Victoria Train Station Massacre

(1)

We had no residence
We had no reservation
We had no pre-book
I crave drama
I crave drama
Victoria Station
Massacre
We had no...
(reversed segment)
...residence
We had no reservation
I crave drama
(end of reversed segment)
Victoria

1. From Clash:

"One immediate talking point is the track 'Victoria Train Station Massacre,' which eerily echoes the suicide bombing in Manchester last week [5/22/2017, at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena].

A source at Cherry Red confirmed to Clash that the 'the track is nothing to do with the events last week, but it is an unfortunate coincidence. The track was recorded and the artwork sent off for manufacture long before the terrible events in Manchester.'"

And, Louder Than War #11, Aug/Sept 2017:
 

[interviewer:]A press officer made clear to me that the track had been titled long before the tragic events that took place at the station's sister building, the Arena, though Mark was unhappy with this having been pointed out, confirming he was asked if he wanted the title changed. 

[MES:] "I said it's not your fucking job and he was disgusted with me! I just said 'Victoria Butterfly' then, 'Butterfly Suitcase', you shouldn't have to deal with it, and that is the problem nowadays - you spend more time getting things back to what they were."

and
 

"I've always liked Victoria, I used to have a lot of mates in Leeds and Wakefield, I'm not an architectural buff but I noticed them start pissing around with it. Then just suddenly that was the thing that kicked it off You know what that's about? It's access to students from South Manchester So that's why they changed it. I used to have to sit in Victoria train station in the 80s with shit cafes, shit football, but you could look at it and think that is intricate, where now this is false, And Manchester council fucking painted over it. They ripped it out and replaced it with like an outdoor tent."

And:

From "The Fall: album by album", in Uncut magazine, July 2019:
 

PETE GREENWAY: ..."Victoria Train Station Massacre" was about the station's facelift, which meant he couldn't negotiate his war around. He said, "They've massacred the place." [Following the subsequent terrorist bombing] the record company wanted him to rename it. His suggested alternative title was infinitely more offensive.

Via Martin:

"[DJ] Bob Osborne, who lives in the Manchester area, disputes some of what MES says above:

'I love the way Smith rewrites history ...it was eleven months ago [writing in August 2017] and it's not a canvas canopy, it's some form of transparent plastic, two panels fell off during a torrential rainstorm and two people were injured...it looked perfectly fine yesterday when I was there.'"

From a gig review from November 4th 2017 in Glasgow:

"'Victoria Train Station Massacre’ was sung as “Victoria Train Station Architectural Massacre”, so it turns out not to be pre-cog after all, but MES’ bemoaning of contemporary building aesthetics, in the manner of Prince Charles."

MES indicates that he did divert the band from making Eagles of Death metal the subject matter of another song, "Couples vs. Jobless Mid 30s," as one of their concerts was the scene of another bombing. It's not entirely clear what he means, as I'm not sure how much input into lyrics the band had, and the group in question is mentioned in the backing vocals in any case...

^

Victoria Train Station Massacre: Fall Tracks A-Z