Mr. Bungle to Perform The Raging Wrath of The Easter Bunny (1986 Demo) at Trio of Feb. 2020 "Reunion" Shows with Scott Ian & Dave Lombardo
Mr. Bungle were an Experimental Rock/Funk Metal/Avant-Garde Metal/Ska/Jazz Fusion/Art Rock/Progressive Pop/Surf Rock/Thrash/Death Metal band hailing from Northern California, who were originally active from 1985-2000. Its final line-up consisted of Mike Patton (Faith No More, Fantômas, Peeping Tom, Dead Cross,) Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3, Faith No More,) Trevor Dunn (Tomahawk, Secret Chiefs 3,) Danny Heifetz (Link Wray, Secret Chiefs 3,) and Clinton "Bär" McKinnon (UMLAUT, Secret Chiefs 3) with past members, also, including Theobald Brooks "Theo" Lengyel, Jed Watts, Luke Miller, Scott Fritz, and Hans Wagner. Mr. Bungle released three albums between 1991-99, Mr. Bungle, Disco Volante, and California on Warner Bros. with at least four demos released prior between 1986-89. Since their split in 2000, Mr. Bungle's sound and overall style has influenced everyone from Incubus to Slipknot with Korn, most notably, utilizing what they have dubbed the "Mr. Bungle Chord," commonly known as a Flat Fifth Chord or "Tritone." Mr. Bungle took their name from a 1950's educational film, which was later featured within a 1981 Pee-wee Herman HBO special and true to their name, were always one of the most zany, unique, and unconventional bands at the time and even, since.
Just yesterday afternoon, Mr. Bungle announced their "classic" line-up of Mike Patton, Trey Spruance & Trevor Dunn would be re-forming for the first time in 20 years for a trio of shows to be held in February 2020. Mr. Bungle will be playing a full album throughout the entirety of said mini-tour, although, unlike most of their peers, they'll be playing... their self-produced/released 1986 demo, The Raging Wrath of The Easter Bunny. Patton, Spruance & Dunn will be joined by none other than Scott Ian (Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death, The Damned Things) and Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies, The Original Misfits) for the string of dates through Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. As a press release notes, this is "the first time Mr. Bungle has performed in close to 20 years and the first time these songs have been played live in over 30 years." Support bands are still yet to be announced and tickets for all three shows sill go on sale this upcoming Friday, August 16, 2019. While the Feb. 2020 tour flyer further specifies "Only in 3 cities!" fingers crossed, this will still turn into a full-fledged Mr. Bungle reunion with Scott Ian & Dave Lombardo!
"Ever since Trevor hatched The Raging Wrath of The Easter Bunny V.2 idea a few years back, Patton, Lombardo, he, and I had each been incubating some idea of that egg. [Dave] Lombardo called me one day and asked me to make some guitar demos, so he could learn the songs. He had this generous idea to surprise the other guys with being totally ready to go with the tunes. It just so happened that I was in Eureka at the time. So, I found myself re-visiting all of those riffs in the same Goddamned town and in the same Goddamned house where I recorded all the original guitars on that demo 33 years earlier. There was something about, actually, physically working out the mania of those riffs again at DAVE LOMBARDO's request, in that environment—it just split my head open. It wasn't long before the train of destiny had picked up too much speed for any of us to jump off... At our very first show, at The Bayside Grange Hall, Nov. 30, 1985, we played Slayer's "Chemical Warfare" and a S.O.D. cover. I mean, are you kidding?? We WORSHIPPED those guys! And now, they're gonna PLAY in our band?"
- Trey Spruance
"When we recorded that demo, we were 16 & 17-years-old and we were absolutely serious about the music. At the time, we were living the deluge of 80's Metal and absorbing every riff and every drum fill from every known band from Denmark to San Francisco. The recording and playing were amateurish (save for Trey's video game solos) but the schooled composition and spirit were solid. I always felt like this music held its own and deserved to be presented in a clearer and more defined package, even if it meant being 33 years later... They are a significant percentage of "The Big Four," all of which had a major impact on us. Aside from their obvious skills and—for crying out loud, INVENTION of this genre—there's nothing like being in a band with those whom which you have rapport. If we are going back to the source with this stuff we might as well go ALL THE WAY back."
- Trevor Dunn (@dunnatov)
"I remember writing riffs for this cassette in my parents' garage, with no heat, so I recorded in a sleeping bag for analog warmth, playing a one-stringed acoustic guitar that was piped into a ghetto blaster. Thank God I had Trevor & Trey to help decipher my rotten riffs into something intelligible!... To have Scott & Dave with us on this suicide mission is more than an honor. THEY are a big part of the reason we wrote this stuff in the first place and to realize it 30+ years later with these maestros is an absolute miracle... we can finally play this teenage nonsense correctly! A total catharsis for us."
- Mike Patton
"When Mike hit me up about this, my brain thought he was asking me if I wanted to come to a show, him knowing I am a HUGE Bungle fan. When I realized he, actually, meant for me to play guitar with them, it broke my brain, I was a giggly drooling mess. Somehow, I pecked out "Y-E-S" on my keyboard and, holy crap, I'm playing in Mr. Bungle. Seriously, it's an honor and a privilege to get to play with my favorite "Mr." band of all time."
- Scott Ian (@Scott_Ian)
"I don't know what was in the water in Eureka California, but it certainly wasn't clean. This is going to be a ridiculously, insane band to play with and I am honored to have been asked to join the wrath."
- Dave Lombardo (@TheDaveLombardo)
