FNM ISRAEL 1995
The story before you will not tell you much about the band's music or how it
was made, because I was not there as a journalist, but as a tour manager,
during their stay in Israel in the year 1995. What you will find here is the real
people, and what exactly they did in Israel during that wonderful week I spent
with them. So far, the explanations. (Orit Haver, for 'Dofek' magazine, 1995)
DAY 1
They land on Sunday at 9 pm.
I almost regret the whole thing ... maybe it's not for me. Daniel, Cheryl
Crowe's Tour manager (she is also in Israel for her concert), promised to help
me in difficult moments. For training, we drive to the airport at 4 pm to pick up
Christina Zocatusta Patton who's married the fearsome of all – the one and
only Mike Patton.
As in the movies, we stood in the hall, holding a sign with her impossible
name, and made bets on who would be the wife of the coveted one. Our
weight goes from foot to foot, time passes when you are stressed. In order not
to get bored, we match Patton with all the ugly ones. Suddenly, we are left
with one stranger who walked around the hall and harassed the security
officers - what a bargain! The legendary Sheinkin Street in Tel Aviv would
stand still, calling a table in the legendary "Cafe Lanchener" upon her name:
charcoal black hair, two braids, two hair pins, a greenish miniskirt, a tight shirt,
a nose earring, platforms and the "Great Educator" glasses - black with sharp
edges. Our mocking smile was erased, we finally understood - That's her! No
fear, by the time we arrived in Tel Aviv, we were already in love with her.
We could not wish for our revered idol a more suitable woman than our dear
"Titi ".
Cafe lenchner tel aviv
She is a clothing designer, an Italian, who came to travel to the US, until she
found herself in a friend's house, where she met the shy Patton, who did not
dare to make his move, and only after many hours of embarrassed giggles - it
happened. They are almost 2 years together but not together - Every time
he's on a tour, longing rises. And no, she does not think he's
sexy at all. She thinks he's too funny for that. They haven’t seen each other
for too long, and Now, when they can spend time together - it’s a great joy.
Later, we return to the airport, this time to get "the real thing". Their equipment
is delayed, So Daniel drives the band to the hotel, and I stay to wait for the
band's equipment. On the way to the hotel, I took my English out of the
"storage" and tried it out before those people who think I'm the only one here
to speak both Hebrew and English. At the hotel, we pass Patton and Titi as
they hug and shine happily. "where"? - "to travel". And they ride towards the
sunset.
Daniel is waiting for me in the lobby with a smile from ear to ear: Mike Bordin,
the drummer, and the Jewish representation in the band, is waiting for us in
his room. The room was full of people. Bordin, a compact man with huge
Rastas, fastens the shorts that slide out of him with one hand, and with the
other he throws some CDs from the sofa, so People will find somewhere to sit.
I make sure I know everyone else: Dean Menta, the guitarist, only a few
months in the band, but a longtime friend - how come they did not think of him
before, none of them knew. He was Roddy Bottom's keyboard technician, and
it was frustrating for him to be under their noses all the time and not get a
chance. Bordin says Dean was so close they did not notice.
Dean does not talk much; he sits at the side and blends in with the curtain.
From the airport I know Philly, the drum technician and talkative branch of
Bordin (they do not move from each other). For him, we are already old
friends. Jimmy O, a bass and keyboard technician, is a long blond Viking who
misses his wife.
My eyes fell on a huge suitcase full of CD'S. This is what Bordin carries with
him around the world: rage against the machine, Otis Redding, Bjork, Black
Sabbath, Therapy, loads of jazz, soul, grunge and more. I got the Bjork CD as
a gift.
So, what do you do in Tel Aviv for fun? Without getting confused, we load
them onto a taxi. with an authentic driver and teach them the first curse in
Hebrew: "Ya Maniac"… and show them how to use it effectively. The driver
cooperates and explains to them that it should be roared taxis that cut us off
on the way. And so, we drive with five guys with their heads outside the
windows, screaming "ya maniac" everywhere.
In Nahmani Street, Tel Aviv, we arrived at Daniel's apartment.
a typical view in Nachmani Street
Bordin is talking with the cats who lives in the stairway and asks me if I'm living in such
a hole, too. He was surprised to hear that the biggest "Stars" in Tel Aviv live in
such places. In Daniel's living room, they are introduced to the classic form of
entertainment for a hot night in Tel Aviv -
smearing with your organs spread out in front of the air conditioning / fan, and
watching MTV with "Bamba", chocolate "Sahar", and tea with mint. They
embrace it with love.
Bordin roams the apartment and comes up with findings:
little Walt Disney dolls - toys he especially likes – and Darbuka. Give a
Darbuka to a bored drummer and see what happens! We played a CD for
him by Haim Zinovich, and that makes his day. MTV has a commercial for
Faith no more's new CD. A Look at the TV, a look at the room - what joy, the
same thing in both!
Haim Zinovich
It's getting late, I have an overload in my head. I leave them behind and drive
home. Tomorrow – we are at the flea market.
DAY 2
The next day at the hotel I see Bordin go down to the lobby and again his
pants slide over him ... We are looking for a safety pin, and he explains to me
that on each tour he loses about four kilos. OH, really pity him….
Jimmy joins us, and we travel in search of market findings at the flea market.
On the way, they share their experience from last night. It turns out that our
two independents insisted on returning to the hotel on foot and were lost for
two hours on the streets of Tel Aviv.
We arrive in Yafo and settle in "Dr. Shakshuka".
Bordin mows two pans with these red and spicy eggs. As he reads the signs
around him, enjoying himselfas someone who learned Hebrew in school,
and now has a chance to use it.
They want to know what their chances are of getting indigestion in the country
... It turns out that every country necessarily carries a small indigestion. "How
do you say diarrhea in Hebrew"? They asked. Well, the word SILSHUL - in
their opinion - is the invention of the century, and they embraced the new
word with enthusiasm. We are located on the street near the market.
Occasionally they let out "Ya maniac!" to the surprised Passers-by, who
respond with a big smile. "SILSHUL"! Throws Bordin on someone and almost
gets beaten up. Another man grabs him by the shoulder - "You are a good
Jew, I can see. You should read the Bible and not mess with nonsense. Yes,
a believer man you are", and he continues on his way mumbling to passersby.
Bordin is shocked.
We roam the market looking for stuff. In an antique shop, we meet Patton and
Titi. Patton localizes on a pile of old records. He likes the cover of an old
oriental record. He buys a record of Nasser's conversations with Hussein -
Bizarre. And a Noemi Shemer album. Too mainstream for me.
Noemi Shemer r.i.p
Bordin recommends Dr. Shakshuka, and we leave them alone.
Yaffo flea market 2023
After a fast course in bargaining, I sent Bordin to practice at the next antique
shop, where He finds a door handle from the days of the British Mandate in
Israel. With the loot, we continue to the Abulafia bakery.
At the corner of the street, I caught a boy with a Metallica shirt crossing the road,
standing gaping,pointing to Bordin, and emitting "Faith No More".
Bordin smiles at him and almost bursts into conversation with him.
I pulled him by the sleeve and dragged him from the place towards "Doctor Lek"
gelateria (which is not in Yaffo today 2023). On the way, police keep people away from the
intersection because of a suspicious object. I explain to them what's going on,
and they want to take off their feet and run away. It's hard for them to grasp
why I'm not excited about it. "That's how it is, people are being pushed away,
the suspicious object is blown up and we're done," I explained. When they are
shocked by the The depths of their souls, I put them in "Doctor Lek". Once
they saw the gelato, they forgot about everything.
We keep walking near the sea and towards the hotel, and the conversation
gets a surprising twist: "how can one have sex in such a heat"? Bordin grabs
his pants again – the safety pin fell down. "we are getting back to the hotel,
and sewing this disturbance once and for all", I said. Once you are gaining
weight again – you will unpick it".
I say goodbye to him and the pants, that sit on him well at last, and drive to
the airport to pick up Robert Belcher, the guitar technician. The guy lost his
passport in Copenhagen and the band left him there and drove away,
providing them with good material for jokes. Each of them has a booklet
detailing the dates and places of the tour, and on the last page a photo of the
passport in case he gets lost again - a private joke that makes everyone
happy.
DAY 3
The next morning, we travelled to Jerusalem. In the lobby, I met Patton.
"What's up? Are you coming with us?" - "No, we drive alone, we rented a car."
I'm disappointed.
- "Do not forget a map and say hi to Titi". One has to learn to deal with
disappointments when it comes to Patton.
Eddie, the driver of the van, arrives. We're arguing a bit about who was sitting
where. Bordin saves me a place next to him. Philly sits behind me to be close
to things, and we set off. Dean, as usual, settles down at the end of the car
and goes to sleep. Robert and Jimmy ignore each other in the middle of the
bench and the feeling is like a trip of a youth movement.
Bordin is excited about the trip to Jerusalem. He has been waiting for a long
time to come to Israel. He feels that Jerusalem is of special importance to
him, like closing a circle.
I lean back and smile at myself, this is not what I thought, these are not the
types I thought I would meet. Where are the drugs? Sex with fans? The rock
'n' roll? And all the other clichés? Very far from here. Later I will find out that
they keep it for the stage. "What happened to the myth? To the pose? You're
too real," I interrupted Bordin to sleep. And he bursts out with an impressive
monologue: "First of all you're growing up, and it doesn't matter anymore,
even though we've never had a stardom segment. Maybe just Patton.
because he is the front man. I'm not into the glamorous stuff in the whole
thing. I'm here for Music, the important axis of my life, and not all the things
that accompany success. If you let success get in to your head, the music will
hurt. Proportions must be maintained, Otherwise, it explodes. And besides, it's
more fun to be real, otherwise you go crazy and lock yourself in your fortress
and lose your life. Big stars actually have no real life. They can't go to the
grocery store or sit in a pub and have a drink, just like that, without
interruption."
- "But you're still a familiar face, and even though you're not excited about it,
the fans certainly do."
- "True, so I neutralize the part of admiration immediately, because if a fan
approaches me and I treat him normally, he calms down quickly and sees that
there is nothing to get excited about, and moves on."
Here, I must admit he is right, if someone approaches him shaking and
stuttering, he just connects with him and within a second things Calm down.
We arrived in Jerusalem. There is a police station near the Western Wall - a
suspicious object. Everyone is scared except Jimmy and Bordin - they are
already "rubbed", and they calm everyone down...
We bypass the Western Wall, wander the alleys and squeezing admiring
glances from young American tourists. One of them gathers courage and joins
us.
Returning to the Western Wall, To Hypnotized Bordin. He enters the plaza,
and an active Rabbi tries to recruit him to the ranks of God. The tefillin is
quickly forced and Bordin looks around and seek salvation ... I, from a
distance, shrug helplessly and roll with laughter. At the end, he releases and
gallops towards the exit. I sent him back - "You did not put a note in the
Western Wall, it is the most important thing, and do not forget to kiss the
stones."
The western wall in Jerusalem
turning back to the van. Farewell to the guide who was attached to us and sigh in
relief. Bordin informs Dean that the kippah can be lowered. But Dean stayed
with her. He likes it. even though it's made of cardboard. The whole matter of
Judaism intrigues him. He asks me and Bordin about this, and immediately
goes back to silence on the back bench.
Its 4 pm, and no one wants to go back to Tel Aviv so soon. "The dead sea!"
Bordin declares.
-"Now...?! It’s a long ride, by the time we finish it will be dark already…"
nothing works, and we drive east to the lowest land point in the world.
We arrive at 6 pm. The official beaches are closed. We find a remote stretch
of beach and lope to the water. I shouted "wait, it's going to burn for a while"…
too late. Clothes flying Everywhere, white posterior pops up, organs are
swinging, and everyone's in the water. "Hey, it burns"! You got any tips? " "Do
not put your head in the water because you drown, do not swallow water, and
do not Let water contact your eyes. Lie on your back and float," I recite my
father's speech from 15 years ago. Hahn! Screams of happiness from all
sides, they are floating, and they do not believe it is happening to them. That's
happiness!
"Coward, get in the water, take everything down, we promise not to look."
- "No thanks", I politely give up the invitation.
- "To the water, to the water", six floating people screamed at me.
The driver, Eddie, stayed with me on the beach. He understands me…
"You're missing all the fun; you worm… get in already" Philly screams ...
"I'm coming to pick you up with the clothes I do not care", Bordin threatens ...
I'm not excited –
"Float and be silent"… -" You're missing! " They continue.
Well, for your information, I did not miss anything. On the contrary, think about
it. I'm sitting in the sticky air, surrounded by six naked guys (if Patton was here
it would be perfect), Everyone's cameras are hanging in my hands, and I'm
taking pictures for my enjoyment. Yes, my own camera is among them too.
What else does a girl need in life? Even my cigarette
is here – a true happiness.
They finally come out of the water, white from the salt and sticky. We're
looking for a place to take a shower. In the distance, we saw a small water
park. By the time we get there, it's already closed, and the last people are
leaving. One look at their poor, salty faces, and I buckle down and go out to
fight for their right to shower.
I find the person in charge of the place, and without waving at the importance
of the sticky I manage to arrange a four-minute shower. For them, I am a
national hero. In the meantime, I locate a kiosk in the closing stages, and
when the child who works in it understands who These guys are, the
excitement is on. After a brief meeting with Bordin and Dean, he receives
a special invitation to the show + enter behind the stage. The child is on the
verge of a heart attack out of excitement. "What great fun it must be for you,
to hang out with them," he looks at me admiringly. And I, at the height of my
voice, no longer remember how excited I was on the first day.
We returned to the hotel and I met Billy Gould, the bassist. From the videos, I
remember him as a scary guy. he is not. It's all about smiles. He had just
come from the airport, and he was crazy for food. We're going to eat at an
oriental restaurant, open a table properly. "The most amazing day in life"!
They get carried away with descriptions to Billy, until he turns green with envy.
On the way to the hotel, Bordin recites the names of all the plants he sees.
What Do you know - the guy is an amateur gardener! He sails through stories
about his private garden in San Francisco, and from there glides to stories
about his cat who weighs more than eight pounds!
DAY 4
New day, afternoon. Bordin, Philly and I are reclining on the couch in Daniel's
apartment in in front of the TV. It's a Courtney love video. She once sang in a
band. When I asked him how she copes with Kurt Cobain's suicide, just
thinking about it was bad for him. "It was, and it's over and that's what
matters. We'll leave it that way". He closes the matter, but joins the general
consensus that when she grows up she will be Madonna.
Every few minutes, the doorbell rings and someone enters. The living room is
already full of people. We decided to go to the sea to swim. Still, Tel Aviv. But
Bordin feels a bit claustrophobic, and we settle in with everyone at the hotel
and disappear into one of the streets. "What's going on"? I'm asking.
- "We need a little quiet. The people here are lovely, but it's hard to be
surrounded all the time. Especially hard when it's with the staff and the band.
On tour, they are stuck with each other for days and nights, and sometimes
need a little escape.
We sit in the parking lot next to the hotel, and he tells me about his wife, about
the wedding. - which was a bit weird, and a bit of gossip about the band
- what he thinks of Jim Martin. In the "Bill and Ted" movie, Jim joined the film
after Patton turned down the offer.
"Where does the name Faith No More" come from?"
- "You will laugh, it comes from nothing, we were in a band with someone else
we did not tolerate. The band was called Faith No Man. He did not want to
leave, so we left and changed the MAN to MORE. That's the whole story".
After we have secluded ourselves enough, we returned to the hotel. And
there, a fan base awaits. Bordin signs them on the discs. I said goodbye to
him and drove with Daniel and Philly to the airport to pick up the last part of
Faith No More - Roddy Bottum, the keyboardist who came out of the closet
recently. He meets us with a blue Adidas sweatshirt. and an eyebrow earring.
On the way, he asks if we are going to see PJ Harvey's show. We attack him
with accusations that the show is taking place at this very moment, far from
here, in Haifa, and that only because of him did we not go. With pangs of
conscience, we sent him to a hotel room to change clothes and go out into the
street again. This time in the direction of Shenkin Street to eat, and then to the
pub the 'pill' (RIP).
Roddy is interested in gay life in Tel Aviv and is happy to hear that there is
definitely a lot to do. He says that all the drag queens in the 'Easy' video are
close friends of his. I leave the three men alone because tomorrow is an
important day: the show in Haifa.
DAY 5
We're before the show. I have nothing to do. Bordin is in the locker room,
practicing with the sticks. "What do you do before a show? Yoga? Just staring
into space? Do you want to be alone"?
- "No. A little excited, that's all. No special preparations. Even five minutes
before Going on stage, nothing extraordinary happened to him. Two more
minutes, the show begins.
What do they say? Good luck? I give him a punch in the shoulder and smile.
I'm more excited than him. - I'm going to see a Faith No More show.
Patton finally takes his hands off his wife, and on the way to the stage he's
smiling and in-love The expression disappears, and I'm ready to swear I saw
red horns grow on his head. It's no Longer the same guy who tells me
ashamed 'good morning' of a hotel entrance and runs into his wife's arms. On
stage, this man is clearly not an ordinary mortal, not with that voice, not with
those energies. If the devil had a beautiful voice, he would have sounded
exactly like that. Billy stops smiling and makes an irritated expression. He is
no longer as accessible as he was an hour ago, when he stood on the stage
with Yael Almog (TV show host) and melted down a damper.
Now He is inflating his chest andlooks threatening.
Dean says goodbye to the insecurity that surrounds him
and rises like a king, as you remember him on the 'evidence' video.
When Bordin begins to drum I understand where he is taking his silence from.
The energies that a normal person spends in half a year, this man spends in
one performance. What a rampage - I have no other word to describe it. His
Rastas and hands are everywhere. He jumps on the chair in ecstasy. Philly
runs around next to him all the time, takes care of a falling cymbal, directs the
ventilators that save him from heat load, pours water into his mouth. Saliva,
sweat, water and runny nose - everything is there, and everything splashes.
everywhere. Only Roddy goes up and down the stage the same thing. He
talks to the audience, controls things and keeps the same face all the time.
Sitting with him in a cafe and watching him on stage - the same thing. And I,
on the other hand, do not finish smiling. Great happiness to see the band you
love on stage, half a meter away from you.
DAY 6
It's Friday. We walked around Nahalat Binyamin.
Nachalat Binyamin Market 2023
I take the time to look for some perversion in Bordin.
But he thinks I'm already weird and asks where to buy malt beer.
"That's it"? I interrogate, "tell me something disturbing you
once did – destroyed a hotel room, orgies, hard drugs, something" ... he
thought for a long time. And after an hour of strenuous thinking to find me
something interesting, we give up and go eat shawarma. In the evening, there
is a meal with the record company at Turquoise Restaurant.
A decent meal in Turkiz restaurant
This is the first time I have seen the whole band together.
Wrong, almost the whole band together. Patton, of course, did not come,
and the disappointment is great. But like we said, when it comes to Patton
you have to get used to disappointments.
DAY 7
Saturday, performance at the Cinerama (rip) in Tel Aviv. Faith No More does not do
a sound check. The technicians adjust the tools, check that Everything works
and that's it. The band trusts them with their eyes closed. I walk around
the Cinerama and domesticate in the room where the food is. Luca, the Italian
guy in charge of the catering, sits and chats with Patton and Titi. All three
evoke melancholy memories of Rome. Bordin glances with his head into the
room - "I've been looking for you for an hour." We go out to tour the structure.
He was bored and had no one to talk to. I am trying to convince
him that tonight's performance would include more songs from Angel dust,
because in the audience here sees them for the first time and they should be
considered. He thinks it's a good idea and that the man to talk to about it is Billy.
By the time we find Billy, it turns out that 'easy' and the other cover versions were just
a joke. 'Easy' was a very A successful joke, it turns out.
Before the show, it turns out that Bordin is missing a chair and a snare drum,
and the drummer from the Warm-up show - 'Revenge of the Tractor' group
- is more than happy to lend him the equipment.
At the Cinerama Tel Aviv, with 'Nikmat Hatraktor'
After the show he discovered Bordin's sweat, and it was all great happiness.
I caught Billy in a dark hallway and demanded explanations - you did not play
what I asked for, malice! "
-" We really wanted to, but Dean does not know all the songs yet."
He apologizes and slips out of my disappointed face.
After the show, the security people barely manage to rescue the band from
the clutches of the fans, who fill the back entrance. We hop into the
'Corruption' club (rip) for one last time together, closing the night at Daniel's
house for the last time.
In the morning, I sat in the cafeteria of the hotel. Bordin joins me and we make
summaries: Although it's hot here, they want to come back. Even just for a
vacation. Bordin is sure of that. Today they're leaving here, and we're starting
to be sentimental – exchanging addresses and making promises - if you get to
San Francisco ... and such, it's sticky but exciting. And I'm really sad. On the
way to the airport, we were silent. Strange to find friends and say goodbye to
them after a week. I'm a little skeptical. "Every country you are in, you
find friends"? I asked apprehensively. "You are the first country in this round
that we have stayed in for so long. We usually do not have time to meet
people. We land, perform and travel." Encouraged by the answer, I placed my
head on Philly's shoulder, and then on Bordin,
and howl in sorrow. At the airport, Bordin is scribbling a few things on my
ANGEL DUST cd. "First of all, I am a fan, only then TOUR MANAGER", I
clarified.
Philly also writes me something short. And Bordin shoves a note in my hand,
"Read it later." When I tell them that I'm going to London next month, he looks
at the list of shows and announces that on the 15th of the month they will
perform in Birmingham. A note is coming out, the hotel name and phone
number are registered quickly ... Bordin reminds me that they will register
under their fake names. Last hugs with everyone. They are heading their way
to the duty-free shop. Philly and Bordin hold my hands, but at the end only
fingers are left. I let go and they disappeared with the escalator ...
* ** ** ** *
Omer Kaveh:
I want to say thanks -
1. To Orit Haver for giving a wonderfal hospitalty,
and for sharing good stuff with the FNM fans out there!
2. To FNM - the G.O.A.T !!
For unbelievable shows in both Haiffa and Tel Aviv.
We sure hope to see you again !!
