The best of the new (Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend), a bit of the old (Killing Joke, Faith No More)…2010 was more than anything a return to form for artists of yore. Here’s the top 10 groundbreaking artists of the past year (or so)… as seen by ChinaShop Contributor Jeff Nau.
Like MGMT, but in a much (much) different way, Faith No More fans are a relatively distinct bunch, often noticeable only in behavior: Take the exodus of Coheed and Cambria fans as they futilely tried to leave after their band’s billing, only to be caught in a swarm of rabid FNM’ers who flew forward like a f*#king battering ram, cutting a swath towards the stage through any poor schmucks in the way. A lot of Faith No More’s fans here were younger kids who’d never seen the band and had familiarized themselves with Patton and co. since their break-up 12 years ago. It made for a particularly merciless hazing, as the young punks were inducted into a world of stage diving, moshing, and random celebrity cameos — during “Ashes to Ashes,” singer Mike Patton’s friend Danny Devito scurried across the stage, giving us a goofy look before ducking quickly behind the drum riser.
