There’s no other better time to be a music enthusiast in Singapore. The tiny, red dot had the pleasure of welcoming blues virtuoso, Eric Clapton on Monday.

They then witnessed one of the most electrifying and exhilarating performances in the country’s history as the Fathers of Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden rocked out to a 12,000 strong crowd on Tuesday.

Wednesday was no different.

The UrbanWire waited and waited anxiously for the quintet from Sacramento to appear. As we gazed fixedly at the waning crescent, we noticed that there were no stars on the backdrop.

Little did we realize that the constellation was already making their way to the stage.

For the first time since the band’s inception, Deftones fans in Singapore were treated to 2 hours of loud, adrenaline pumping hits.

However, there were initial fears whether Grammy Winning band would perform in Singapore, as they had to cancel a show the night before in Thailand. According to Straits Times, the cancellation sparked a riot where angry concertgoers “threw bottles and glasses, damaged furnishings and smashed glass windows at the concert venue, the Thunder Dome in Muangthong Thani.”

Throughout the night, the boys sounded tight and cohesive. And if there had been any fear that the cancellation of the Bangkok gig would have addled the band’s performance, those fears were decimated instantaneously.

The 3000 strong crowd bounced and writhed in mosh when the band commenced with “Birthmark”, a hit from their debut album.

Deftones then abated the high tempo set by playing “Sextape”, a much mellower number. The crowd created a diffused atmosphere by raising their cell phones and swayed side to side as the undistorted, melodic riff, coupled with Chino Moreno lush vocals echoed throughout Fort Canning Park.

Moreno was a man with few words. Despite his taciturn style, the charismatic front man captivated the audience with his ability to switch from an ear-piercing shriek back to the supple, singing voice. What’s more commendable is that he did all of this when he was moving about the stage.

Nevertheless, UrbanWire bear witnessed to one of the most amazing things that Metal music brings about: the sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. The fans sang their hearts out while the ones at the pits always looked out for each other as the audience abided the unwritten etiquette of a metal concert.

Hardcore fan Melvin Poon took part in the rowdy, moshing activities. Despite his rangy frame, the Ngee Ann Polytechnic student left the pit unscathed.

“I’ve never been involved in a mosh pit before. But somehow, I knew that the environment (moshing) is quite safe. Also, it’s fun to let loose once in a while”, he grinned.

The quintet has taught UrbanWire a valuable lesson. The meaning of life is to enjoy the finer things in life and to stand up for what you believe in, and of course to indulge in the epics that bands such as Deftones bring to the plate.

Photos courtesy of Darren Tan