Faith No More make triumphant return to Brooklyn

Faith No More make triumphant return to Brooklyn

Having not played a concert in America since 1997, the highly anticipated return of Faith No More to Brooklyn on July 2nd was sure not to disappoint.

Put on by the Open Space Alliance in the East River State Park at the Williamsburg Waterfront, the show began with 30 minutes of beatboxing from Rahzel, from the hip-hop group The Roots.  Rahzel is also a close friend of FNM’s singer, Mike Patton, and also performs with him in another group entitled Peeping Tom.

Rahzel warmed up the crowd, and then gave way to comedian Neil Hamburger, who didn’t receive the greatest welcome from an increasingly anxious group ready to see the main attraction.  Constantly hacking violently into the microphone and spitting into a cup and then drinking from it (all part of his shtick),  he proceeded to do about 30 minutes of jokes, using most of the time to poke fun at the Red Hot Chili Peppers and their singer, Anthony Kiedis.  Not going over well with crowds has always been part of Hamburger’s

Finally, the stage was set, and after dropping a large red curtain behind the stage, Faith No More emerged, playing the apropos “Reunited” by Peaches and Herb.  From there, they ripped into their catalog, looking like they had never taken a 12-year hiatus.  Starting with “From Out of Nowhere”, they worked the crowd into a frenzy from the first note, and only let up for a few slow songs, including the Commodores’ “Easy” and the BeeGees’ “I Started a Joke”.

Sounding as good as their records, they proceeded to constantly cause the primarily intoxicated crowd to go crazy, playing everything the fans (including myself) wanted.  Songs like “Ashes to Ashes”, “Last Cup of Sorrow”, “Land of Sunshine” and their largest hit, “Epic” kept the crowd going wild for their hour and-a-half set.  They even treated the fans to a double-encore, first starting with the “Chariots of Fire” theme song before segueing perfectly into their song “Stripsearch”.  They then took a bow and left, only to return to the stage for one last song which the crowd was loudly yelling for, “Be Aggressive”.

From beginning to end, Faith No More were the epitome of what rock and roll is all about.  Energetic, loud and finally back on tour, they didn’t disappoint the fans who remembered just how intense the band’s shows were.  An ‘epic’ return from one of rock’s most influential bands of the past 20 years, Faith No More at Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Waterfront was one of the best concerts you’ll see this summer, barring you’re not stuck in the moshpit!

Faith No More will also be playing in Philadelphia on July 3rd, and again in Brooklyn on the 5th before returning to the European festival circuit.  These may be your last chances to see them in America (as they have no further U.S. dates planned), so don’t miss out!