Music > Live Reviews

Nothing But Thieves

The Adrian Flux Waterfront

26/05/17

After one support that couldn't decide if it wanted to be Muse or Guns n Roses and a second that was eerily reminiscent of the artistically unimpressive indie churned out by major labels, Nothing But Thieves wordlessly grace the minute stage of the Waterfront studio at just gone half nine. The five-piece launch into evident crowd-pleaser Ban All the Music with enough gusto that during the chorus, a few drops of water (or ceiling) fall from the lights. While the crowd doesn’t seem to be as rowdy as they have at previous Norwich gigs, second song Wake Up Call sees the audience jumping all over the shop.

The glossy, sultry basslines of Hanging direct the quintet into the first unreleased song of the night, which, unfortunately, frontman Conor Mason doesn’t name. Even so, the song carries a gorgeous falsetto chorus and a stonking riff, one that surely will sound hefty blasting from Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage in a few years. The band don’t forget to play a touching tribute to Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell with the first two minutes of Audioslave song Cochise, a gloriously heavy rendition, proving that the Essex boys have so much more to accomplish in their music careers.

During the last few songs, the band take it down a tad, playing the quieter songs from their debut record. It’s here Conor’s vocals properly captivate the room, and it's obvious that this band has one of the best vocalists in the business. Never before have I witnessed an indie band with such a talented frontman, a frontman who has probably never emitted a bad note in his life. Once Conor finishes serenading the audience, penultimate tune Trip Switch lights up the room with the electricity the song is so concerned with. But it’s not until the last song, fourteen tracks into the set, that a moshpit finally emerges. Five or so boys clear a circle at the front of the room and launch themselves into an aggressive dance that does nothing but proves how much stamina they have. Meanwhile, Nothing But Thieves are providing the sold-out crowd with new song Amsterdam, which sounds immensely better live than on the recording.

With three new songs interspersed between songs off debut, Nothing But Thieves’ hour long set is heavy, heated, and hearty. One can only wait for second album Broken Machine, because if the rest of the record is as impressive, it’s going to be a whopper.