Concert Review - Mr Bungle - Sept 13 2023 - Toronto

          

(Photo Credit -Susan Moss Photography)


 Around 1995-1996 or so I was told by my older sister "You have to come see this music video, I think you'll like it". Most of the time she was right, but I had to play it cool and seem uninterested. I begrudgingly made my way in to her room and she began playing "Travolta" by "Mr. Bungle".

"this is going to be shit" ... Mr Whattle? Mr Waffle? Mr Wubbles? ugh..

The ultras sleek, ultra modern iMac (gen 1) screen came to life with... Heaven.

A man in a gimp mask began singing, then SCREAMING TO CIRCUS MUSIC, and then HANGING CLOWNS? What the fuck is this ? Who the fuck is this?! WHY THE FUCK IS THIS?!



I was immediately captivated. I picked up the Mr Bungle self titled record, and from there fell down a Mike Patton rabbit hole. Tomahawk, Mr Bungle, Faith No More + 100 other bands.

Shortly after this MAJOR LIFE DISCOVERY I had the opportunity to (sneak out of my parents house) see Mr Bungle in Toronto, at the venue "The Opera House". The band was insanely tight. Besides having an eclectic sound, Bungle also features an all star cast of musicians. They slayed the 2x I saw them on both the Disco Volante and California tours.

(Yes that's right, they lugged their own gear. I had also heard Patton mentioning that the cost of touring with so many members wasn't feasible any longer)


Rumors had swirled around for years, mostly on BLABBERMOUTH.NET . 4Chan, various porn pages, Facebook, and of course... forums... about a reunion. I took this all with a grain of salt, because the actual horses mouth (PATTON) had told a group of fans in TORONTO that a reunion wasn't likely. Still I pined.....

FINALLY the RAGING WRATH OF THE EASTER BUNNY DEMO was announced. And a subsequent tour! SQUEEE! It was HOWEVER , rudely interrupted by COVID-19. I did get to see the live stream... LIVE! that they broadcasted from the Eureka California Public Library. This would later become "The Night They Came Home". DVD and CD. 

Some years had passed and I expected nothing until finally a TORONTO date was announced, the first since 1999. I was a first day buyer of tickets and waited 6 months for the day to arrive.

With anxious anticipation I made my way to History a venue in the beaches area of Toronto. Owned by one of Toronto's most famous residents - Drake. Whom Mike Patton would later dedicate a song to later in the Mr Bungle set.

I missed most of BATTLES the opening band, due to being in one of the LONGEST MERCH LINES I  HAVE EVER BEEN in. Though I managed to pick this up



After procuring my merchandise, I was greeted with this backdrop



Capacity of History is 2,500 and it was nearly at capacity. Twice the amount of bodies at the last concert in 1999. Clearly something had changed, was it the fact that Metal ROYALTY  Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament) & Scott Ian (Anthrax, SOD) had filled in for drum and guitar duties?... possibly ! Was I still stoked? Certainly.

Bungle came to the stage at 9:22 PM, opening the set with GRIZZLY ADAMS from their Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny record/demo. Patton was in fine form, and the band was extremely tight. 

Many peers of Mike Patton have have mad concessions to still sing in the same key as their recordings, Patton however, has not. He pulled off all of the gutteral low and pig-squeel highs (with the help of a... pig shaped dog toy) with ease.

I got in my first mosh pit in over a decade, because I HAD too.

the next songs were SUDDEN DEATH & HIPPOCRATES (SPEAK SPANISH OR DIE) . The pit was moving, and the young and middle aged alike enjoyed the audio pounding. 

The setlist was as follows :

Mr. Bungle Setlist

  • Grizzly Adams
  • Sudden Death
  • Hypocrites / Habla español o muere
  • Bungle Grind
  • I'm Not in Love  
  • Eracist
  • Glutton for Punishment
  • Malfunction  
  • Anarchy Up Your Anus
  • Methematics
  • Hell Awaits  
  • Summer Breeze  
  • You Lose  
  • True  
  • Spreading the Thighs of Death
  • World Up My Ass  
  • My Ass Is on Fire
  • Raping Your Mind
ENCORE
  • Satan Never Sleeps  
  • Territory  (video from me below)



The biggest surprise of the night for me was the SEPULTURA cover TERRITORY - though, not totally surprising due to the long standing relationship Mike, Scott and Dave have with the Sepultura and their members, past and present.

To give a song by song synopsis would be impossible due to my overjoyment seeing one of my favorite bands of all time for the first time in a 1/4 century. 
Dave Lombardo brought an extreme TIGHTNESS to the band that Trevor Dunn had been responsible for holding down for a long time. Trey Spruance shredded effortlessly and showcased his ability to play with the best of them. Scott Ian REALLY brought the heavy chuggy-chuggy in to the fold. I know the Bungle guys were in a daydream playing with THEIR thrash heroes. This band was probably a hypothetical dream as teenagers, come alive. Mike Patton is still in fine form as a vocalist, proving himself as one of the best metal vocalists of all time. Not only metal, but one of the MOST VERSATILE of all time.

If you have any chance in the future to see Mr Bungle, PLEASE make a point of it.


I will leave you with some pictures I took from the show, which suck.. compared to Susan's above. Apparently taking pictures in a mosh pit is hard ?


































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