pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

Mike Patton has been known for off-the-wall stuff… Faith No More did crazy stuff, Mr. Bungle even more so… Fantômas is for some entirely crazy stuff. Hemophiliac, PainKiller, Naked City guest vocals, Moonchild, and many other collaborations with John Zorn are also in the crazy, avant-garde camp for Mike Patton.

However, Mike Patton also has a fondness for the more accessible. FNM cover Lionel Richie‘s “Easy,” Mr. Bungle had “Retrovertigo,” Patton’s Ipecac Recordings put out records by classically or instrumentally adventurous but still accessible Ennio Morricone (exotica / spaghetti western / classical / movie scores), The Tango Saloon (jazz / spag. western / tango), Flat Earth Society (big band), Kaada (multi-instrumentalist / movie scores), and Eyvind Kang (some of his classical compositions).

Mondo Cane is a 1962 Italian shock-documentary film (read more here). It’s also the name of Mike Patton’s “60s/70s Italian pop” project. And “60s/70s Italian pop” involves orchestration and some good ol’ crooning…

(photo: Monique Hofland)

A recent concert with Mike Patton and the Metropole Orchestra ( Paradiso Hall, Holland Festival June 2008 ) was filmed and is available in its entirety here:

http://www.fabchannel.com/mike_patton_concert/2008-12-06/

I’m only through the first 5 songs, but it sounds great. If tentative or skeptical, check out “Ore D’More” (#3) for a sample of the crooning.

I love this guy’s music. It’s true.

~Dan – np: guess?