Apologies for the late post but I very much enjoyed the hospitality at the Fulham v Shakhtar UEFA Europa League match in London last night and the hospitality after that and again after that. Anyway, here’s the update on last night’s gig in Auckland, where Faith No More performed Don’t Dream it’s Over twice. I do like Crowded House so it was a delight to see these.

Videos:

Reviews:
The New Zealand Herald review takes issue with the short set.  Sample quote: “And there were a clutch of songs mid way through that are testament to Faith No More’s longevity and standing. It’s hard to top the mangled metal serenade of Ashes to Ashes and the lovely Midlife Crisis; then there’s maniacal late 80s track Surprise! You’re Dead!; and, from the same period, rap’n'roll classic Epic.”

The Stuff.no.nz review isn’t loading for me at the minute but here’s the link.

Set list:
Reunited
From Out of Nowhere
Land of Sunshine
Caffeine
Evidence
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
Chinese Arithmetic/Poker Face
Last Cup of Sorrow
Cuckoo for Caca
Easy
Ashes to Ashes
Midlife Crisis
Surprise! You’re Dead!
King for a Day
Epic
Just a Man

Don’t Dream It’s Over [With "Malpractice" snippet for intro]
Digging the Grave

• There are still tickets on sale – allocated seating – for Faith No More’s show at the Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday 18 February. Check out Ticketmaster.
• Learn English with Faith No More? Sarah and the Daily English Show in Auckland seem to think they can help.
  
  More information here.
• The ever-resourceful mikepatton.cl has broken down the Second Coming tour so far into numbers, revealing that six songs have been performed at all 47 show while another seven songs have only been performed once. Go figure here.
• Keep an eye out at Secret Serpents new blog for details of when the Down Under posters go on sale.
• Bill took time out in New Zealand to film this piece about Koolarrow bands providing music for a new New Zealand film A Dream of Dark Colours.
  

Via setlist.fm, FNM’s set list from their Down Under tour opener last night/this morning in the Westpac Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand.

First YouTube is in

And here is a short clip of The Real Thing

Review
Not really a review as such but a blog post on the popular Stuff.co.nz site. Sample quote: “Also, I put it to you that there a very few men in the world that can wear a peach shirt and trouser combo and still manage to look cool. Mike Patton is one of these. It’s quite possible he is the only person on the planet who can rock that look.”
Otherwise, the concert has passed off with barely a mention in the New Zealand press.

Until the real Stuff.co.nz review. Sample quote: “Jackets were unbuttoned and discarded and the captivating Mike Patton, with slicked back hair and trademark megaphone, then led the group through a thoughtful setlist that faultlessly mixed greatest hits with the band’s best and little known numbers.”

Set list:

1. Midnight Cowboy
2. The Real Thing
3. Land of Sunshine
4. Be Aggressive
5. Caffeine
6. Evidence
7. Surprise! You’re Dead!
8. Last Cup of Sorrow
9. Ricochet
10. Easy
11. Epic
12. Midlife Crisis
13. RV
14. Gentle Art of Making Enemies
15. King for a Day
16. Ashes to Ashes
17. Just A Man
18. Chariots
19. Stripsearch
20. We Care A Lot
21. This Guy’s in Love with You
22. Pristina

And that looks like a corking set.

Roddy’s verdict via Twitter: RODDYBOTTUM thank you christchurch. the first show always has the potential to feel a little wobbly but you all made us feel right at home.
More news and info as we have it.

Via Gezarie and mikepatton.cl, here is an image of the official Faith No More tour poster for the group’s concert at the Festival Hall, Melbourne on 25 February designed by none other than Faith No More bass player Bill Gould.

You can see the full array of posters including the distinctly Roxy Music album cover circa 1974-style effort for Christchurch over at mikepatton.cl.

Via the always informative Inside the Rock Poster Frame blog, details of Faith No More’s tour posters for their New Zealand and Australia shows. The big news is that the poster for the Melbourne Festival show on 25 February is being designed by one Bill Gould. Unfortunately, no image of that one yet but the posters will be on sale at those shows and later on SecretSerpents.com, which still has Europe posters on sale as well.
Here’s the Auckland poster by Brian Ewing and Buff Monster.

Seem that some extra tickets have been made available for the Faith No More show on Tuesday 16 February. Check out Ticketek New Zealand here.

• The mikepatton.cl has all the news on the build-up to Faith No More’s Santiago dates tonight and tomorrow. They even have this impromptu interview with Roddy:
  Warning: video ID not specified!
• La Tercera also have a report on FNM’s arrival in the country.
• As stubbadub have been Tweeting, Faith No More’s sidewave tickets sold out in seven minutes.
• Faith No More in Auckland ticket details here at Ticketmaster.
• And for Christchurch here at Ticketek.
• Final few days to cast your vote for FNM as Band of the Year at the Classic Rock awards.

From Bill’s Twitter:
EWS FLASH:TWO solo shows in Australia outside of Soundwave: SYDNEY Feb22, Hordern Pavilion…MELBOURNE Feb 25 – Festival Hall.

And here comes New Zealand: WELLINGTON, Feb 16, TSB Bank Arena…and AUCKLAND, Feb 18, Vector Arena.