Will Haven in a way came from seemingly out of nowhere and scored a victory. Really didn't expect quite as many people to be into them as there appeared. But that was good. I don't know that they were quite as good as I was hoping, but maybe that's just me. The vocals seemed to be struggling at times, and the one problem that I seem to have with them on CD was exemplified in the live situation. That of too much of the material sounding too similar. The intensity is there without doubt, and the band seem to lock into some kind of groove which is their own, and which a good proportion of the crowd seemed to like, but a bit of variation wouldn't go a miss. Some real changes of tempo, and mixing up the vocal style a little would be nice. But that it seems, is increasingly becoming my gripe with a lot of stuff out there at the moment. It's great for what it is, but there aren't enough tricks in individual camps. Still, the reaction and reception they got was deserved, and the highlights for me, as on the album, were Climbing out this bottle, I've seen my fate and Stick up Kid.
I still can't totally get my head around the new Deftones album. I'm trying, I really am. There are some really good songs on it. The criticism I used against Will Haven and others, about lack of variety, isn't one I will use against the 'tones, but something somewhere still isn't working for me. And I don't know what it is. Still, the first, and last time that I saw them totally blew away everything they'd recorded. So, hopefully that was going to happen again.
But it didn't. Not quite for me anyway. Everyone else walking out seemed as if they'd enjoyed it all, so I'm pretty much putting this down to me currently being a bit of a bastard, maybe even finding it hard to deal with bands sudden surge in popularity and the onslaught of the wannabies. The number of Chino wannabies in attendance was scary, or not, depending on your viewpoint. If you don't understand what I mean in finding it hard to deal with, well, you will do one day. Most people won't admit to it, but in my mind, we all have it in us. When something suddenly explodes, part of you is pleased, part of you is a little hurt. And maybe that is clouding my judgement. Hey, just trying to be honest.
Anyway, the gig went off, they played great. Steph and Chi were a bundle of energy, at least in the headshaking department, and Chino patrolled the stage with the presence of someone who knew that he was in total control. Maybe that's in part it. Last time, Chino was in control, but he was at one with the crowd, and it all seemed natural. This time, it was almost like he expected. Telling them to wake the fuck up maybe just a means to encourage by provocation, like Fred from Limp Bizkit uses. Maybe, but I prefer encouragement by acknowledgement. Seemed a bit harsh to me that's all. Like I said, the place went off, people loved them, and I'd have thought that was obvious. Also, the stage dives tonight seemed pre-planned instead of spontaneous. But maybe I was just looking to hard. The physical was there, but the emotion, that which comes from inside, wasn't totally there for me.
Still, you can't argue with the songs, and for all my current reservations, the likes of My Own Summer, Around The Fur, Be Quiet and Drive, mx (my personal fave), Ihabia, Root, 7 Words, Bored etcyou can't really argue with.
When Chino asked how many had been there the last time, most responded. When he asked how many would be here when they came back, even more responded. Proof probably, that for most people, this was the second coming. And I'll be there again, like I will in Manchester on Friday. I still need convincing. I know this won't win me any friends, but I can only write what I feel. The rest of the world loved it. And I'm just a cunt.
And you know what. The Manchester gig was everything the Nottingham one wasn't. Maybe it's just attitude. Maybe it's just my attitude. So why not include the review of the Manchester gig instead? Well, a little controversy is always nice isn't it?