by Stephen Segerman, SA Rock Digest #139, 21st January 2002
A long-time Falling Mirror fan and close friend of Nielen Mirror and Allan Faull described their recent live gig at the Independent Armchair Theatre in Observatory as “a small miracle.” This wasn’t an exaggeration. The idea of these two cousins performing together again, after years apart, seemed improbable.
Before the 2001 CD release of their 80s album, Johnny Calls The Chemist, the band had only played a handful of legendary gigs at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay during their 10-year career before disappearing from the scene. Contact between the two cousins was minimal, and Allan Faull’s well-known reluctance to perform live seemed insurmountable.
However, interest in the band resurfaced with the RetroFresh release of Johnny Calls The Chemist. The title track, a perennial favorite on South African radio, was previously only available on scarce vinyl. The re-release, coupled with Wonderboom’s hit version of the song, brought Falling Mirror back into the spotlight.
In late 2001, Nielen Mirror appeared at the Independent Armchair in a two-hander play, Suzie Nightlite. This rekindled his passion for performing and led him to work with producer Deon DuBiel, who helped bring the band’s recent live appearance to fruition.
At the Armchair gig, a small but dedicated crowd watched the band perform on a low stage with basic backing percussion. Nielen, sporting half a pair of spectacles, provided vocals, gestures, American accents, and song introductions. Alongside him sat the iconic lead guitarist, Allan Faull, visibly nervous at first but soon delivering his trademark guitar work and visibly enjoying himself as the audience’s enthusiastic appreciation grew.
The two-part concert, though understandably a little rusty in places, showcased the enduring musical bond between the two cousins. They played many of their classics, including “Making Out With Granny,” “We’re Lost In The Universe,” “Johnny Calls The Chemist,” “Neutron Bop,” and “Revolver Wolf.”
They also premiered new tracks: the sweet pop of “Blue Upon The Skies” and “Dream Girl,” the psycho-punk of “Cat And Mouse” (a bonus track on the Johnny Calls The Chemist CD re-issue), and the darker “Dark Room Of Your Mind” and “The Ghostly Trio.” These last two echoed the haunted feel of their unreleased 90s cult album, Hammerhead Hotel (a possible future RetroFresh release). The band hopes to include these new songs on a planned new album in 2002 and is also planning more gigs.
Nielen is also working on a novella, Lies, which he describes as “…the story of Marie, a psychopathic 14-year-old girl whose murderous revenge against the director of a play she was acting in, brings about her elevation to the status of media celebrity followed however by her eventual downfall.” Given Nielen’s tendency to draw from personal experience, one might speculate about his experiences with his Suzie Nightlite co-star.
Falling Mirror is back—a little cracked and frayed, perhaps, but still capable of delivering compelling music with captivating guitar work, catchy tunes, and naively bizarre and often unsettling lyrics. It was a small miracle and a significant moment in South African rock history. Welcome back!
A number of the new songs that were part of this performance later appeared on the “Dream Girl” album.