Tomahawk

Tomahawk, some say, are the most straightforward band Mike Patton has been involved in since the demise of Faith No More. Tomahawk, apparently, are a straightforward rock group, playing straightforward rock songs.

Tonight’s gig got me thinking how wrong these statements are. Tomahawk are equally as good as the other bands Patton has been in. Whether it be Mr Bungle with their schizophrenic avant-garde ramblings, or Fantomas’ mini thrash-operas, Tomahawk are just as effective when it comes to presenting music that can twist and turn unexpectedly at any moment. If you hadn’t have heard Mr Bungle, or Fantomas, then I doubt you would find Tomahawk straightforward at all, and live, they are possibly THE loudest band I’ve ever heard Patton front.

Patton is the ideal front man. You just can’t take your eyes off him. He exudes an air of malevolence and keeps you on edge, never knowing where he’s going to take his vocals. Using three different mics and what appears to be a gas mask microphone, Patton flies round the stage, manic energy personified, eyes bulging, veins threatening to burst out of his head. It’s an impressive sight to behold, but it’s intensified even further thanks to ex-Jesus Lizard man Duane Denison's spiky guitar bursts, building the Tomahawk sound into an unrelenting exercise in shock and awe.

The set is pretty much everything they’ve ever recorded crammed into a concise 55 minutes menagerie of ear-splitting Merzbow-esque noise ('Laredo'), escalating menace ('Hare Lip'), and violent rock action ('Rape this day', 'Birdsong').

And so, 55 mins passes, and an abrupt silence fills Rock City. “Thanks for putting up with us!” exclaims Patton, one of only three comments from him all night. And Tomahawk are gone, leaving behind a rammed rock city full of bemused, deafened, yet satisfied witnesses. No encore, none needed. Nothing this good is ever straightforward.