“I was saving myself just for you,” shouts frontman Chino Moreno. He’s on top form. There was a brief sense of panic Saturday night when Deftones cancelled their Glastonbury set last minute due to “an illness in the band”. So, the next big question on everyone’s mind was: are they still going to play their biggest UK show to date? Thankfully, yes.
After warm-up shows at Halifax and the Eden Project, it was London’s turn as Sunday’s show closed out a short run of UK dates, their first time back in the country in three years. Here, at a sold-out show at London’s Crystal Palace Park, the alt-metal band are revitalised and rejuvenated, giving it their all.
Braving the 33°C heat are not only life-long fans of the Sacramento band but a younger crowd too. On the train ride to the park, I was seated next to a 12-year-old lad with his dad, but it was clear who was the real fan of the two.
Stepping out of the station, snippets of conversation highlight the presence of international fans, most notably, two women from Greece. Their journey is a testament to the global appeal of one of the most influential heavy bands of the past three decades, and they were in for a treat.
If there were any lingering concerns about that “illness” affecting the show, they were squashed the second the first chords of ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’ rang out. The band ripped through a set that spanned their entire career, skipping only 2016’s Gore, and instead leaning into fan favourites. The crowd erupted, arms raised, word-perfect, and that energy didn’t let up for the next 90 minutes.
The opener was followed up by the unmistakeable ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ which landed early but heavy. The crowd erupted, arms raised, word-perfect, and that energy didn’t let up for the next 90 minutes.
‘Swerve City’, and ‘Tempest’ kept the momentum going, with Moreno prowling the stage, relentless. At 52, he performs like someone half his age, absolutely going for it from start to finish.
The middle of the set mixed in key songs from Diamond Eyes and White Pony, with background visuals alternating to match the colours of the albums. ‘Feiticeira’ and ‘Rocket Skates’ hit hard, while ‘You’ve Seen the Butcher’ got a massive reaction, proving it’s status as a fan favourite.
“Look at this crowd! This is f**ing awesome, we can’t say it enough,” Moreno said, just before launching into ‘Around the Fur’. From the front barrier to the people right in the back, fans screamed every word.
With a catalogue as deep as theirs and a fanbase so well-versed in their discography, it’s impossible to tick every box, but the band certainly tried. Keeping chatter to a minimum, they tore through the set with focus and intensity. The encore proved that even the band’s earliest material remains some of their most powerful.
Next, the band will head back to North America for a tour starting in August. But what fans are really eager to know is when the next album will arrive. And while there’s no release date yet, the appetite for new music is unmistakable.
Still, if this show was any indication, Deftones are only getting bigger and better, drawing in new generations of fans along the way.
Closing out the encore with ‘Minerva’, ‘Bored’, and ‘7 Words’, it was reminder that even after three decades, Deftones are still pushing forward, still commanding stages, and still leaving it all out there.