Live Review: Deftones, Karnivool, Voyager

Touring their critically acclaimed album, Gore, Deftones stopped by Adelaide for a mind-blowing showcase of heavy riffs and elegant melodies. 

Perth band Voyager opened up the evening on a strong note and Daniel Estrin leading the pack with with his vocal abilities. The five-piece held it together super tight, shredding through their varied set list which included their latest release Misery Is Only Company and alternated between their previous five albums. It's not everyday you get a heavy act covering an ubiquitous techno tune that evoked a collective "ha ha, wtf?" from the audience. It was very impressive to see the band commit themselves to the meme and it honestly looked like something out of Eurovision. The buzzing excitement was permeating throughout the foyer, and by the end of their set, the theatre was almost a full house for the next support act.

Karnivool were greeted by thunderous applause as they approached the stage. Being staples of Australian rock history, the band's iconic sounds resonated with many in the room. The band hit a nostalgic nerve when they played from their 2005 album, Themata, including the infamous title track and then teased with a sneak peak of their new "still to be refined" material. The room enthusiastically called for an encore only to be hit with a Diplo trap mini-mix played over the speakers. The chorus of cheers were still going while the backstage crew started setting up for the headline act.

Chino Moreno appeared from the darkness; his silhouette, resembling a saintly figure, against white backing lights. Deftones launched into instant crowd pleasers, title track of their 2010 release, Diamond Eyes and smoothly transitioned into Digital Bath. The setlist consisted of a balanced mix of the band's development over the decades, drawing heavily from their harder, heavier material. This was evident in a selection of cuts from Gore performed live. Of course, there was a mention to former member Chi Cheng and it was a beautiful way of remembering him with a sentimental but also uplifting rendition of the song Prince. 

The Sacramento titans manage to hit the right notes in terms of music and their responsiveness to fans. In between the screaming and singing of ethereal melodies, Moreno would jump off the stage to get up close to the fans. At one point it looked like he was about to jump in for a crowd surf. The lead singer shared his appreciation for South Australia, calling it his favourite place in Australia, and praised the state for producing "the best booze", drinking a Coopers on stage. He thanked the fans for coming out and wrapped up the show with a two song encore consisting of Engine No 9 and Bored.

But for the blinding strobe lights, it was satisfying to see so the band perform their most popular hits and the audience were undoubtedly very happy. If audience response was anything to go by, the support acts were very instrumental in building up this brilliant night.