REVIEW: Ginelle Cocks / PHOTOS: Tom Grut
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A humid, rainy night in Auckland didn’t dampen the mood as fans in their droves headed for the Town Hall, ready for a night of sludgey experimental shenanigans, courtesy of Mike Patton and his Bungle bandmates.
Special guests The Melvins set the precedent for the night, taking to the stage as the PA system blared A-Ha’s hit “Take On Me”, with bass player Steven Shane McDonald in notably good spirits, clad in a red suit as he played to the crowd. It wasn’t long before the heavy guitar of Sesame Street Meat took over, singer Buzz Osborne’s chaotic mop of silver hair distinctive from a mile away.
Melvins did not relent as they seamlessly transitioned into It’s Shoved from 1991’s album Bullhead, courtesy of drummer Dale Crover. Indeed, the band seem determined to jam as many songs as they can into their opening slot, barely pausing to address the crowd throughout their set as they played song after song from their impressive, close to 40-year, back catalogue. Interesting however was the omission of any tracks from their soon-to-be-released 2024 album, Tarantula Heart, instead opting to focus on predominantly their 1990s releases, with a few exceptions from more recent years.
After more than 30 minutes of unrelenting heavy sludge, The Melvins address the crowd directly for the first time, stating that “now is the time to have a really rowdy good time” before launching full force into A History of Bad Men.
Nearing the end of the set, a second bassist appears – Trevor Dunn, soon to be back with his own band, Mr Bungle. For those unfamiliar with Melvins, the addition of a second bass player is an interesting choice, and not something which is often seen in most bands. The band first did this on their 2018 album Pinkus Abortion Technician, which saw the addition of Jeff Pinkus (Butthole Surfers) to the lineup. With the addition of Dunn’s second bass, the band rounded out their set with Boris, the doubled low-end adding to the overall sludge fest that is The Melvins. It’s raw, it’s filthy, and it’s oh so good.
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A brief interlude later and we were back in our seats, in anticipation of the imminent Mr Bungle. Somewhat of a “supergroup”, the Bungle lineup includes members of Anthrax, Faith No More, and Slayer. Indeed, aside from the band’s own merch, Anthrax tshirts seemed to be prevalent throughout the crowd. As the lights dim, an off-key rendition of the opening theme from Kubrick’s masterpiece, 2001: A Space Oddysey rings out, as Mr Bungle take their places from all angles, including not only the sides of the stage, but also descending the choir stands which line the back of the Town Hall stage. The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny backdrop strangely doesn’t look out of place hanging in front of the organ pipes, which glow in ominous red.
As the backdrop would suggest, much of the set focuses on tracks from The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny as we transition straight into Grizzly Adams and Anarchy Up Your Anus – and it’s anarchy indeed, as the crowd explodes in front of the stage, with everything from shirts to random shoes being tossed into the air.
As chaotic as things may appear, Mr Bungle is tight. They know precisely what they’re doing, and execute with precision. The band are known for being highly experimental and avant-garde, something vocalist Mike Patton is also known for in Faith No More’s live performances. Drummer Dave Lombardo is unrelenting and truly amazing to witness, as he works his twin-kicks tirelessly.
Midway through the set, a “special guest” is introduced, as we are treated to a display of taiaha, Patton sitting out of the way during the challenge, before addressing those Maori within the crowd. Perfectly setting the scene, the band launch into Hypocrites – notably, adapting the lyrics to “Speak Maori Or Die!!” to a thunderous roar, Patton clearly having done his homework as his pronunciation is on point. Ka Pai, Mr Patton.
Much of the rest of the set features a Bungle spin on a number of cover tracks, ranging from Slayer’s Hell Awaits to Spandau Ballet’s True, which offers a temporary reprieve from the manic energy and allows Patton a chance to show off his vocal range. The break however is short lived, as things quickly kick back into high gear with You Lose (another cover) followed by Raping Your Mind.
The highlight of the evening for many comes shortly after, as the band launch into My Ass Is On Fire – the only track featured this evening from their 1991 self-titled debut. The intro instantly brings the seated fans to their feet, and gathers the biggest response of the night. Sudden Death quickly follows, before the band leave the stage only to return moments later.
The choice of songs for the encore can only be described as pure Mr Bungle, as the band launch into Hopelessly Devoted To You, from the Grease soundtrack. Members of the crowd throw their arms around one another and sing along, but it wouldn’t be right to end it here. In true form, we’re catapulted back into madness, with a cover of Sepultura’s Territory to round out the night.
For their first time in New Zealand, it was a raging success, with the merch stands decimated by the end of the night and the crowd filtering out into the night, exhausted, a bit sweaty, but all with enormous smiles.
With a reception like this, here’s hoping that Aotearoa will remain a fixture for future Mr Bungle tours.
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Melvins Setlist:
- Sesame Street Meat
- It’s Shoved
- Anaconda
- Never Say You’re Sorry
- The Bloated Pope
- Hag Me
- Your Blessened
- A History Of Bad Men
- Honey Bucket
- Revolve
- Night Goat
- Boris (featuring Trevor Dunn)
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Mr Bungle Setlist:
- Grizzly Adams
- Anarchy Up Your Anus
- Bungle Grind
- Eracist
- Spreading the Thighs of Death
- Loss for Words (cover – Corrosion of Conformity)
- Hypocrites / Habla español o muere (adapted to “Speak Maori Or Die”)
- Methematics
- Hell Awaits (Cover – Slayer)
- True (Cover – Spandau Ballet)
- You Lose (Cover – 7Seconds)
- Raping Your Mind
- Just Sit There (Cover – Crumbsuckers)
- My Ass Is On Fire
- Sudden Death
Encore:
- Hopelessly Devoted To You (Cover – John Farrar / Grease Soundtrack)
- Territory (Cover – Sepultura)