Mark E Smith’s wake reportedly turned into a brawl

Bandmate says he "would have loved it"

The wake held for late Fall frontman Mark E Smith reportedly descended into a brawl this week.

The singer passed away in January at the age of 60. Read NME‘s obituary for Mark E Smith.

Smith was laid to rest at Blackley Crematorium in Manchester on Wednesday (February 7). A gathering was then held at the Woodthorpe Hotel in his hometown of Prestwich.

Ben Pritchard, guitarist for The Fall between 2001 and 2006, told The Mirror: “Just about managed to escape with my life from Mark E Smith’s funeral. The ceremony itself was nice, touching in places. The wake, however, didn’t last half an hour before bottles were thrown and drinks poured over people.”

“Total disrespect,” Pritchard added, “he’d have loved it. I kind of expected it but hoped otherwise.”

Steve Evets, bassist from 2000 to 2003, said: “I’ve got to say, it was just like a Fall gig, some strange people there, and it kicked off.”

“Don’t think he would have had it any other way, we love you Mark,” Evets continued.

Salford-born Smith formed The Fall in 1976 after attending a Sex Pistols gig at the Manchester Free Trade Hall. They released their debut EP ‘Bingo-Master’s Break Out!’ two years later and would go on to become one of the most influential post-punk bands. Ever prolific, The Fall eventually released 32 studio albums, the most recent being last year’s ‘New Facts Emerge’.