Phil Alexander
Verdict: Hope, mastery and the real thing.
SCAT OPERA are damn weird. They deal with the 'support band apathy' syndrome with a few sneers, then proceed to throw a sweaty ball of furious energy at the bewildered audience. All of which belies the fact that the London-based four-piece are relative newcomers, clutching a contract with Noise Records, the ink barely dry. 'Dead Giveaway' (kinda like Bad Brains on a collision course with Killing Joke at their heaviest), for instance, is a perfect reflection of current FunkPunk fusionist trends. The reaction proves that Scat Opera have things in the right place even if a little fine tuning is required.
Strangely enough, Faith No More were probably in the same situation as the Seat crew a few years back; They were too confusing for mainstream consumption, despite being pioneers in their field. Tonight, however, their eclecticism is what people have come to revel in.
If the last UK tour back in July saw newboy vocalist Mike Patton busy introducing himself with a fair degree of nervousness to the Faith crowd, this time around he runs the joint.
Memories of his predecessor (Chuck Mosley) have clearly been banished, and rather than trying to get Mike to wheel out the old material the Faith chaps go straight for the far superior stuff from current platter, 'The Real Thing'. 'From out Of Nowhere' is perhaps the finest opener anyone could ever ask for. where Patton is in his own element, 'Surprise, You're Dead!' (introduced as 'Like A Virgin') is devastating. 'Underwater Love' is sensual and classy. "Ya know singing for this band is a fuckin' dirty job! states Patton before launching into 'We Care A Lot' (from 'Introduce Yourself). The truth is that Patton does with aplomb and soul. The dirt and grime is still part of the FNM sound, but they've found a new sense of professionalism.
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