When the date of Faith No More’s concert was announced I was really curious to see how big the turnout would be. Putting on a gig, on the same date and time as this year’s Champions League final, which happens to be in Berlin, sounds quite a challenge for any band.
More than 7000 people gathered in Zitadelle Spandau to enjoy Faith No More’s bizarre show
But FNM is not any band. I’m not good with numbers, especially when it comes to big crowds, but with my poor abilities in calculating I can say that more than 7000 people gathered in Zitadelle Spandau to enjoy FNM’s bizarre show.
Anthony Pateras was right on time in front of his piano. His avant-garde, experimental chords backed up with electronics were a smooth introduction to what was coming up next. Having collaborated with Mike Patton in the past, hardcore FNM’s fans should be familiar with his music.
Unlikely enough, people didn’t seem to enjoy Pateras’s compositions. This is quite strange considering the fact that FNM fans are some of the most open minded alt-rockers/metal heads you can meet out there. Even when Mike Patton thanked Pateras from stage this time for opening the show, he only received a half-hearted applause from the audience.
This is the longest I’ve ever waited for a band to come on stage
One and a half hour later, Faith No More were on stage. Yes! I don’t know why, I don’t know how but they were on stage an hour and a half after Pateras finished his show! Actually this is the longest I’ve ever waited for a band to come on stage. Obviously the audience was a bit annoyed even though the preparation of the stage along with FNM’s selection of music was quite entertaining.
All of a sudden, the stage was full of freshly-cut flowers and a nice total-white background. Artistically the set up idea was somewhere in between kitsch and brilliant, closer to the second if you ask my opinion.
The set list was a good combination of old and new songs, hits and a few covers
At nine o’clock FNM were on stage, kick-ass starting the show with their new single “Motherfucker” in front of an excited crowd that had totally forgotten about the long delay. This electro-punk song along with Patton’s primordial screams was the perfect starter. The set list was a good combination of old and new songs, hits and a few covers that proved once more that Patton is a great vocalist, no matter the music genre.
Anyway, FNM is a band that puts together almost 20 music genres and the result is a loud WTF when you first listen to a full record, or you see them performing their music on stage. No matter if you’ve seen them before, FNM’s every single concert is like seeing them for first time. WTF is identical to FNM; maybe one day the two acronyms could be switched and still have the same meaning.
Songs that turned Zitadelle Spandau into a warzone
“Evidence”,” Epic”, “Midlife Crisis”, “Ashes to Ashes” and “We care a lot” were among the songs that turned Zitadelle Spandau into a warzone. There were some breaks in between with covers on Commodores’s “Easy” and Burt Bacharach’s song “This Guy’s in love with you” and also some new songs from Sol Invictus, where the audience had some time to rest.
All in all, Faith No More’s 70 minute set was dynamite. The last years FNM turned into an odd, theatrical act and hell yeah, we like it a lot!
Review by Anastasis Koutsogiannis
