Deftones | High Vis
The Piece Hall, Halifax
24th July 2025
Seminal California metallers Deftones bring their own brand of shoegaze-flavoured nu-metal to West Yorkshire. Louder Than War’s Dave Beech and Adam Edwards were there.
That almost a year has passed since we were last at Halifax’s iconic Piece Hall seems crazy, but it’s nice to see that, whilst the world feels like a very different place from 12 months ago, the Georgian surrounds remain just as impressive.
A car crash on the M62 sees us arrive with barely a moment to spare before London post-punks High Vis take to the stage, kicking things off immediately with an uplifting Talk For Hours. The first noticeable thing is just how loud everything feels, making a dash to the bar for some earplugs something of a necessity.
Another noticeable thing is the sheer energy and aggression that emanates from the stage as frontman Graham Sayle makes full use of the space provided, wrapping himself in the mic cable, spin kicking and leaping with wild and wilful abandon. Post-punk it may be, but there’s no denying the hardcore sensibilities that are imbued so heavily within the band. Tracks such as Walking Wires, 0151, and Choose To Loose bristle with the same sense of urgency, making High Vis one of the most vital bands around currently.
That said, they do seem a slightly odd support for Deftones, but one we’re hugely happy to be able to see again. As are the crowd front and centre of the stage, who gleefully open mosh pits for the heavier aspects of the set. Such dedication is lacking at the back of the crowd, however, with people chatting amongst themselves, seemingly indifferent to the chaos happening on stage. An emotive final call to arms in the form of Trauma Bonds sees the set finish just as strongly as it started, with Sayle thanking the audience before disappearing quickly from the stage.
A longer changeover than previous years makes for the perfect opportunity for a loo break, joining a long queue as it snakes its way towards the exit and smoking area. It’s at this point, we notice just how different the crowd feels from previous Piece Hall shows. Impatient at best, bordering on the arrogant and aggressive at worst, it’s something that we noticed when we saw Deftones at Download Festival a couple of years back, and it does create a bit of an atmosphere.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long before the video screen backing the stage turns black, and the band’s logo appears in the top left corner to a cheer from the crowd. It reverts to black again, before purple lights illuminate the haze billowing across the stage, and Chino Moreno and co stroll on to a second cheer.
It’s at this moment that the rain that’s been threatening to fall makes an appearance as the band kicks into Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away). It’s just drizzle at first, before sheeting down sideways, soaking the capacity crowd beneath. Ponchos are pulled from bags, and we make a note to never come to a Piece Hall show again without waterproofs.
My Own Summer (Shove It) is next. Mosh pits erupt with a fierce intensity, yet further back, it’s difficult to see the stage thanks to the sea of phones that begin filming. While we’re too far down the rabbit hole to stop people from doing this, at the very least, they should be made to film in landscape.
Bridging the gap effortlessly between shoegaze and nu-metal, tracks merge effortlessly together with little in the way of crowd interaction from Moreno. Diamond Eyes feels as heavy as the rain that still resolutely falls whilst Tempest and Swerve City follow, causing the first real sing-alongs of the evening as the rain eases briefly, just enough to be able to look at the stage instead of the puddles forming at our feet. Thankfully, it seems Deftones are in much better form than the last time we saw them, and whilst the first half of the set feels more hinged on their shoegaze sensibilities, Sextape signals a shift in mood, as the set’s weight increases and the urgency of the band increases tenfold.
Two raised platforms containing the drummer Abe Cunningham and keyboardist Frank DelGardo flank the stage as washes of red and blue strobes illuminate the falling rain with every hit of the kickdrum. Hole In The Earth precedes Change (In The House Of Flies), the latter signalling that we’re heading towards the end of the main set proper.
Minerva opens the encore following a short interlude in which the electronics crackle and fizz behind the white and blue stage lights, whilst Bored and 7 Words bring a close to proceedings; Chino alternating between rapping and screaming, bringing things right back to the band’s nu-metal roots, ensuring that the show finishes on a high.
There’s no fanfare, just a quick word of thanks, a peace sign from Moreno, and done. Wrapping up our first outing to Halifax of the year, and thankfully showing us why Deftones are a band people don’t just like, but obsess over.
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More from Deftones can be found on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
Dave Beech is a music writer based in Manchester. Links to his work can be found over at his blog, Life’s A Beech, as well as his Louder Than War Author Archive. He also tweets as @Dave__Beech
Photos by Adam Edwards – Facebook | Instagram | Portfolio
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