Concert Report: Faith No More: Live in San Francisco

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

At the Warfield Theater:

 

So a while back my older brother and I hear that FNM is finally coming back to the States on their reunion (-ification) tour and we sprung for floor seats for the first of three shows. That turned out to be a great idea as all three nights sold out in quick succession (albeit three months in advance). Having seen videos of the band performing in Europe in past months we knew the show was going to be great.

 

So this Monday came up and we got to the show around 830PM to find the special guest on stage having just started. When they said special they weren't kidding, we walked in to find none other than Jello Biafra and Klaus Flouride of the Dead Kennedy's performing to house full of people who didn't either know them or recognize them. Songs about sexually abusive catholic priests and hit n' runs in SF over the holidays ensued........

 

The next act was appropriately and equally bizarre and entertaining (as well as unexpected) as the Barbary Coast Cloggers a (heavy metal type of burlesque act) lip synced and danced to the likes of Tool and others...... Sounds pretty bizarre but it was hilarious and entertaining to all! They were sporadically interrupted by insult comedian Neil Hamburger who also served as MC for the entire show, he mostly told but groaners but man were they some gross jokes!

 

Finally FNM takes the stage opening to the cover "Re-United" (yes the R&B Peaches & Herb song lol, flawless rendition BTW). From there they screamed into "From Out of Nowhere" and into the night.

 

Rough set-list:

 

Reunited

From Out of Nowhere

Land Of Sunshine

Caffiene

Evidence

Ashes to Ashes

Suprise, You're Dead

Stripsearch

Just A Man

Jizzlobber

Easy (Lionel Richie Cover)

This Guy's In Love (Burt Bacharach Cover Flawless lol)

Epic

more..... (memory going now lol)

 

So by the end of the show I'm wondering why I paid money to go see a band that performed so flawlessly I could have just stayed home and listened to the albums. Exactly they put on that good of a show, by far the best performance I've ever seen live (and I've been to some great shows). FNM is one hell of a talented band and anyone that knows FNM knows Mike Patton's singing has always been outstanding. He's not a metal singer, rock singer, soul singer JUST a singer. If FNM comes to a city near you DO NOT miss it! It really is something to behold!

 

I'm still in awe over the fact that I essentially got to see the Dead Kennedy's perform as well as the outstanding show FNM put on. The history behind both bands is legendary.

 

To quote Jello Biafra: "There are only two types of people in the world today, those that have Iphones and those that WILL have Iphones."

 

Edit: I'm one of the ones that WILL have an Iphone as at 15ft from the stage I couldn't get a decent picture of anything w/ my walkman phone.

[thereminqblank]

Great to see another fan around here! I saw them play in Melbourne at the Festival Hall and Perth at the Soundwave Festival and couldn't get over how good the shows were. I have pics and some video - if you're interested I'll try to upload them somewhere this weekend.

 

But...damn, the show you saw sounded awesome!

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Yeah cool man, I'm equally excited to see a fan here, was hoping someone would enjoy my half arsed write up! It was a really intimate and great sounding show, the Warfield in SF only seats probably 4-6000 people and like I mentioned we stood about 15 feet at stage left. Of all the rock/metal shows I've seen this was by far the best, previously I would have said Iron Maiden but FNM is cooler in a different way. I'm still freaked out about what a great show it was!

[104th_Crunch]

Great to hear they they are back, I had no idea. I hope they release a new album.

[Total]

Great to hear they they are back, I had no idea. I hope they release a new album.

 

 

Same here. I always thought Angel Dust was their most progressive album :)

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Angel Dust is one killer album I think there idea right now is to tour have fun and who knows for the future. Definitely still relevant and the music is still great.

 

Mike Patton is releasing his Mondo Cane project which is 60-70s Italian pop songs backed by an orchestra and sung in Italian. Well rounded singer doesn't even begin to describe.........

[thereminqblank]

Alright. I got some pics uploaded from the FNM show at the Festival Hall in Melbourne on 25 February 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

[thereminqblank]

Although I'm a little biased because FNM is my favorite band of all time, I have to agree with you HitchHikingFlatlander, the shows I saw this year would have to be the best live shows I have ever seen (or can remember haha!).

 

I'm generally a complete introvert, but I went crazy at the Melbourne show. I was yelling the lyrics at the top of my lungs - thank god everyone else was!! It was great to be at a gig with loads of other older 'geeky' type people. Everyone was civilised and just had a good time.

 

I also saw Iron Maiden a few years ago at the Reading Festival. I spent three days at the festival thinking how disappointing the younger (emo mostly) bands were. The headlining, OLDER, bands like Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, and Pixies, were just so much better.

 

Angel Dust would have to be my favorite FNM album. It's chaotic. I was never a big fan of Album of the Year, but the songs are growing on me (ha, finally).

 

I never quite got into a lot of Mike Patton's other stuff. I've never liked Hip Hop or Rap, and that's mostly the direction he has gone in. Fantomas is too experimental for me. I prefer rock 'songs' rather than soundtrack type stuff. But I don't mind the Peeping Tom album and I'll definitely have to get my hands on the Mondo Cane stuff :D

 

Oh, and Tomahawk is freaking awesome. I would say that I like their music almost as much as Faith No More's stuff.

[Vekkinho]

I'm glad for FNM, really great bunch with great music. I just think it's too bad there's no Jim Martin in this reuninon...

[thereminqblank]

I'm glad for FNM, really great bunch with great music. I just think it's too bad there's no Jim Martin in this reuninon...

 

That would have been cool. But I think there was just too much bad blood between him and the rest. I suppose we'll never really know why.

[sobek]

I just whish they would reunite with Jim Martin.

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Jim Martin would have only brought the band down IMHO. I'm a fan but he was completely against the direction the band was going and subsequently was almost absent on the Angel Dust album. I remember reading somewhere that Jim Martin was barely involved in the recording process yet alone song writing at that point. But that said Real Thing was one of my favorite albums......

 

You should check out these albums (Patton side projects):

 

Mr Bungle - California, Mr Bungle

Tomahawk - Mit Gas, Tomahawk

Lovage - Music to Make Love To Your Old Lady By

 

I like Fantomas but in a different musical perspective, its like orchestrated madness to me but I like a lot of Avant Garde style music like that. Looks like that Melbourne hall is very similar in size to the warfield and my brother and I almost stood in the same position lol! Thanks for posting the pics!