Beez gives you the skinny on Faith No More’s first show for 12 years!

Where to begin? Seriously, where do you start with a set that was that unfathomably, unequivocally brilliant?

12 years is a long time in anyone’s books and with that much waiting, comes a major amount of anticipation. When I was 14, I was allowed to go to one gig a month. In November 1997, I had the choice of going to see Faith No More at Brixton or the Foo Fighters at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. I chose the latter and then FNM split-up. It’s what I like to refer to as an “ultimate face-palm” and it’s a decision that’s haunted me up until last night.

I’ll level with you all, I didn’t worry about FNM being anything but brilliant until an hour before show time. I was then nervous and I’m never nervous. I was quiet and lost for words and if you’ve ever listened to the Metal Hammer podcast, you’ll know that I’m never stuck for a word or three.

I needn’t have worried for one second. As unpredictable as ever, messrs Patton, Bottum and Hudson stride out in peach, pink and blue suits that would make Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber proud. They then bust out a smooth and soulful cover of Peach & Herbs ‘Reunited (and it feels so good)’, sung by Patton and Bottum. Utterly bonkers and completely kick ass.

From there on in, it was a bombardment of brilliance. Gould and Bordin (the only rhythm section to ever rival John Bonham and John Paul Jones, in my opinion) are outrageously tight for a band playing their first show together. The almost telepathic connection between the 2 on ‘The Real Thing’ was genuinely awe-inspiring.

Patton was as ridiculously great as you’d imagine too. Crooning with precise beauty, wailing like a banshee, screaming into the microphone that he’s holding in his mouth with his hands held behind his back and making your ears feel like they’re going to gush with blood any second…the man’s still one of the best vocalists in rock. It’s not opinion, it’s fact.

If you’re thinking about being in any other part of the field on Friday night, don’t. No disrespect to Motley Crue or Meshuggah, both are killer bands, but this Faith No More comeback is something that everyone should see. It’s…I can’t find the words. Just see it.

There were complaints in the bar afterwards about the setlist. OK, there was no ‘We Care A Lot’, ‘Falling To Pieces’, ‘Ashes To Ashes’ or ‘Digging The Grave’ but I have a theory on why this was brilliant.

Faith No More were a band that were never about the money, fame or fortune. In the words of Dez Cadena, this isn’t fucking Van Halen. They’re Faith No More, they’ve always done what they want, when they want to do it, and that they’re not bending over and doing anything against their will in terms of setlist or attire, makes me glow from the inside.

Reunions can be soul-destroying occasions where your memories are smashed to smithereens and your dreams of finally seen your heroes are dashed by greedy sons of bitches just playing the hits badly and taking your cash. What you’ll get with FNM is an authentic FNM experience. If they want to do soul covers, they’ll do them. If they want to do little known album tracks, they’ll do them. If they want to bring a tear to your eye via the solo in ‘Epic’, the intro of ‘Easy’ and cutting the music to let the crowd sing the chorus of ‘Midlife Crisis’ (a moment that will live with me for the rest of my days), they’ll do it.

Welcome back, guys. We’ve fucking missed you.

Beez

If you can’t make it to Download this year, Metal Hammer will be on hand to bring you the biggest and best reviews live from Donington as the action unveils! Gill and Beez will also be on hand to blog about all of the backstage shenanigans on the site and on our Twitter and we’ll be bringing you the very best interviews, live from Download! Don’t miss out!

Download will take place on June 12th – 14th at Donington and will feature sets from Faith No More, Slipknot, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, The Prodigy, Limp Bizkit, Motley Crue, Marilyn Manson, Korn, ZZ Top, Down, Killswitch Engage, Journey, Clutch and many, many more.

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