Mike Patton's Mondo Cane @ The Regent Theatre, Melbourne (12/11/2012)
It should probably be noted before getting into the soul of this review, that I don’t understand the Italian language. It’s partially the reason why I was drawn to review this particular Harvest Festival sideshow; to experience music performed in a language, style and genre that I wasn’t particularly familiar with, by a vocalist who I most definitely was.
Hosted inside Melbourne’s prestigious Regent Theatre, and backed by a 22-piece orchestra (twelve of which were violinists alone) tonight’s audience were lucky enough to be treated to one of the most intriguing and fascinating live performances all year. And even though there were your fair share of Faith No More fans in the audience, Mondo Cane wasn’t going to be your usual Mike Patton music affair.
From slow jams where Patton serenaded the audience ever so smoothly, to some rather over-the-top tunes turned up to 11 by the addition of a megaphone, Mike Patton’s Italian language pop project was a stimulation of the senses that knew no real boundaries.
I was enthralled.
Here in front of me was a man who I associate mostly with Faith No More, and yet tonight it was like he was possessed with the entity of Italian pop music’s spirit. As Patton bounds about the stage, his wild eyes speak more than words. I dared not blink in case I missed something crucial in his body movements throughout the performance.
This was imperative to the show, as although I couldn’t understand what was being expressed vocally through the music, my eyes wandered and studied the musicians on stage that created such mesmerising sounds to compliment Patton’s voice. And there in, lied the beauty of tonight’s performance.
As an observer, you didn’t need to be able to understand Patton’s vocals tonight in order to feel the passion being so powerfully expressed within the music. Mondo Cane was unlike anything I've ever seen or heard before in a live music environment; an impressive and captivating show from a man who knows no boundaries when it comes to creating and performing for his audience.
Luke Sutton
Follow me on Twitter! - @lukesutton
Check out our photos from the night here!
Hosted inside Melbourne’s prestigious Regent Theatre, and backed by a 22-piece orchestra (twelve of which were violinists alone) tonight’s audience were lucky enough to be treated to one of the most intriguing and fascinating live performances all year. And even though there were your fair share of Faith No More fans in the audience, Mondo Cane wasn’t going to be your usual Mike Patton music affair.
From slow jams where Patton serenaded the audience ever so smoothly, to some rather over-the-top tunes turned up to 11 by the addition of a megaphone, Mike Patton’s Italian language pop project was a stimulation of the senses that knew no real boundaries.
I was enthralled.
Here in front of me was a man who I associate mostly with Faith No More, and yet tonight it was like he was possessed with the entity of Italian pop music’s spirit. As Patton bounds about the stage, his wild eyes speak more than words. I dared not blink in case I missed something crucial in his body movements throughout the performance.
This was imperative to the show, as although I couldn’t understand what was being expressed vocally through the music, my eyes wandered and studied the musicians on stage that created such mesmerising sounds to compliment Patton’s voice. And there in, lied the beauty of tonight’s performance.
As an observer, you didn’t need to be able to understand Patton’s vocals tonight in order to feel the passion being so powerfully expressed within the music. Mondo Cane was unlike anything I've ever seen or heard before in a live music environment; an impressive and captivating show from a man who knows no boundaries when it comes to creating and performing for his audience.
Luke Sutton
Follow me on Twitter! - @lukesutton
Check out our photos from the night here!