Mark E Smith Interview - Soft Focus - Part One

Mark E. Smith of The Fall is interviewed and questioned on various subjects.

[@Burukop]

I don't understand why so many people have an issue with the interviewer. This is one of, if not the best Mark E. Smith interviews I've ever seen. Mark was having a great time, Ian was brilliant.

[@DannyG-cv8so]

I agree. Mark is relaxed here, cuz of the interviewer.

[@gorrillion1]

great to see Mark enjoying an interview

[@djwestnutt]

Great to see Mark enjoying a drink or three...

[@vollsticks]

This is one of the best "televised" interviews of Mark E. Smith I've ever seen, up there with the John Doran British Masters interview easily. Ian Svenonius does a great job.

[@eff-google]

its so much fun seriously

[@cazb877]

Mark E Smith, what a legend god bless him love his laugh!

[@pjr5913]

ian is funnier than people give him credit especially in this interview, always forget he is performing a journalist. That astrology bit is gold. RIP MES! changed my life after seeing the middle class revolt tour. never felt so much kinship/family from any audience, everyone danced at the fall shows.

[@SMThomasson]

Never seen this before, never knew it existed. Recent too. Mark E is awesome, no matter whatever age he is. Think he looks and sounds fantastic even to this day.

[@LegendaryMrLongtoes]

"Could have been a 7 / 11" LOL

[@filled_soda]

"...or a 9/11 or summat"

[@olimauricestromberg93]

That is foockin hillarious

[@cackhandedchimp]

The way he delivers the line "I must be the only Manchester musician who doesn't play golf" is SO Partridgeqsue. We should probably note that Coogan being a Manchester lad was influenced in his comedy by The Fall.

[@nockee]

This is so good. I had no idea Manchester musicians play golf all the time. :). “Do you indentify as a Pisces or do you think that’s bullshit”. Genius.

[@DavidFielding-ko1gc]

Seen The Fall and Mark Smith more than any other band . Deeply Vale free festival... What an honest ,switched on guy... He had Charisma. He had crazy lyrics. He was a genuine original individual. Live at the witch trials is up there with the best... Very funny guy. Very intelegant. Pushed the boundaries of music. Band on the wall. Etc etc. He was a real great frontman. Really spontaneous. Can't say enough good things. David Fielding. Love to all. Xx

[@GavinskisTutorials]

“Can’t believe this fucking rubbish….Gemini”…. Lol. But hey this interviewer held his ground so well, and MES was having as much fun as I’ve seen him have in an interview. Great stuff.

[@MrMookRecords]

"being Irish they fooked it up, ended up like 7/11, or 9/11 whatever it was..."

[@patrickhughes2776]

I'm irish but that's funny!

[@spaceoddity2485]

He is drunk

[@SaintMartins]

LOL, 7/11 was a Part -Time job.

[@displaymsg]

This is like a real life black lodge moment.

[@AndrewAHayes]

I was once outside Piccadilly Station listening to a busker when Smith and his entourage suddenly appeared and in full on argument mode. Smith stopped arguing with his entourage and said to the busker" Hey, your a pretty good guitarist do you want to play guitar in The Fall"? and the busker replied "NO"!, and Smith replied "Why not" and the busker said " Well, because your crap and I cant stand your whining and moaning" There was a bit of alcohol assisted arguing by Smith but the busker just got on with his next song and sounded Smith out. I and a few others were pissing ourselves laughing.

[@fredjhenzel]

He's not drunk. He talks with a lisp because of his previous drug habits. He's not vulnerable-- he's rich and he continues to turn out records, and remember he also agreed to do the interview and could walk out at any time.

[@DannyG-cv8so]

I was on drugs for years, and don’t lisp. Mark E Smith just didn’t give a toss what ANYONE thought. RIP Mark E Smith!

[@niitsukid]

Mes is very eloquent in this interview - must be because he respects the interviewer

[@TheSheddington]

It's Ian Svenonius of Chain and the Gang. Bit of a minor legend himself

[@benbaker-martin3627]

@@TheSheddington not forgetting The Make-Up ....Check em out!

[@Backmasking]

Let's roll it back even further to when he fronted Nation of Ulysses, a truly rad band that put food on the table for so many others who were later influenced by them. These two have/had their flaws but one can't help but be a massive fan of their work (at least I can't).

[@KodakKid]

I'm from the north of England and I'm having to listen very hard to what Mark's saying.

[@campingkromidovo5656]

I've lived in Manchester 30 yrs and I can make him out

[@antigen4]

actually Stockhausen DID say that - that 9/11 was 'the greatest piece of art' ever done by mankind

[@MrGyl666]

His sentence was cut out of the context, hence the scandal - actually Stockhausen said it was done by Lucifer, it was hellish - yes, but at the same time pure sublime.

[@Xythantiops]

"Im a Gemini like Paul McCartney.." Jesus Christ.

[@cprince10]

Thanks for posting this. I'm looking for Squid Lord from the Munich concert 1989. Anyone know where I can get it?

[@kennymilne6125]

This is really funny , MES is the man

[@ireone4]

great interview, thanks

[@nitrousnine]

seems like a good interview to me so far as i have seen..mark is pretty forthcoming...if he really hates an interviewer it get pretty obvious real quick..the interviewer seemed to know his stuff and asked some good questions like the stuff about mark's grandad and all..

[@arcrs40]

legends

[@321bytor]

'I must be the only Manchester musician who doesn't play golf' 🤣

[@sebastianmunoz3945]

2:30 -"they like Red hot chili peppers shit". Thank god mes

[@PersonMan92]

Svenonious is great. He might come off as a bit arrogant, but that's part of his schtick on this show. And he is definitely not ignorant in the least. I love MES and The Fall to death, but sometimes his fans just get so worked up about him. These are two great musicians talking to each other.

[@robertoc2485]

Yes the interviewer is a cool dude

[@jefferyweigand1337]

"being Irish...they got it upside down"....fucking great ...

[@michaelkavanagh1645]

being Irish, its a flippint remark Jeffery, i like the fall, but to consider a counrtry, uk that is, or wishes to be. Ireland was pillaged, raped of its cultural belief is not upsidedown.. check your records

[@robertoc2485]

Ha ha 😂 true classic comment

[@adamwebbartistwriterwebb7760]

Very wise man

[@HandleGF]

The Wealdstone Raider tribute act :-D

[@hyena131]

Does anyone know if smith is related to former snooker star, Alex Higgins?

[@Spectrescup]

I've been saying this since about 1983

[@kegalormoon]

elliot gould time travel ?

[@peteagassi]

Absolutely. Here he is during one of the band's performances. He's the guy dancing crazily on stage: watch?v=1RgMLNDWGDg

[@aaronbanks7953]

Rip ❤

[@estebancomulet]

Who is the interviewer? I can't tell whether I really liked him or not...

[@stimso]

Ian Svenonius. He's had several great bands since the early 90's, has written some good books. A very ironic guy, easy to dismiss him a pretentious goofball, but he's very bright. A lot of people miss the underlying humor. I wonder if his Soft Focus persona is like a character....

[@Matt63491]

Is this from 2010, or earlier?

[@sambar0986]

2007

[@Matt63491]

@@sambar0986 Thanks for that.

[@diskochimp]

"What do you call it, 9/11 or summut?"

[@zecrespo]

who is svenonius?

[@brodythompson1]

Honestly. Why can't people figure that out? It's a character (and a damn good one, if you ask me).

[@effceefifty]

lmao these guys are wasted and they both own

[@tuna2k10]

Funny how Mark often says soccer instead of football, you hardly hear anyone say it in the UK anymore

[@humblerockdove]

@diskochimp have you seen spinal tap? :/

[@falica77]

Is this guy wearing a rug??? RIP MES

[@asderc1]

This interviewer is insane

[@robertoc2485]

Ha ha 😂 this is brilliant

[@darylcumming7119]

RIP.

[@bargepoled]

It was the best thing to happen to Manchester City centre. It was a decaying shit hole before the bomb. After the city got loads of money to rebuild. That money wouldn't have been given without the destruction of the bomb.

[@neilsun2521]

What is it with that 2-fingers-on-the-temple thing people always do, like the interviewer.

[@GNeuman]

Fuck, I love MES.....!

[@TomVfan]

The bit with the star signs is hilarious, Mark is pissing himself at this knob head.

[@joannesomerset7012]

What do you think of gary shitter, well you got an hour

[@antigen4]

Ian TOTALLY missed a golden opportunity after Mark Smith said "you look like a gemini" - shoulda said "no that's just because you're seeing double"

[@insideahorse]

'..oh really?'

[@timmcPherrin]

7/11

[@sammL19]

+Timothy McPherrin '9/11 or whatever you call it'....so funny!!

[@marilyn3583]

Drunkle knows.

[@cycheng9577]

3:14 lol

[@scottvska]

Why? He doesn't come across as arrogant, at least not here.

[@TheMimifur]

Mark mayor of Manc

[@CrowleyHead]

See: Nation Of Ulysses, Weird Ware, The Make-Up.

[@andycrowder4384]

Ha! Pisces!!! a new age interviewer cool HA HA !!! what a laugh...

[@peteagassi]

I think people of lesser intellect can find his line of questioning kind of confusing. They just need to be educated.

[@MrShempenman]

i can't believe E Smith is giving this guy his time.

[@hvhhproductions2339]

7:06 That’s his humor

[@joeydendron]

Mark E Smith pwn ANYONE ANYTIME

[@greenglasful]

Ian The Clown.

[@worldbones]

The man interviewing mark has semi-circular ruins for teeth

[@samuelmorse784]

worldbones And yet we would both open mouth kiss him and slide our tongues in.

[@stewartchampion4260]

Haha he didn't stand a chance against mark did he .

[@cheekymonkey1979]

Why would you open with a joke about the IRA? What an insensitive attempt to be controversial. A real clunker there, Ian.

[@robertoc2485]

Chill out la it's a just a joke

[@timbum1000]

Mark looks so haggered and old!!

[@edisdeadagain]

Svenonius just tries to get as many " I know this . . .do you know this too . . .are you as clever as me?" situations into the interview as possible. What a bore.

[@revol148]

subtitles next time or better still perhaps not waste your time interviewing mono-syllabic alcoholics....

[@stellaboulton9531]

Not you again.

[@revol148]

@@stellaboulton9531 where did we meet? Oh let me guess in the comments sections below one of those Oasis videos with me slagging off their fan base as thick, simpletons?

[@stellaboulton9531]

@@revol148 Do you mean 'Where did we meet? Oh, let me guess - in the comments sections below one of those Oasis videos with me slagging off their fan base as thick simpletons'? Your version doesn't make sense in terms of the grammar and punctuation.

[@revol148]

@@stellaboulton9531 (a) So that's a yes then? (b) not sure why you have put "the" between the words "of" and "grammar" as it wasn't required but then I guess you know all about the definitive article don't you? (c) are you sure "comments" really needed to be plural? - come on you're the expert here (d) "Hell has no fury like an Oasis fan scorned" wouldn't you agree? I'm quite certain sure you have a working knowledge of 17th century playrights as Oasis fans tend to and so can work out where that misquote came from !

[@stellaboulton9531]

@@revol148 Yes No No No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes and Definitely Maybe