By Jase Walker
I’ve found myself back in Utrecht again for what seems like the millionth time this year for Chino Moreno of Deftones’s new(er) band, Crosses/††† for a night of super horny electronic throbbing (ha) music. But not just that, also along for the ride is upcoming LA based industrial/synth act, VOWWS, who have been appearing on some pretty high profile shows in their own right recently. I suppose it’s nice to take a bit of a break from loud metalcore now and then for something a bit more ambient and tonight’s double whammy of synth drenched music should do the trick.
Admittedly I’m pretty irked before even entering the stage area as I’ve been told I have to put even my jacket in a locker for safety? What absolute bloody ridiculous nonsense. Anyway I’ve found myself a nice perch on the upper balcony right next to a bit of air-con draught so I’m set with a nice spot at least.
Not opting for a particularly loud entry, VOWWS take the stage with the minimum of fuss and open up with a pretty thunderous start with a guitar using god knows how many effects to get a weird atonal noise alongside strong bass while the singers harmonise in a way that’s strongly reminiscent of Alice In Chains. On the whole I was expecting something a bit closer to NIN but this absolutely is not what VOWWS are, they’ve got a sound that is honestly a lot closer to the sort of indie rock of the 80s and 90s but mixed in with synths that you’d expect at a darkwave show. I bloody love the vocal work they’re doing, it works so well with this melancholic music they’re kicking out. There’s heavy elements of drone and shoegaze in here too, the show isn’t built around people running around the stage here, it’s fully focused on building atmosphere to compliment VOWWS’s sound.
I actually can’t overstate how much VOWWS have surprised me here, there’s some real groovy stuff here, the use of hyper distorted vocals as a melodic device and this ‘fuzz’ that smothers you like a warm blanket is bloody fantastic. They’re like a fusion of all the more eccentric parts of NIN and the groovy elements of Alice In Chains through the lens of a Dirge, they’re bloody weird and I love it. What a brilliantly dark and brooding experience VOWWS were, completely blew my expectations away with that set.
After a small break, the room darkens then is lit up by a soft pink glow across several screens across the back and sides, highlighting the signature crosses at the back of the stage. After a brief moment, Chino runs into the stage and the show properly begins and thunderous guitars with god knows what effects shake the floor along with incredibly strong sampled drums. There’s very little in terms of what’s actually on stage for this production, other than both members of Crosses and a couple of keyboards and some raised platforms. Anyone who’s seen Deftones before knows how much Chino runs around stage constantly and tonight is no different, man has incredible energy. The screens at the back along with the projectors either side of the stage play various videos along with each song, variations of music video clips and flashing, distorted images.
It does strike me just how much I can feel the bass off the music smashing the hell out of my gut, it’s no secret I love strong bass so this is just fine for me! With the way a lot of this music leans heavily into unusual rhythms, glitched drum samples, it’s understandable that they’ve not opted to go with live drums for a live performance. In a way this somewhat feels like the “performers” are having their presence actually reduced in favour of an intense light and video show while the music itself booms from the speakers. This live performance is a fantastic example of the recorded music sounding arguably worse than the live version, not that it means the recordings are bad, quite the opposite. Despite the somewhat stripped back “band” on stage, the presence is still fantastically strong and the delivery of the experience is fitting of a band that’s formed of such experienced musicians.
It’s puzzling to me how once upon a time many years ago I genuinely disliked Chino’s singing voice, and yet now I can’t get enough of its subtle softness. Mixed with this sort of atmospheric electronic music is a real stroke of genius though. I do love the riffy stuff of Deftones but his shoegaze styled vocals mixed with fuzzy synths similar to Gary Numan’s newer stuff is incredible. Crosses are brilliantly unusual, such a bizarre mix of multiple styles all wrapped up in a small package and fronted by one of the most identifiable voices in modern alternative music.
Weird music is the best, and seeing this sort of style sell out a venue like this gives me hope that Crosses will inspire a whole new generation of unusual music in the same way Deftones inspired so many bands I love today. Incredible show.
The tour continues, hitting The Marble Factory in Bristol on Sunday (23 June), the O2 Forum Kentish Town on Monday (24 June) and Manchester’s New Century Hall next Wednesday (26 June).
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