But whilst VOWWS may fail to get the thousand plus people here quite in the mood, Crosses have everyone hot under the collar from the offset. Opening with ‘Invisible Hand’ prior to delving into the gyrating synth ruminations of ‘This Is A Trick’, ‘Ghost Ride’ and ‘Pleasure’, the witch house dream pop duo are quite simply phenomenal; especially in the fashion in which they have the room within their caress.
It’s not a suspire though. Of course, given their respective credentials and the discographies both as Crosses and beyond, such brilliance is not to be anticipated, but expected. After all, you don’t become household names within alternative homesteads without the kind of legacies that these men carry. But regardless, to see Chino Moreno and Shaun Lopez perfectly animate the sultriness, tension and intense romanisation synonymous with the Crosses brand in a room this intimate is simply goosebump-inducing. With the likes of the steamy ‘Pulseplagg’ possessing the hips and capturing the unwavering eyes of all within the venue, regardless of one’s disposition beyond these walls, it’s clear not a single person is in love or lust with Crosses tonight. Given it’s their first show on these shores, it’s clearly love at first sight.
But perhaps one of the most unexpected elements of tonight’s brilliance is the sheer collection of demographics gathered tonight. Of course the Deftones faithful are here – their exaggerated “Chino-ooo” chants bookending each song – but also present are well decorated goths, electronic connoisseurs, beardy ArcTanGent goers, art-rock heads in Cardiacs shirts older than some attendees and Download fest punters still sporting a certain earthy musk. It’s a hotpot, quite literally given the temperature, of demographics and associated ideologies, but such friction is not present. Here, as Crosses circumvent conviction with the synthetic sway of ‘Girls Float † Boys Cry’ and the metropolitan stomp of ‘Vivien’, their universally appealing nature manifests beautifully.