When it comes to Faith No More’s hiatus, the silence has been louder than any press release, and now Mike Patton has added another layer to the band’s uncertain future.
In a recent chat with Kyle Meredith, Patton reflected on the band’s final run of shows more than a decade ago, admitting they carried an unspoken sense of finality:
“And I think that we all kind of felt it, but it was unspoken. And it’s funny: when you’ve been in a band or a musical situation for a period of time, you always, in the back of your head, you’re kind of thinking, ‘Well, maybe this is it.’ And I don’t mind that feeling. I don’t see it as a sad thing. I see it as being present and being able to really appreciate it while it’s happening.”
For fans who watched the 2021 tour collapse amid Patton’s struggles with mental health and alcoholism, that comment lands heavy, he band had been scheduled to return to stages, only for rehearsals to halt when Patton was reportedly unable to continue (per Metal Sucks).
No Such Thing As A “Side Project”
Patton also pushed back on the long running idea that his other bands are secondary to Faith No More, from Mr. Bungle to Fantômas, Tomahawk and Mondo Cane, he sees no hierarchy.
“I’d never really understood, and I had to figure this out very early on, was the concept of a side project, that’s assuming that there’s a main one. And for me, I really never had one…Everything that I’ve done was of equal importance to me. They just weren’t viewed that way.”
That perspective may not align with every former bandmate. Keyboardist Roddy Bottum has admitted he doesn’t see the group reconvening anytime soon, while drummer Mike Bordin previously described the 2021 cancellations as painful but necessary.
“We were ready, we were prepared. And it came to pass that…our guy [Mike Patton] doesn’t show for the rehearsal…It was very clear that he was unable at that point to physically do it. We made the decision that, ‘Look, we’ve gotta support our guy.’”
More recently, bassist Billy Gould summed it up bluntly, calling the situation ‘a really weird spot.’
For a band that once thrived on unpredictability, this feels different.
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