Sauna For The Soul
Neil Perry
FAITH NO MORE Charing Cross Road Marquee
NOW WE know why their new LP is called 'The Real Thing'. When former vocalist Chuck Mosley made his acrimonious exit last year, the thought that Faith No More had imploded before take-off was a grim one indeed. For those of us whose minds were unalterably scarred by their high-risk, viciously executed barrage, it was akin to losing a limb.
From chaos comes, well, a sort of order; FNM are still at odds with the world and have lost none of their confusion or danger - but now they've turned it outwards instead of inwards.
New singer Mike Patton's vinyl performance may have hinted at a certain something lacking but, onstage, there are no worries. Faith No More are now realising the multi-pronged vision you knew was always there, but had never achieved before, FNM were devastating. They began with 'Chinese Arithmetic', the strongest song from the last LP, followed by a demented version of the title track itself, 'Introduce Yourself', after a frenzied moment of drum repairing. Whatever demon drummer Mike Bordin exercises every night, you sure are glad there's a set of skins for him to take it out on. The new material furthers FNM's exploration of uncharted rock territories - their brutal rhythms are now more colourful, more thoughtful, more up, but brutal all the same. It's the weirdest metal you'll ever hear, a sauna for the soul.
For 'Surprise' You're Dead!' Roddy Bottum crouches and gesticulates insanely over his keyboards, bassist Bill Gould and gonzoid guitarist Jim Martin headbang in unison and Patton prowls. Jigs and dodges between the stage divers. Last year's mini-hit 'We Care A Lot' multiplies the aerobatics; if FNM were intense then, they're positively roaring now. FNM have hold of something dark and rare and fantastic, a combination of mind and body that's way out there on its own - a one-off. When they're crap, they're really god-awfulbut when everything connects like it did at The Marquee.
Ah, you get the idea. The meek shall inherit shit; Faith No More are the real thing, alright.
Set list
Chinese Arithmetic
Introduce Yourself
The Crab Song
From out of nowhere
Epic
The Real Thing
We Care a Lot
Surprise! You're Dead!
Woodpecker From Mars
Edge Of The World
War Pigs (Black Sabbath)
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