12/05/2026
/// Bro! We have been in many a mosh, have almost died in a few, but nothing prepared anyone for the energy that would arrive that Saturday night at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney in May.
To explain the entrance Deftones made on this night, even the iPhone 17 could not capture it. As soon as the lights went dark people started screaming, but what followed felt otherworldly. When the beat dropped and their cult song DRIVE rumbled thru the air, everyone’s brains turned to mush. What was happening on stage seemed to trick the human eye, while the backdrop was slowly turning, it felt like a kind of space ship effect / like you were being carried through outer space, but not in that Las Vegas sphere kinda way. It had something to do with the colours and the big ear to ear happy vibes which was completely unexpected for a Deftones show. whatever voodoo they set up for this show, man it did the trick.
From there on the gig was just humming, but that first song jump off will go down as one of the most hyped openings for a show ever. You had to be there!
Highlights? Chino was the master of ceremonies. This man was moving around like a fever dream possessed. he was sprinkling that positive dust around from left to right and he never stopped buzzing around. Almost MJ like. And Abe’s drums were timeless, heavy and tight. Solid as a rock! if you wanna be a heavy groove drummer, check his style as a starting point for inspiration. It was perfection! And the backdrop imagery was next level. All Artistry and nothing felt fake or over over cooked. Just tasty waves of colour and emotion.
Sometimes you can be a successful band and you just play the hits, but sometimes you continue to hone your craft and still have the ability to keep changing. Not many bands get blessed this way.
Deftones have truly arrived to a special place and may they go forth and conquer this new wave to the ends of the world and back. THIS SHOW WAS TOP OF THE FU**IN POPS YO! Still picking up our collective jaws. Epic lineup with Interpol and our faves Ecca Vandal GIG OF THE YEAR SO FAR!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
MSR X
