This seasoned SCENEzine gig goer had himself a busy week of live music lined up with no less then four gigs to attend in Sydney from Thursday to Sunday but it was arguably Saturday nights gig at The Horden Pavilion that he had been looking forward the most to attending as for The Deftones were back in town on their second last Australian show in support of their latest release Gore and supporting them was Karnivool what an awesome night it was going to be.
Earlier this year Karnivool had done a nation wide tour, which some how i had missed and that was something i was keen to rectify tonight. On that Sydney leg of the tour they played the Manning bar which sold out, tonight you would think they were the head line act never before have i seen so many people fill the Horden to catch the support act. I know Karnivool are great and have a mass loyal fan base but i was shocked at just how packed it was in there. They open things up with the Simple Boy and from there we get two more tracks off Sound Awake in succesion Goliath followed by Deadman. Tonight’s set played out with Karnivool delivering a wall of melodic prog metal sound with front man Ian Kenny vocals really being something even more amazing when heard live, the band themselves delivered a solid performance mixed in with a super light show. Karnivool would finish the set off with New Day and be met with a standing round of applause from the masses gathered.
When the stage lights blacken and a familiar synth sounding intro begins to play you know it is Deftones time the intro starts to carry us away and then a beat kicks in and the lights quickly flicker, Chino steps out of the shadows grabs the microphone and then BAM! we are showered instantainlsly in a flicker of blinding flashes of red and white as the savage punding of drums whips us into a frenzy guitarist Stephen Carpenter stands right at the front of stage as his hair is being blown widly about by a fan aimed soley at him, front man Chino Moreno vocal stylings fill up the Horden in an almost ghostly fashion and this is all happening from the opening song Diamond Eye’s and things would continue to be just as stunningly awesome through out all of tonight’s most epic performance.
Anybody who had come to the show tonight hear how tracks off the new album Gore sound live, would not be let down as the tittle track from the album went over very well along with Acid Hologram and (l)MIRL. Old school fans like myself have perennial favourites that we love to hear these tracks just move us in away like no other and it was when they played Be Quiet And Drive that things really kicked off and the dial would be turned right up and already intense crowd would loose their shit as they went from that track into Head Up and finishing off The Around The Fur mini set with My Own Summer it was on this track a stage diver came out from behind the curtain and was caught by the already insane mosh whose hands were raised up nice and high bouncing up and down too the roaring guitar and banging drums, there is just something about that song that turns people savage it was fucking awesome to be apart of it.
After the level of intensity we and the band had just gone through it was time to take a breath acknowledge the crowd and give thanks. Things would slow down a bit with the track Rosemary and You’ve Seen The Butcher along with the two new ones mentioned above but before the encore they would build us back up as the slow melody of Chain In The House OF Flies builds on top of Chino’s smooth sounding vocals then delivering an assault on the ears we had not yet had tonight, things would finish with my personal favourite track Knife Party, Chino would once again go down the front of the barrier making his way from far left to far right of stage getting up real close. The track would fade out the band would leave the stage. The screaming for more would not last long as they emerge and get on with the encore belting out Hexagram followed by Engine No.9. A tape of Prince’s Purple Rain would play in the background as we are ushered away from the front of stage, i thought tonight was just going to be gig of my week it turned out to be gig of my year a live music experience i will soon not forget.
Review – Chad
Photo Gallery – Christian Ross