Last year, Faith No More and Mr. Bungle canceled their upcoming tour dates due to frontman Mike Patton dealing with mental health issues. Now, Patton has opened up about the specifics of what he’s been going through.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Patton reveals that he was diagnosed with agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder characterized by a fear of feeling trapped or helpless.
“I was afraid of people,” Patton shares. “I got freaked out by being around people.”
“Maybe that was because I spent two years basically indoors during COVID,” he continues. “I don’t know. Maybe it reinforced feelings that I already had. But just knowing about it, talking about it, really helped.”
Patton’s condition really manifested just as Faith No More was about to launch the band’s scheduled tour.
“That’s when I kind of lost it, and it was ugly and not cool,” Patton says. “A few days before we were supposed to go on the road. I told the guys, ‘Hey man, I don’t think I can do it.’ Somehow my confidence was broken down. I didn’t want to be in front of people, which is weird because I spent half of my life doing that.”
Patton admits that the issue caused “broken feelings on both sides” and characterizes the current status of the group as “radio silence.”
“We may reschedule stuff; we may not,” he says. “I’ll just leave it at that. It’s a little confusing and complicated. So if we do, we do. If we don’t, that’s cool, too.”
Patton currently plans to return to the road in December for shows with Mr. Bungle.
Meanwhile, Patton has announced a new album with his band Dead Cross, which also features ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. The record, titled II, arrives October 28.
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