Mr Bungle, Melvins @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 7/3/2024
Adelaide has been well and truly spoilt with the calibre on touring acts coming to town and another to join that elite echelon is Mr Bungle and fellow pop stars Melvins. Even just after seven o’clock Hindley Street Music Hall was jam packed. There was definitely a sense of anticipation and a lot of pre-show about the last time Mr Bungle was here in 2000 playing the University Of Adelaide Cloisters in support of their infamous album California.
Melvins opened playing a blistering fifty five minute set that pulled plenty of punches and laying a lot of body blows. This was vintage Melvins in full flight and for anyone new to this band what a first taster. Walking on to A-ha’s Take Me On, there was no stuffing about ploughing straight in to Sesame Street Meat giving the bold impression that they meant business. Cult figure Buzz Osborne was dressed like a warlock with a black velvet floor length robe emblazoned with gold eyes on the front and tour right bassist Steven McDonald was gunning for best dressed with his red and black two piece suit and combined with fill in drummer Coady Willis they were formidable.
With a new album on the way the was no preview keeping that well under wraps relying on the classics which went down brilliantly. Their distinctive sound and Buzz’s vocal stylings reigned supreme in It’s Shoved, Anaconda and Never Say Your Sorry. The set was fast and furious with barely a second between songs before they started ripping through the next. Fans were relishing in the moment as the likes of The Bloated Pope, Hag Me, Your Blessened and A History Of Bad Men were unleashed. So good! There was no let up, not even for a moment finishing on Honey Bucket, Revolve and Night Goat. Hard to believe that was the end of the line.
Mr Bungle! Seriously elite! One show can be so different from the next giving fans a unique experience. For Adelaide, this was no different and one of those shows that will be talked about for some time to come. The back drop had that demonic rabbit head looking down on the crowd with the rest of the stage looking minimalist, it was almost go time. Hells bells! When the band, which consists of Mike Patton (Faith No More), Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3), Trevor Dunn (Fantomas), Scott Ian (Anthrax) and legendary drummer Dave Lombardo (Slayer), took the stage it was an assault for senses barrelling their way through Grizzly Adams and Anarchy Up Your Anus which was followed by Patton saluting the crowd.
The next few Bungle Grind, Eracist and Spreading the Thighs of Death from The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo really did get the crowd going. This was Mike Patton at his very best. Corrosion Of Conformity cover Loss For Words was killer as was Hypocrites / Habla español o muere (which was a reworking of the Storm Troopers Of Death song Speak English Or Die) and Glutton for Punishment.
Their set was loaded with covers Hell Awaits (Slayer), the reallly cool Summer Breeze (Seals & Croft), Cold War (Siege) and the one which seemed to come from left field in Hopelessly Devoted to You (John Farrar). The Exploited cover USA was brilliant powering their way to finish on My Ass Is on Fire (with a teaser of the Pepto Bismol theme song) and Sudden Death firing up the crowd surfers who got their moment. Patton wished the crowd good night and good luck disappearing for a moment to return for an encore. The encore continued the intensity and covers of Satan Never Sleeps (Timi Yuro) and Loss Of Control (Van Halen). As the band waved to the crowd saying their thank you’s the band threw out a truck load of guitar pick which would have been a great souvenir of a great show.
Live Review By Rob Lyon