 Steve Hanley left the Fall in April 1998 following an onstage altercation in New York, which also resulted in the departures of longtime drummer Karl Burns and guitarist Tommy Crooks.Smith regretted the row and asked Hanley to return, but the bassist declined.Following his departure from the Fall, he formed Ark with Burns, Crooks and former Creepers bassist Pete Keogh, the band releasing the album "Brainsold" in 2002, and joined the Lovers in 2001, a group fronted by Tom Hingley of Inspiral Carpets.