Mike Patton knows his way around a few octaves. And he’s never one for sitting still, so he brought his scientifically-proven super-human vocal range with him and a few cohorts to Royale last week, under the guise of Dead Cross. As the Faith No More return seems to have been put on the back burner, he enlisted long-time Fantômas colleague drummer extraordinaire Dave Lombardo to join bassist Justin Pearson (The Locust. Retox) and Mike Crain (Retox) to create a dozen or so songs as Dead Cross as well as recording a not too shabby Bauhaus cover. If that combo seems like it’s suited for hyper-adrenaline thrash songs, you wouldn’t be wrong. Hummingbird heart rate-esque bpm songs were blasted out, all the while with Patton doing the sort of vocal gymnastics he’s made a career of. Along with one new song, they closed out with a much in vogue punk rock anthem for today, “Nazi Punks Fuck Off.” Richard Spencer, that means you.
Secret Chiefs 3 pulled support duties for this tour, and most of the Patton acolytes filling the room recognized the main guitarist hiding up his hooded cloak as Trey Spruance. Spruance was the right hand of Patton in Mr. Bungle, but since then he’s opened his third eye and explored the mysticism of the mid-East/Northern African musics of Tangier, Cairo, Beirut and the like. Micro-tonal guitars rule this world, and a sirocco of six-string whipped psych swirled around the room, propelled by a Colin Kaepernick-lookalike behind the drum kit.
Click on Mike for photos of both bands:
Primarily based in Boston, Massachusetts, Tim Bugbee is no stranger to traveling throughout the country or overseas to capture the best live music photos.
