Stitched Portraits: Mike Patton

(b. Jan. 27, 1968) Many know him as the lead singer of the band Faith No More, but in the music video for their massive hit song, Epic, Patton wears a Mr. Bungle t-shirt. At that time, 1990, Patton was using the buzz for Faith No More to promote his band - Mr. Bungle. They were a bit difficult for a straight audience to swallow, especially with songs like My Ass is On Fire. Warner Bros. gave them a record contract anyway. Luckily for us all, there are three completely different and wholly original Bungle albums. Unfortunately, they were also the inspiration for much of the rap-rock movement of the late nineties. Wah wah. They were even invited by Incubus to play the Sno-Core tour in 2000. They dubbed it the "Sno-Queer" tour, dressed as the Village People, and played Burt Bacharach tunes to a chorus of audience boos. I smiled and cheered. And Patton's magnetic stage presence stayed with me.

Following the dismantling of Faith No More and then Mr. Bungle, Patton went on to create many other bands, form and run a record label, and foster a sound that is completely his own. He also does voice work for movie productions and video games, and writes film scores. He has performed with artists from John Zorn to Rahzel and even Norah Jones. He is a workaholic and his music and ethos remain an inspiration to me.

Mike Patton (restless eyes):