Archive – Gig review: Deftones at Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (2016)

Live review: Deftones + Karnivool + Voyager at Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Wednesday, November 16 2016

By DAVID COOPER
UPON entering the Hordern Pavilion precinct it soon become obvious that security had prepared themselves for the nineties era crowd that had turned up in numbers, with the common question being “how many drinks have you had tonight?” before entrance was permitted.

Up next was one of Australia’s best progressive rock acts, Karnivool who had the crowd nestled in the palm of their hands. The band seemed to be thriving off audience participation with frontman Ian Kenny rocking dance moves that you would usually only see behind closed doors. The audience was entranced from start to finish of their 45-minute set with most giving the band the respect they deserved.

Deftones then took to the stage and as soon as “Diamond Eyes” began blaring you knew that you were about to be treated to a spectacular experience by a band that has well and truly mastered the art of giving their fans what they want. Frontman Chino Moreno stalked the stage like a man possessed and at times found himself in amongst the mosh of punters who had pushed their way to the front. The band belted out fan favourites such as “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”, “Head Up” and “Crawl” whilst also dropping some new songs from their new album Gore.

Culminating with a cover of “How I Could Just Kill A Man” by Cypress Hill in the middle of “Engine No.9”, the Deftones topped off an amazing set that made you appreciate why fans have followed this iconic band over the years and will continue to follow them well into the future.