FAITH NO MORE - SOUNDWAVE MELBOURNE #2

Our collection so far of media from Melbourne SOUNDWAVE.



FASTER LOUDER - Dean Forte

The Faith No More faithful turned out in force. Keen to hear some new album cuts they were greeted by a stage completely covered with hundreds of floral bouquets. As previously hinted, the band themselves were more neutral in their stage attire, dressed in matching medical scrubs. Sol Invictus’ lead single ‘Motherfucker’ opened the show with Mike Patton menacingly chanting “Get the Motherfucker on the phone” behind his white surgical mask. At his charismatic best Patton proved the consummate frontman/comedian, ridiculing the Aussie accent during the audience sing-a-long of ‘Midlife Crisis’, launching into an impromptu cover of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ and discussing AFL tactics. If witnessing Faith No More bust out classics such as ‘Evidence’ and ‘Epic’ with the same vitality as their younger selves wasn’t special enough then getting a sneak peek of their new material certainly was. The backend of their set featured new songs ‘Superhero’ and ‘Matador’.

PHOTO GALLERY - Katie Fairservice

 

 

HEAVY - Bill Geary

Really, nothing needs to be said about Faith No More. Mike Patton and Co. were on point from the outset, mixing in both the old and the new. Opener ‘Motherfucker,’ the single from their upcoming album, played out like a mantra as 20,000 people chanted the chorus across the showgrounds. However, undoubtedly the greatest moments were when the crowd was able to almost drown out Patton, as was seen in ‘Epic’ and ‘Midlife Crisis.’ Soundwave has a knack for facilitating special moments when its headliners grace the stage and this year it was no different. Faith No More are in a league of their own.

THE MUSIC - Bryget Chrisfield and Samson McDougal 

Arriving onstage in surgical garb, they take the audience on a musical journey through their freakishly good back catalogue. They don’t flinch from weird and wonderful, ripping out a blistering Caffeine early, and incorporating the ‘hits’ – Epic, Easy, Evidence etc – in a set punctuated by ferocious bursts. Cuckoo For Caca, Ricochet, King For A Day and From Out Of Nowhere (from The Real Thing) are all highlights. Sure, they blow it with the new song but it’s awesome to witness a band embracing their past. Gurners straddle the fence separating bar from GA and one reveller’s enthusiasm sees him tumble down to the space between. He clambers back up, unharmed, but ‘mystery bruises’ are bound to surface. The lack of volume continues to detract from these amazing nostalgia sets, but the quality of performance is pretty damn special.

Photos: Kane Hibberd

AUSTRALIAN MUSICIAN - Greg Phillips

A flower arrangement adorned the front of the Faith No More’s stage. On stage, white curtains flowed in the breeze as Patton and co casually strolled onto a scene resembling an exotic day spa. The crowd was quickly removed from any meditative state as the band tore into ‘Motherfucker’.  The first thing which smacks you in the face with Mike Patton … he with eternally mischievous look in his eyes … is that voice. The man has lost none of his power, particularly evident on the iconic ‘Epic’.  The warped mind of Patton had great joy in instigating the ‘wimmoway’ backing from the crowd for a verse of the ultra-daggy ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight’ before more FNM hits came. They were all there too; Midlife Crisis, Easy, Evidence, We Care A Lot, Ashes to Ashes, Matador etc. Whatever project Mike Patton is involved in is worthy of investigation, this one however is closest to most fans’ hearts. The less-nostalgic  in the crowd had the option of finishing their day up with Lamb of God, New Found Glory or The Devil Wears Prada. As The Worm Turns completed FNM’s triumphant night out as the exhausted crowd headed for the exit. While the format of Soundwave 2016 is under review, the school of 2015 got what they came for and more.

Photo: James Phillips
 

IHEARTGUITARBLOG PHOTO GALLERY - Peter Hodgson

 

 



TOURING TIM'S BLOG

"Mike Bordin is on the money, what a drummer. Patton forgets the words, it doesn’t really matter, Roddy fires off the samples and Bill pounds the bass. New guitarist, Jon Hudson, who’s been in the band for 20 years, plays softly but note perfect."


METAL HAMMER PHOTO GALLERY - Ross Halfin

 

 



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