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LIVE
IN CONCERT! |
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DEFTONES |
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With
Special Guests |
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QUICKSAND |
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and
PITCHSHIFTER |
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Reviewed By
"Bushman"
SOMA
San Diego, CA
11/5/98 |
"Deftones" are supporting their
semi-recent release "Around the Fur." "Pitchshifter"
have been touring all over the place for their latest "www.pitchshifter.com."
"Quicksand" have been . . .absent. They last released
"Manic Compression" back in 1995, then disappeared.
Guitarist Tim Capone re-emerged in a band called Handsome (along
with original Helmet guitarist Peter Mengede) and by the time
you got done listening to that release, the band broke up. And
now, thankfully, here they are (opening for the Deftones, no
less). Christmas has come early.
Got to the SOMA in San Diego about 8:30. Doors usually open at
8:00, but them gods of karma were in a hurry or something because
the kids in the line stretching way down the block said "Pitchshifter"
had already played. ???? - I asked why they were still in line
if the bands had already been playing for awhile. They had no
other answer than some explicatives aimed at the SOMA's sense
of organization. Oh well, after having the security dick (which
seems to be a pre-requisite for security here) unzip every possible
latch on my backpack and then push it back at me all opened up
with camera equipment falling out, I scored my Deftones photo
pass (which was basically a cool vinyl sticker) and entered the
steamy sweat of the SOMA.
Very large crowd. Nice. Weaseled my way onto the side of the
stage and found a decent little hole between monitors to get
some pics from. Watching the all the kids struggle for footing
waiting for "Quicksand" made me appreciate my vantage
point all the more.
Quicksand humbly and inconspicuously took their places, and with
a little grin to the crowd, blasted into "Fazer" (off
their first major release "Slip"). Even though it's
been years since "Quicksand" have released anything,
the crowd apparently had not forgotten this overlooked gem of
a band. The set contained a healthy mix of "Slip" (1993)
and their follow up "Manic Compression" (1995). The
third or fourth song was their almost MTV hit, "Dine Alone,"
which actually gets more airplay as a clip in one of the "Beavis
and Butthead" episodes, and jacked up the crowd a couple
of more notches. |
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Tom Capone |
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Walter Schreifels |
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I was sincerely surprised at the number of
people mouthing out vocals and moshing out the breaks with so
much familiarity. This being the second show out on this tour,
I suspect "Quicksand" was also warmed by this reception.
Singer Walter Schreifels smiled and pogo'd around the stage pretty
much the whole show, and guitarist Tom Capone tore up his side
of the stage amid spins, crouches and leaps, while flailing on
the "Quicksand" style of intelligently edgy, yet melodically
intense, music. They slipped a few new songs in the mix, and
the crowd ate them up happily. The stage patter was minimal,
the band content to just play their songs. |
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With a quick thanks and a few hand shakes,
it was all over - and quite satisfying. Immediately after their
set, I was hanging off to the side of the stage and singer Walter
Schreifels happened to be catching his breath. It was basically
just us two and we made eye contact so I timidly introduced myself
and he was willing to chat with me for a few seconds. "Quicksand's"
management said they were not doing any interviews on this tour,
so I didn't want to impose (especially since I'm a HUGE fan on
personal level). I did ask him what everyone was wondering "When's
the new album coming out?" He said they haven't really decided
if they even were going to do a new album (although I've seen
a press release from their label that states "In November
the band will take a break from the studio to try out some of
their new material, and old favorites, on the "Deftones"
tour.")
Basically, they've written a few new songs they've been trying
out live, but almost killed each other the last time they toured,
so they're going to take it slow and see how this tour works
- then proceed from there. Fans of the band better make an extra
effort to catch this tour because there is the possibility the
chance might not present itself again. I wasn't really prepared
to do an "interview" (that, and I was feeling like
a gushing groupie) so I thanked him for an awesome set, and his
coolness to speak to me, and gave him some room.
I made the mistake of going back to the floor to talk with some
friends because when I tried to reclaim my spot backstage, I
was stopped by some "Deftones" crew stating "They
aren't allowing any photographers on stage." I showed them
my press pass, and they said I'd have to take pics from the front.
"In the crowd?" I asked. "Yeah" he said back.
"You're crazy" was my reply.
I asked them exactly what this "Deftones" press pass
granted me access to. They decided it should get me in the area
up front where the security guys stand (oh great, put me next
to the security). I went around to the floor, pushed through
all the kids that had been fighting for their spot on the floor
for the last hour (sorry) and tried to scale the barricade. Security
was immediately in my face. I told them what they told me backstage.
They didn't care. Went backstage again. Bitched (I hate being
that whiny press guy - but you gotta do what you gotta do to
get stuff done in this chaos). They talked to security, and this
large black security guy hooked me up. He was very cool and sorta
put me in a spot in the corner with another photographer. It's
amazing how efficiently this kind of thing can be handled if
the security just lightens up. He was joking with the crowd and
giving out water to the kids all through the show. Commendable
- and I hope SOMA puts that guy up front for all their shows.
It took a bit before the "Deftones" started and the
crowd got increasingly rowdy. The light guys had some fun turning
down the lights a bunch of times, which illicited a reaction
from the crowd every time, only to turn them up again. It was
funny the first three times.
When the lights went down permanently, a bunch of weird thin
spotlights, spaced on various parts of the stage, started spinning
and swaying all around, while this low moaning noise rumbled
through the PA. The band strolled out in the dim light and the
crowd screamed in approval. The twisting intro guitar line to
"My Own Summer (Shove it)" opened up the show, and
the lights all kicked in on the first big break in to the song.
Singer Chino Moreno was in the air more than on the ground and
made it about 45 seconds into this first song before launching
himself out into the crowd. Crazy. Bassist Chi Cheng is a dervish
of dreads and screams and a kinetic presence holding down the
low end (which was very low and boomin' on my side of the stage).
"Deftones" drummer Abe Cunningham is as tight as it
gets and had a really decent drum sound tonight - very crisp
and dry snare on top of thicker kicks. |
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Chino Moreno |
Chi Cheng |
Chino is one of the most emotional singers
I've witnessed. Pain, sorrow, rage and bliss all show in his
facial expressions, and the positions he flails himself into,
which often end up with him sprawled out on the floor. He kept
leaning out into the crowd, and was immediately caressed by a
hundred hands. I even saw one cutie girl kind of cup Chino's
head in both her hands for a second. When he pulled away, she
just kind of stared at the sweat in her hands in disbelief and
then screamed so loud I totally heard her above the music and
the crowd.
The set highlighted all the expected songs. "7 words"
was particularly well played and received, with Chino ending
up singing most of the song atop a speaker tower, from which
he addressed the crowd in the quieter end break "Where are
all my friends? . . .Where are all my friends?" then leaped
in pure sacrificial mode to the safety net of supporting humans.
Security had their hands full keeping up with Mr. Chino's many
excursions into the crowd. They did their jobs admirably, and
from what I could see, were very cool with the crowd surfing
and general out-of-controllness that occurs at a "Deftones
show. |
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Abe Cunningham |
"Engine No.9" went over huge, with it's rapped/barked
out verses and big thick riffs. The highlight
was when guitarist Stephen Carpenter was left on stage by himself
to kind of pick around on this mellow little dreamy riff that
went on for a few minutes until the band came back, then he broke
into the washy two chord progression that starts out their current
single, "Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)." They had all
the teenage girls singing and moaning along with their radio
single, and it was a moving rendition.
The "Deftones" deserve so much credit for their diversity
and willingness not to go a thousand miles per hour to get the
"heavy" effect. They can be slow and moody, fast and
abrasive, or put a mid-tempo right up the middle, and mix them
all together to achieve that special something that the "Deftones"
have created. Add the cathartic wailings of a man ripping out
his emotional insides, and you have an entity that deserves all
the hype it's been getting. After spending most of the summer
on the Warped Tour, this is the first headlining tour "Deftones"
have undertaken since the release of "Around the Fur."
Their reputation preceded them for being dominant in the live
arena, and they are truly justified. My ears have not stopped
ringing! |
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