Live Review: AFI, †††

From the onset, it would have been fair to assume that what would ensue from ††† would be grandiosity and quite a bit of showboating. An entirely justifiable assumption, as serving as the backdrop for the band's performance were three illuminated crosses (both the band's logo and stylised version of the name Crosses) that changed colour periodically and quite rapidly throughout the set. Their showmanship, however, was entirely devoid of pretension. Even vocalist Chino Moreno – whose movements were often exaggerated and at times awkwardly choreographed – appeared more endearing than obnoxious, with the focal point of his performance his consistently dynamic and powerful vocals. Impressive for the most part, their set did drag on for a little longer than it needed to and it proved difficult to remain patient with such repetition.

For anyone with a Facebook news feed made up of punk- and metal-inclined individuals, you may have noticed the onslaught of statuses from Soundwave attendees gushing over AFI's performance on the day. Cited by a large portion of social media users as being among one of the best performances at the festival, their Sidewave performance verified all claims of their brilliance. Theatrical and no doubt an extremely talented vocalist, Davey Havok's stage presence alone was enough to impress – now combine that with the better-than-record quality of his voice and you have what is quite possibly the sassiest, most entertaining frontman in alternative music today.

It was unsurprising that the outfit's earlier material was favoured above tracks lifted off Burials, but to say that AFI's set was simply a nostalgia trip would be a criminal undersell; there's a good reason they were – and still are – a treasured band in the eyes of many, and the evening's proceedings were proof enough.