Photo Credit: Melinda Oswandel
The Wonderfully Weird Mr. Bungle, fronted by the lyrical genius Mike Patton, played to a packed Terminal 5 in NYC on Friday, September 8th. The current five-piece includes two long-time members (besides Patton), guitarist Trey Spruance and bassist Trevor Dunn. Two thrash metal legends, guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax and drummer Dave Lombardo of Slayer and Fantomas, joined the band in early 2020.
New York’s experimental rock duo ‘Battles’ opened featuring guitarist/keyboardist Ian Williams and John Stanier, the drummer of another one of Patton’s fantastic side projects ‘Tomahawk.’ The mass transit gods were not on my side, as I only got to see the last 15 or so minutes of their set. But I could still snap a few shots from the pit and check out their unique, hypnotizing sound. The crowd was also digging it and pumped for what was to come.
Battles
Photo Credit: Melinda Oswandel
Mr. Bungle performed their 1986 demo, which they resurrected in the fall of 2020, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny in its entirety, with a few special surprises. Highlights included Patton belting out 10cc’s ballad “I’m Not In Love” while the venue’s disco ball spun high, adding to the vibe, Bungle’s cover of the Spandau Ballet’s 80’s classic “True.” At the same time, the crowd sang along to Lombardo’s moment with “Hell Awaits” while fans chanted “SLAAAYER”. The most exciting surprise was when they played the classic Bungle hit “My Ass Is On Fire” from their groundbreaking self-titled 1991 debut album, which fired up (pun intended) their die-hard fans, including myself. The night ended with a cover of Sepultura’s epic anthem, “Territory.”
At the Fillmore in Detroit, Mr. Bungle wrapped up their first East Coast Tour in 23 years on Friday (15th). If you didn’t get a chance to check out this awesome show this time, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they will be back. But as far as I’m concerned, any show that includes Mike Patton should not be missed. He is an incredibly talented musician who always puts on one helluva show. He is forever my favorite frontman and musician of all time.
Mr. Bungle
Photo Credit: Melinda Oswandel
Review and Photos by Metal Insider’s contributing photographer Melinda Oswandel.
