The iconic moment Mike Patton said Wolfmother “suck”
Faith No More frontman Mike Patton made his name by treading a different path from the traditional one set out for a musician. The Californian is a law unto himself, whether it be the alternative metal band’s widely influential blend of genres or his array of other surprising musical endeavours.
Aptly born in the city of Eureka, this word would become appropriate for many of his most important pieces of work. These include Faith No More’s albums The Real Thing and Angel Dust, the nu-metal inspiring efforts of the supergroup Fantômas, and his solo album Pranzo Oltranzista, which is based on a futuristic cookbook from 1932, of all things. Alas, his output has been so significant that even Danny DeVito is a fan.
As well as being a musical titan perenially committed to creative innovation, which he admits has come at the detriment of his personal life, Patton has also established himself as one of music’s most outspoken figures. It’s a logical extension of an artist who naturally goes against the grain.
Patton has provided an array of memorable moments in his time. These include his intense feud with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, which took some incredibly teeth-grinding turns, climbing a camera crane with the microphone lodged deep in his chops, and, of course, the famous sandwich interview. There, he ironically commented on the advent of computers in music and why they should replace humans, as we are the worst, before letting out an unhinged laugh and taking a giant chomp on his loaded sub.
One of the definitive Mike Patton moments occurred at Lollapalooza in 2007. When interviewed during hard rock band Wolfmother’s soundcheck, he comically trashed the group, asking what year it was and telling the camera that the trio “suck” beyond reason. Although it was one of the Faith No More frontman’s more humorous moments, by rhetorically querying what year it was, he outlined his genuine preference for fresh sounds and not rehashed tropes.
Pulling one of his expressive faces, he said: “Are you hearing this shit? What year are we in? Forgive me, but Wolfmother, you suck. Help me, am I fucking crazy? Can I get an amen? Shit. Oh my god, enough already. Are people that stupid? I guess they are. I don’t even have to say it; you got ears.”
At the end of the chat, when he was asked about what he thinks about Lollapalooza’s traditional home of Chicago, Patton pointed at his mouth and pretended to vomit, saying, “Sorry. I was about to…”
Watch Mike Patton tell Wolfmother they suck below.