The Fall BBC Radio Sessions

Released today, October 29th,  is the The Fall live session, the tenth and final session taken from BBC Radio Sessions Volume 2, curated and released by Beggars Banquet. Spanning decades from 1978 to 2000, each session has been remastered at Abbey Road and pressed to its own 12” clear vinyl record. These sessions capture the raw energy and unique spirit of BBC Radio's Peel Sessions, featuring exclusive recordings from bands on Beggars Banquet, Wiiija & Too Pure.

On 11 May 1987, The Fall delivered a searing BBC session recorded on 28 April and first broadcast that night, featuring “Australians In Europe,” “Twister,” “Guest Informant” and “Athlete Cured.” The performance captures the band in full force. Raw, restless and uncompromising. Encapsulating the rugged aesthetic that became their hallmark. The session offered listeners a direct line into Mark E. Smith’s confrontational vision, driven by angular guitar lines, pounding rhythm and cryptic lyricism, in a format stripped of embellishment and full of urgency.

By the mid-1980s, The Fall had firmly established themselves as one of Britain’s most provocative and singular bands. With Mark E. Smith at the helm, the group continually challenged genre conventions, fusing post-punk, noise, repetition and wit into a distinctive voice that resisted easy categorisation. Their influence on alternative and underground music is profound, from their prolific output to their unpredictability and integrity. This 1987 BBC session stands as an important snapshot in their evolution, a moment when The Fall’s restless energy and uncompromising drive were broadcast into homes across the country, reinforcing their reputation as outsiders with a lasting legacy. The recording remains a vital document of a band always pushing boundaries.