Axl Rose isn't the only one who isn't a fan of drones.
Stop bringing your drones to shows, folks, because you might lose them.
Mr Bungle performed at Knotfest Chile on the weekend, and Mike Patton flipped off and tried to smash a drone with his microphone while the band (with Anthrax's Scott Ian on guitar) were playing a cover of Slayer's Hell Awaits. Watch footage from the audience and from the drone below.
Axl Rose recently shared his views on drones at concerts, too. "Had a few drones this leg. Last night (Gold Coast Australia) was probably the most intrusive," The Guns N' Roses frontman wrote on social media. "Was a bit of a distraction as obviously someone thought it was just ok to be doing that but also it coming that close in front of the stage and then actually over n' on the stage.
"People were pissed. However much fun anyone's having ur still trying to stay focused n' do ur job n' give the fans the best show you can," he continued. "Anyway… we get it can be ‘fun’ to get ur drone bootleg vid but we’d appreciate it if anyone planning to b a drone pirate took the fans n’ band into consideration and n’ played w/ ur toys somewhere else." Read the singer's full statement here.
The Guardian recently interviewed Mike Patton as he promoted the new Dead Cross album II.
"This record was forged through Covid, cancer and alcoholism," he said. As he always does, Patton channelled his trauma into heavy punk music.
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Not long after Dead Cross guitarist Michael Crain went into remission and recovered from cancer, COVID-19 swept the globe. Patton loved the world slowing down at first. "My initial response to the pandemic was: 'I love this shit!'. It allowed me to be an antisocial motherfucker! I had maybe three months of that: 'This is fucking awesome!' Then something changed – and not for the better," he admitted. Patton turned to alcohol to deal with his depression and agoraphobia.
In December 2021, Faith No More cancelled all remaining world tour dates, including in Australia. The band wrote, "We believe that forging ahead with these dates would have had a profoundly destructive effect on Mike."
Patton reflected on that time and shared, "Because I was isolated so much, going outside was a hard thing to do, and that's a horrible thing. And the idea of doing more Faith No More shows – it was stressful. It affected me mentally. I don't know why, but the drinking just … happened."
The Australian Institute Of Health And Welfare's report on the impacts of COVID-19 on alcohol and other drug use showed that by May 2020, 1 in 5 people in Australia reported increased alcohol use. Also, in May 2020, "78,360 Australians said they needed drug or alcohol counselling, and either did not seek support or experienced significant barriers to treatment. Barriers included cost and not knowing who to contact."