Manchester enthusiastically welcomed Southend-on-Sea’s Nothing But Thieves for a third night in the city on the UK and Ireland stint of their Welcome to the DCC World Tour. A third date was added later in November due to such popular demand from their Manchester following earlier on in the tour. Walking out to an introduction from their own conceptual radio station, Dead Club Radio, the band plugged into an adoring, sold-out O2 Apollo.
The band has constructed Dead Club Radio alongside the creation of Dead Club City, Nothing But Thieves’ effort at a concept album. In a statement about the making of Dead Club City in line with the new album, leader singer Conor Mason has referred to it in many ways ranging from “a shared consciousness” to “another planet.”
This new era for Nothing But Thieves compiles their traditional rock sound with added elements of dance. Critics have described this new sound as “dance-enthused,” while the lyrics follow characters from Dead Club City and create storylines surrounding the album.
Opening with ‘Welcome to the DCC’, the album’s first track, Nothing But Thieves stunned as they intertwined a heavy alternative rock style with new electronic sounds as the crowd sang every word back to them. Their fourth album, released in late June 2023, has been massively successful with their fanbase. There’s a reason Nothing But Thieves had to keep adding dates to their tour.
The band have a loyal, diverse fanbase. Looking around you see many different age groups, including those who have followed the band since the self-titled album and have matured with them as their music has developed. It is a crowd that Nothing but Thieves knows very well. The performance they put together was staggering; the stage production and set design did not disappoint.
In their performance of ‘Do You Love Me Yet?’, another track from Dead Club City, the light display was reminiscent of Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Romeo and Juliet, lighting up the venue with vibrant oranges and pop-art text of the song’s lyrics.
Overall, the set design reflected that of the album art: a seventies-style building pasted to a warm-toned background designed by artist Luke Brickett. During the performance lead singer Mason made multiple references to characters within the Dead Club City universe, including his character from the ‘Tomorrow Is Closed’ music video.
Mason is seen preaching the lyrics of the song, and in the behind-the-scenes of the video he refers to himself as “Father Mason”. In the performance he took a smoke machine to his face – something he is seen doing in the music video – and also fed it to other people. The theatrics of this performance were not lost on the crowd as they received a room full of roars throughout the song and the rest of the gig.
Nothing But Thieves also showed their appreciation for Manchester. Mason said they were “privileged to sell this many tickets in Manchester,” and were so grateful for the reception of the album that they received in the city. For a band that has completed many sold-out tours since 2015, their appreciation of their following and the crowd that they gather is so authentic and meaningful. Their excitement to be performing to people who love their music is reflected in their performance style. Mason even commented on how he is still shocked that they have gained such a fanbase.
Yet, it is not hard to see why. Their power on stage is unmatched as Mason struts around guitarists Joe Langridge-Brown, Dominic Craik, and Philip Blake. The set was split by the band performing a small interval without Mason, receiving warmth and vigorous applause from the crowd. The emotion behind the music and the show the band put together is incredible, reflected in both the solo performances of the musicians as well as Mason’s performance of their song ‘Green Eyes :: Siena’.
Mason’s heartfelt introduction to the song set the mood for the music, and the crowd hushed for what followed, the band managing to create a calm atmosphere that contrasted with the rest of the gig. Nothing But Thieves’ ability to switch emotion so fluidly in their set is really a huge talent in performance, which really makes them who they are as a band. Their hour-and-a-half set finished with ‘Impossible’, a song from their 2020 album Moral Panic, and their encore included ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Overcome’, arguably their three most known tracks.
Knowing how to advance a new concept and direction, as well as “play the hits”, Nothing But Thieves controlled the crowd and communicated with them. They are a must-see band.
Words by Tess Welbourne
