Live Review: Deftones, Letlive

There was considerable anticipation for letlive. and from the moment they hit the stage punters were reluctant to fix their gaze anywhere other than livewire frontman Jason Aalon Butler. The tireless vocalist led the American post-hardcore charges through their paces, scaling anything within reach (balcony included) and getting right in the thick of it amongst the steadily growing throng. Although Butler's willingness to be his own personal punching bag was the focus of most attention (impassioned, lengthy sermons visibly irked some though) remaining members were surely accustomed to holding down the fort by now. Amid healthy singalongs they perhaps lost some initial momentum by set's end, but surely left with new converts.

Removed from vociferous sold-out shows like this, featuring numerous anthems and a blinding light show, hard rockers Deftones must be hurting. The US quintet may have anticipated that recently deceased founding bassist Chi Cheng would befall such a fate eventually, but one can never completely prepare for that type of blow. Aside from dedicating soaring Change (In The House Of Flies) to their fallen bandmate, performing numerous songs they wrote during Cheng's tenure (including a crowd-pleasing, closing trifecta celebrating 1995 debut, Adrenaline's gleefully immature teenage nu-metal angst) was a healthy form of therapy. Aside from toasting their past via Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away), My Own Summer (Shove It), Headup and Digital Bath, their recent creative hot streak was also plundered extensively. Opening one-two Rocket Skates and Diamond Eyes reinforced that when straddling pounding heaviness and sublime melodics – the cerebral and the visceral – few modern heavy bands achieve it with such aplomb. Swerve City pulsated with almost Meshuggah-like bludgeon, while Rosemary's lushness and Tempest's shoe-gazing sophistication translated with even greater resonance.

Equally at home with guitar draped over him or leaping about en route to unleashing another caustic scream, frontman Chino Moreno's unique charisma has made them a far more enticing live entity recently. Bassist Sergio Vega's confidence has grown, his restless stage presence and backing vocals a vital counterpoint. Long-locked axeman Stephen Carpenter's face was barely visible beneath whiplash-inducing head-banging, keyboard/effects whiz Frank Delgado inserted additional textures and Abe Cunningham belted the drums like he'd caught them breaking into his house. Individuals grieve in different ways, but performing ought to be cathartic for Deftones right now, particularly when in front of such an exuberant, receptive audience.