Photos by Merideth C. & review by Dave G.
The Fillmore was sold out and the crowd was giddy with excitement as they waited for Faith No More to take the stage in Detroit for the first time since 1997. The band is on a proper tour in the United States in support of their upcoming album “Sol Invictus,” which is set for release on May 19. The experimental alternative metal band reunited in 2009 for a multi-year European tour, but decided to forgo the US until now.
The show opened with pulsing red lights and slow, steady piano chords; an extended opening for their first single from “Sol Invictus,” “Motherfucker”. The entire band was garbed in white linen, resembling a religious cult, with charismatic leader Mike Patton dominating the white cloth and flower-covered stage. Patton’s voice and stage presence command attention. His vocal range is nearly unparalleled in rock music and he knows how to engage the local crowd chanting "Deeeeetrooooiiiit Baaassketttbaaaallll" early in the show. A running joke throughout the show came from the fact that Hall & Oates were playing at the same time next door. Patton kept asking why the crowd wasn’t there instead and saying he would rather be there if he had the choice. The band even went as far as singing a “Rich Girl” interlude during “Midlife Crisis.” Other covers included “Easy” by the Commodores, where Patton shouted “you feeling tough? You feeling tough now?” at the crowd afterward, and a song listed as “Joke” on the setlist that turned out to be Burt Bacharach’s “This Guy’s in Love with You” during the encore.
The crowd also enjoyed some classic Faith No More songs including “Epic,” “From Out of Nowhere,” and “Ashes to Ashes,” as well as new songs like “Sol Invictus” and “Superhero.” The final song of the encore had special guest Chuck Mosely, the band’s original frontman, take over the mic to sing “Mark Bowen.” The crowd was excited to see him back on stage, though his vocals left a lot to be desired, especially after hearing Patton all night. After coming back out for a second encore and playing “From the Dead” from their upcoming album, Patton thanked opening act Le Butcherettes, Chuck Mosley, and of course, Hall and Oates! This was a great show and did not disappoint at all, even after 18 years.
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Set List
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- Motherfucker
- From Out of Nowhere
- Caffeine
- Evidence
- Epic
- Sunny Side Up
- Surprise! You're Dead!
- Midlife Crisis (with Hall & Oates "Rich Girl" interlude)
- Everything's Ruined
- The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
- Easy (Commodores cover)
- Spirit
- King for a Day
- Ashes to Ashes
- Superhero Encore:
- Sol Invictus
- This Guy's In Love With You (Burt Bacharach cover)
- Mark Bowen (with Chuck Mosely) Encore:
- From the Dead
Find out more about Faith No More
- fnm.com
- Buy merch from Faith No More's online store
- @faithnomore
- Faith No More on iTunes: