It’s been a good year to be a Nothing But Thieves fan. In addition to announcing their upcoming fourth album Dead Club City, releasing single ‘Welcome to the DCC’, from aforementioned album, and playing across the country at Groovin The Moo , the band treated Australian fans to a run of headline shows, and we joined the crowd of passionate punters flocking to the Fortitude Music Hall to check it out.
The atmosphere was electric before the night even started. There’s a real sense of camaraderie that comes with the joint excitement of waiting for your favourite band to take the stage, and it could absolutely be felt in that crowd. Everyone was eager and waiting to have a great night with the Essex rockers.
Brisbane’s own Full Flower Moon Band took to the stage first as the opening act, and they could not have made a more perfect choice. Nothing But Thieves songs tend to have this grand theatrical element that lends the music a real sense of drama and urgency, and I think this is something they share with Full Flower Moon Band. Every line is flawlessly crafted and expertly performed, thanks largely to the commanding performance of frontwoman Babyshakes Dillon.
From the very first mesmerising chant of Full Flower Moon Band, the audience is hooked, and as the set went on, people just fell more and more in love with the group.
The guitar solo in ‘Waiting For My Car’ was an absolute highlight, as was 'New Rocket' and 'Roadie'. The set ended with 'NY - LA', lyrics customised for the Nothing But Thieves support, which the crowd also adored.
Nothing But Thieves took to the stage with ‘Futureproof’- this gritty, guitar-driven track got the crowd pumped right away and everyone chanted and danced along- a common theme for the night, lead singer Conor Mason had the crowds support in belting every song on the set (with the exception of one unreleased number, that had the crowd captivated by the bands' performance instead).
The energy is maintained with Is 'Everybody Going Crazy?' and 'I Was Just a Kid'. The whole band has unreal stage presence. Every one of the five is so much fun to watch- Joe Langridge-Brown’s guitar is hypnotic.
‘Trip Switch’ is a highlight of the night, with Conor's vocals soaring and the crowd ecstatic to hear this older favourite. The set is soon broken up with an interlude, and despite not being a proper song this had to have been one of my favourite parts of the show. The talents of the instrumentalists are on full display, and their long history as a band is evident in how seamlessly they play together.
‘Miracle Baby’ begun and Conor forgot the lyrics- falling to the floor laughing and apologising as the crowd took the reins.
We were treated to a sneak peek of Dead Club City with unreleased ‘City Haunts’, another incredible slice of futuristic rock that is making me soo excited for the album which the band proclaimed is their ‘best one yet.’
The show reached its glorious end with two of NBT’s most beloved songs, ‘Sorry’, and of course, ‘Amsterdam’- I don’t think anyone could have left disappointed at this point, but to the delight of us all, they answered the roars for one more song and came back for two- ‘Welcome to the DCC’, and ‘Impossible’ drew the night to a close, but not before the band promised they’d be returning next year.
And if the cheers at the end of the night were anything to go off, Dead Club City is going to be huge.
& check out 'Welcome to the DCC' from their upcoming album Dead Club City.