far richer and more interesting than nearly all of their peers – were briefly at least, a marriage made in heaven.
Paul played drums in The Fall from 1980-1984. He is the author of three previous books centered on Manchester music, Leave the Capital, Have A Bleedin Guess and Sixteen Again. Read his author profile here.
Lost in Music: 7PM
A one-off group featuring ex-Fall members with guest vocals by BC Camplight.
Look Back Bores: 8:30PM
Look Back Bores are Fall fans playing Fall songs for Fall fans! They are not a tribute band. No dressing up! They cover the wonderful and frightening music of The Mighty Fall with respect and care.
SATURDAY
MORNING: 10:30AM-1:15PM
Funky Si’s Walking Tour of Manchester (Saturday & Sunday morning) *** NOW FULLY BOOKED *** (10:30am start)
A one-of-a-kind walking tour led by Simon Wolstencroft and Jackie O’Malley, who bring their popular podcast Funky Si's A-Z of Manchester to life. Walk with them through the streets of Manchester as Simon shares first-hand tales from the city’s music scene. From iconic venues to hidden corners where musical history was made, this immersive tour brings Manchester’s post-punk and alternative legacy vividly to life. The walk will last for 90 minutes. This event is limited capacity and is now fully booked.
The Fall 93 94: The Dave Bush Tapes: 10:30AM
Film Premier
When The Fall toured the USA in 1993 and 1994, band member Dave Bush took a video camera on tour with him. The surviving tapes have been digitised and collated into this film. It’s narrated throughout by Dave Bush on the scene, and includes never seen before concert footage, the band at sound checks, hotel rooms, bars, on the tour bus – all the sights and sounds of The Fall on the road.
Grant Showbiz | Solo Performance: 12:30PM
Grant's engagement with The Fall spans longer than anyone else apart from Mark E Smith. He was a producer and sound engineer for the group on and off from the 1970s through to 2013, the first album he worked on was Dragnet, the last one was Re-Mit.
AFTERNOON: 2PM-5PM
WE ARE THE FALL: 2PM
A live podcast recording with special guest Grant Showbiz
WE ARE THE FALL Podcast is a raucous, affectionate deep-dive into the chaotic universe of The Fall, where two mates, Gavin and Steve, explore Mark E Smith and the group’s sprawling sonic and visual aesthetic. Each week they crack open albums, lost nuggets, side projects, and Peel sessions with a mix of obsessive curiosity, dry humor, and pub-chat warmth, making even the wildest corners of the discography feel like stories shared between old friends. With special guests, fan perspectives, and 'interrogations' of Fall-related luminaries, the show leans into unpredictability and passionate argument, celebrating the band’s shifting line-ups and strange detours while keeping things fun, welcoming, and just scruffy enough to feel true to The Fall’s spirit. Drink the long draught, with WE ARE THE FALL. Spotify Page | Instagram
DJ set from Craig Scanlon & Marc Riley: 3:30PM
Craig Scanlon played guitar in The Fall between 1979 and 1995. During his tenure, he was a stalwart member for 17 albums and co-wrote over 120 of the group’s songs; singer Mark E. Smith excepted, this tally is unmatched by any other musician to have passed through the group.
Marc Riley: Birth / School / Bowie/ Fall /Creepers / Radio…AND BEYOND!
Poppycock: 4:15PM
Poppycock was formed in 2012 by Una Baines (The Fall / The Blue Orchids / The Fates) who has been described as a ‘New Wave Pioneer’ and ‘Unassuming heroine of the Manchester music scene’. Working from Una’s substantial back-catalogue of songs, Poppycock began initially as a floating collective of musicians. Poppycock’s signature sound has been described as ‘Cockypop’ featuring quirky lyrics and seasoned musicianship – ‘Lizard Man’ for example, was written after a dream Una had about The Fall and is a tribute to Mark E Smith. Poppycock’s ethos of collectivism and creativity often results in a cross over between art and music.
EVENING: 5:45PM-10PM
Jim Moir: 5:45PM
Artist, comedian and long-time fan of The Fall, Jim Moir will be in conversation.
Hey! Luciani Q&A: 6:45PM
A discussion about the original staging of Mark E Smith's play Hey! Luciani: The Life and Codex of John Paul I at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, with twelve performances between 5th-20th December 1986. Here, some of the original cast share their memories of this audacious project 40 years on. With Steve Hanley (Pope John Paul II), Marcia Schofield (Commander Kommando Ninrod), Simon Wolstencroft (Cardinal Villot) and Jackie O'Malley (Sister Bon Amico). Chaired by Alexis Petridis, the Guardian's head rock and pop critic.
DJ set from Craig Scanlon & Marc Riley: 7:45PM
Hey! Luciani: 8:30PM
A stage play by Mark E Smith.
Raw, strange and uncompromising, Hey! Luciani is part theatre show, part performance art-rock gig. Smith himself mischievously described his play as ‘a cross between Shakespeare and The Prisoner’. In reality, it’s his typically elliptical interpretation of the events of September 1978, when Pope John Paul I (aka Albino Luciani) was found dead, leading to theories that he had been murdered by the Papal Court, with involvement from the Freemasons. Incorporating witty dialogue, grotesque characters and contemporary dance, Hey! Luciani also features performances of several Fall songs, including ‘Doctor Faustus’, ‘Sleep Debt Snatches’, and the unreleased ‘Luciani Today’.
In its 40th anniversary year, with a script transcribed from recordings of the original 1986 performances, this new production of Hey! Luciani is directed by Smith’s friend and collaborator Graham Duff (Ideal, The Otherwise). In a mirroring of the original production, the cast encompasses a wide range of actors, comedians and performers: Jack Carroll, Toby Hadoke, Carla Henry, Jonathan Mayor, Malcolm Boyle, Stephen G. Titley, Eilidh Pollard and Graham Duff. The Fall’s original songs are being performed by Look Back Bores.
SUNDAY
MORNING: 10:30AM-1:15PM
Funky Si’s Walking Tour of Manchester (Saturday & Sunday morning) *** NOW FULLY BOOKED *** (10:30am start)
Hey! Student | Prof Martin Cloonan: 11AM
How – if at all – can academia help us understand and appreciate The Fall? Join leading Popular Music Studies scholar Professor Martin Cloonan for a discussion of academic work on The Fall. A long time Fall fan who first saw them at Sheffield University, Cloonan will situate his talk within the wider study of popular music and suggest, pace Marx, that while Popular Music academics have studied the Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall, they have yet to change it. Wise Old Man, Glam Racket or A Lot of Wind? You decide.
The Church of The Fall: 12:15PM
The Church of The Fall is an award-winning, joyous, musical spoken-word show that celebrates the epic music and life of Mark E. Smith. Expect joy, laughter and genius music, as you follow Stephen G. Titley on a musical journey where he will convince you that The Fall isn’t just a cult band – it’s a broad church! Come and revel in the love and certainty of the faithful – ‘Come one, come all, to The Church Of The Fall’!
AFTERNOON: 2PM-5:45PM
Middle Mass-termind: Hosted by Frank Skinner: 1:45PM
A quiz pitting two teams of Fall fans and associates against each other to test the depth of their knowledge of Fall ephemera. Hosted by Fall enthusiast Frank Skinner with questions set by none other than Dan Bye, aka Dannyno, whose Fall knowledge is legendary, and more than a little worrying, if we're being honest. Audience participation encouraged (at your own risk – you'll probably be wrong).
DJ Set by Simon Armitage: 3:30PM
Acclaimed poet and lyricist Simon Armitage was born and grew up in Marsden, West Yorkshire. His numerous awards include the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and an Ivor Novello for songwriting. Armitage has explored where poetry and song lyric converge through different enterprises – most recently as writer and performer with the ‘ambient post-rock’ band LYR but also as lyricist for various film and theatre productions including the BAFTA-winning Feltham Sings. He has published over twenty poetry collections including Blossomise and Dwell, both recent Sunday Times bestsellers. His book Never Good with Horses features his song lyrics for the first time. A regular broadcaster, Armitage presented the popular BBC Radio 4’s series The Poet Laureate has Gone to his Shed. His brand new podcast series The Shed is available now. He also contributes to Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour (BBC Radio 6 Music). He was appointed UK Poet Laureate in 2019. Website | simonarmitage.co.uk
Photo by Chris Close
Oh! Brother with Simon Armitage: 4:30PM
Oh! Brother is a much-loved, long-running podcast about The Fall hosted by celebrated Fall alumni, brothers Paul and Steve Hanley. Guests include ex-members of the band, associates, collaborators and fans from the world of arts and entertainment. Early in the conversation, guests will be asked how they first encountered The Fall, and then it can travel in any way the wind might blow it. Their guest at the festival is Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage. Find Oh! Brother at Spotify | YouTube | Instagram
EVENING: 6:30PM-10PM
Imperial Wax: 6:30PM
Imperial Wax were formed by the remaining members of The Fall following the death of Mark E Smith in 2018. They have produced two albums, Gastwerk Saboteurs (2019) and Tranquilliser (2024), experiencing a few line-up changes in the interim. They describe themselves as 'noise rock & garage brawlers unafraid of a psych workout or a rockabilly dust-up'.
The Fallen Women: 8:15PM
‘The Fallen Women are a Fall that never were, comprised of veteran superstarlets of the indie scene, adept at recreating every era of the band's catalogue in a way that the band proper were never required to, be it gruelling dirges, garage punk bangers, or fizzy Falltronica. It’s a shame Mark E Smith never lived to front The Fallen Women, as surely their turn to till the Fall sod would one day inevitably have come. Instead, as this strange performance art project surges ever forward, it is you that gets to front The Fall from another dimension. I’ve done it at half a dozen gigs and it’s like riding a rocket. And it’s true what they say. You never forget your first time.’ Stewart Lee
ACROSS THE WEEKEND
HOST/MC Daryl Easlea
Daryl Easlea was bought Hex Enduction Hour as a 16th birthday present by his friend Mysterious Phil in 1982. It is still one of his favourite birthday presents ever. In 2002, he wrote his first sleevenote for a Fall CD, and since then he has had the enormous pleasure of writing notes, in a chummy lifestyle for Sanctuary, Cherry Red, Beggar's Banquet, Fontana and Iconoclassic. He compiled 50,000 Fall Fans Cannot Be Wrong and its offshoots and that has made him very happy indeed. Known as 'the sleevenote fella' by MES, he has spoken to a great many of the Fall diaspora for the notes over the years, and interviewed Brix and Paul Hanley in front of other people, some of whom actually paid to be there. In 2022 he edited Record Collector Presents The Fall. He does other things too, but that's not important right now. Favourite Fall album: Hex or The Infotainment Scan. Favourite Fall single: 'The Man Whose Head Expanded'/'Ludd Gang'.
Art Exhibition
There will be an exhibition on across the weekend of the festival, curated by Michelle Hickman (8bitnorthxstitch). The exhibition features the following artists:
FALL ARTWORK:
Anthony Frost
Pascal le Gras
Suzanne Smith
Michael Pollard
PAINTINGS:
Tommy Crooks
Jim Moir
Andy McCulloch
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Michael Pollard
Jonathan Ganley
TEXTILES:
James Fox
Michelle Hickman (8bitnorthxstitch)
ILLUSTRATION
Stan Chow
Jeffrey Lewis
Mark Reynolds (Stuff by Mark)
Sean Bright (Hey Kids Rock & Roll)
We Fail
Click here for a detailed list of the artwork on display, artist biogs and how to order the artwork.
Load O Bloody Nowt, the festival fanzine, edited by Michelle Hickman (8bitnorthxstitch).
Full Weekend Pass | Click here
Futures and Pasts is presented by Louder Than Words Festival and Route
Contact: thefallfuturesandpasts@gmail.com
