Pitchfork

First things first: The Fall's current American tour is NOT canceled. I repeat: NOT canceled. Mark E. Smith and his keyboardist/wife Elena Poulou are scheduled to perform each and every show as promised, including tonight's gig at San Diego's House of Blues. However, since the rest of the band has high-tailed it back to England after much on- and off-stage drama, the Smiths will be joined by members of the Chicago band the Cairo Gang, who share the Fall's American record label, Narnack.

Of course, this being the Fall, who knows what will actually happen. Perhaps by the time the tour reaches your town, the band will be Mark E. Smith and a few drunks picked up at a bar down the street.

Dates:

05-09 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
05-11 Pomona, CA - Glass House
05-13 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory
05-14 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
05-15 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
05-23 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory *
05-25 Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot *
05-26 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater *
05-27 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar *
05-29 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre *
05-30 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium
06-01 New York City, NY - Knitting Factory *$
06-02 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw *$

* with the Cairo Gang
$ with Vaz

Now, let's get back to the drama. Remember how Justin Williams, frontman for the Talk, threw a banana peel at Mark E. Smith's head in Phoenix Sunday night, resulting in the show being cut short? And see how the Talk are still on the tour? OK.***

Well, according to the Talk's label, MoRisen Records, after the frustrated Fall members left the tour, Mark E. Smith actually asked the Talk to become his new backing band! (A rep from the Fall's label, Narnack, denies this.) Guess that banana peel didn't hurt too much.

MoRisen claims that the Talk turned down Smith's offer, since they wouldn't have had enough time to learn the new songs and make the San Diego show tonight and the Pomona show tomorrow. Apparently this wasn't a problem for the Cairo Gang, though.

MoRisen also say that in the wake of the banana incident, the Talk have received death threats from rabid Fall fans around the world...and just as many supportive messages (from people chanting "USA! USA!", perhaps?).

According to Narnack, the Fall's plans to record in Los Angeles next week will proceed as scheduled, with Smith adding vocals to tracks recorded in the UK months ago, and the Cairo Gang possibly filling in on some new songs.

***UPDATE: According to MoRisen, the Talk were on their way to the San Diego show, when they were informed that they were once again off the tour. The Cairo Gang will open for all dates following the break for recording.