Mike Patton returned to the stage for Mr. Bungle’s set on December 8th in Santiago, Chile, marking the first live show he’s played since early 2020.
Patton had stepped away from performing live over the past couple years, citing “mental health reasons” that were exacerbated by the pandemic. As we previously reported, Patton admitted to coping with alcoholism during the solitary days of lockdown and told Rolling Stone that he became depressed and was eventually diagnosed with agoraphobia.
The singer’s struggles led to the cancellation of both Mr Bungle’s and Faith No More’s 2021 tour dates. “We believe that forging ahead with these dates would have had a profoundly destructive effect on Mike,” Faith No More stated at the time.
In a more recent interview with The Guardian, Patton said that he had been sober “for a while” and was doing “pretty good,” while adding, “But I’m also afraid. I’m afraid of myself. … There are a few issues going on.”
Thankfully, Patton has been well enough to go ahead with Mr. Bungle’s South American tour. He was his usual lively self and sounds great in fan footage of the December 8th gig. The band has since played two more big shows in Santiago, including an appearance at Knotfest Chile last night (December 11th) — certainly a welcome sign for Patton and company.
At Knotfest Chile, Mr. Bungle even welcomed members of Sepultura onstage to perform the latter’s “Territory.”
You can watch fan footage of Mr. Bungle’s first few shows back below.
