How odd it is that the first reports of the existence of House Of All only appeared early last year, followed by a magnificently-received self-titled debut album and two UK tours.
Praise was immediate and ecstatic, in spite of controversy from former management of The Fall, who took offence at Martin Bramah’s off-the-cuff description of the band as “part of The Fall family continuum”. Despite this self-evident fact – Bramah was The Fall’s original singer before switching to guitar, and with the other members Pete Greenway (guitar, vocals), Paul Hanley (drums), Steve Hanley (bass, vocals), Si Wolstencroft (drums), House Of All collectively spanned the entire length of The Fall’s career. Controversy arose, resulting in a full Guardian article on the band months before the album’s release – a scant three days after it was announced.
Their two brief tours were flawless; nearly every show sold out, and the latter tour was bolstered by ‘Bay City Pistols’, a limited package that sold out in two weeks. Even before the first album was released, House Of All re-entered the studio to record a then still-mysterious second album, which debuted on 2nd April as ‘Continuum’.
In order to promote this second long-player the band are heading out on tour from next week. The dates are as follows:
12 April 2024 Sheffield Leadmill
13 April 2024 Glasgow Stereo
18 April 2024 London The Dome
19 April 2024 Brighton The Hope & Ruin
20 April 2024 Manchester Gorilla
25 April 2024 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
25 April 2024 Bedford Esquires
27 April 2024 Norwich Waterfront Studio
28 April 2024 Birmingham Hare & Hounds
Tickets for the Brighton concert at The Hope & Ruin can be purchased via the promoter Love Thy Neighbour HERE or from SeeTickets HERE. Support will come from Oldfield Youth Club.
Ticket information for all of the concert dates can be located in the ‘linktree’ link below:
“and with the other members Pete Greenway (guitar, vocals), Paul Hanley (drums), Steve Hanley (bass, vocals), Si Wolstencroft (drums), House Of All collectively spanned the entire length of The Fall’s career.”
Except I’m afriad they do not. Not quite!
Steve Hanley was the last of the Paul, Steve and Si lineup to leave and did so in April 1998 after an onstage fight broke out amongst the group at a venue called Brownies in New York (which culminated in MES spending a night in a cell).
Pete Greenway started joining The Fall onstage from some time in 2006 and first played on the “Reformation Post TLC” album in 2007.
So that would leave roughly eight or nine years where the line-up of The House of All did not feature in The Mighty Fall.
I would get out more – but with forty-odd Fall albums on vinyl to listen to at home I rarely have the time.