Ingliston, Edinburgh – For the first time during this year’s 7 night run of Edinburgh Summer Sessions shows it looked like the traditional wet Scottish summer weather might finally make an appearance, the stormy, grey clouds and mist rolling in thick over the Royal Highland Showground providing a chilly late August evening. The crowd didn’t seem to mind however, as the anticipation for tonight’s Deftones performance was high.
First on stage tonight was Ecca Vandal, an Australian rock singer-songwriter-rapper who had managed to draw a fair-sized crowd. Her punk-rock sound sounds fresh and exciting, and her new album Looking For People to Unfollow is worth a close listen.
Following Ecca was Bristol-based band Idles, with their almost aggressive sound and more politically based music. They are undoubtedly exciting to watch and leave you feeling on edge as to what they’re going to do next – from guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan both launching themselves into the crowd (and the pit), to an unexpected cover of “All I Want For Christmas (Is You)”. Lead singer Joe Talbot had a fantastic rapport with the audience throughout and they left a memorable impression on us.
As the mist began to thicken and the sun had set, the stage lighting gained an extra level of atmosphere as Deftones finally made their way out. For a band who have been performing for over 30 years, the age range in the crowd easily spanned a couple of generations, and front man Chino Moreno is still electric on stage, wielding the microphone as an occasional weapon as he runs, jumps and sings to wild screams. Starting with the classic “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”, the sheer sonic force of them is evident straight away, although it takes a couple of songs for the audio to feel properly in-sync (perhaps the mist causing more issues than just visually). There’s little time for chat from Moreno as they leap from one song to the next, with visuals on the screen behind them adding to the ambiance – unsettling yet perfectly fitting each song. You realise the sheer size of their back catalogue, with songs from Around the Fur, White Pony and their latest album Private Music all making an appearance. Songs like “Cherry Wave” demonstrate exactly how difficult it is to pin a genre on Deftones, it’s haunting lyrics and guitarist Stephen Carpenter’s iconic delay-effect building to a climatic finale with an enraptured fanbase screaming their approval. The set powers on and ends with “Milk of The Madonna” from Private Music, and looks set to become a live staple for them. A short break before the encore led to a storming last 3 songs, with “Change (In The House of Flies)”, “Lotion” and fan favourite “7 Words” came with so much ferocity that the heavens finally opened and unleashed a downpour across the showground. It was a fitting end to a powerful performance, and Deftones proved that they are still one of the most vital live metal bands today.
