Nothing But Thieves at Margaret Court Arena
Essex rockers Nothing But Thieves have returned to Australia for round 2 of the Dead Club City World Tour. Having played to sold-out audiences across Australia less than a year ago, the band were back, playing in even bigger venues across the country, performing in Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena.
Central Coast band The Moving Stills were invited to perform across the entire Australia tour; bringing their indie-pop rock tunes back to one of their favourite cities. The band were a great choice for the support slot as Tom, Mike, Brad and Ben warmed up the crowd and started the party alongside hits from their latest album Wabi Sabi and some fan-favourite covers. Highlights from the opener included Westside, I Got You and their Like a Version cover of Ladyhawke’s My Delirium. The enthusiastic crowd went wild for final track Volcano and we readied ourselves to see Nothing But Thieves performing to their biggest headline Australian audiences yet.
The performance began with an announcement from Dead Club City Radio welcoming the special guests Nothing But Thieves to the stage; wasting no time launching into Welcome to the DCC – the very single that had brought them to Australian shores not too long ago. Continuing the fast pace and high energy with Is Everybody Going Crazy?, things slowed down for Tomorrow Is Closed. The band found a perfect balance throughout the performance of new and old hits – made easier by just how great the new album sounds live. Screams were heard for Broken Machine, while Real Love Song stopped us in our tracks.
Acknowledging the receptive crowd, frontman Conor Mason told us, ‘First five minutes – best night of the tour hands down’. Going on to explain it’s a dream to play to this many people in Melbourne, the band discussed the time they performed at Ding Dong Lounge to what felt like four people. With four albums up their sleeves, the band went back to work for City Haunts, Drawing Pins and absolute classic Sorry. Dead Club City Radio chimed back in with a promo about playing music that makes you feel alive as we listen to Do You Love Me Yet? and the band (sans Mason) performed instrumental samplers of Ce nest Rien, Gods and Number 13 – giving them time on their own to shine.
Returning to the stage and hyping up the crowd, Conor was at his best during Unperson taking things to a whole new level, while You Know Me Too Well was introduced as a song about shagging. Taking a moment to soak it all in, we heard about the band celebrating a decade together and some good banter about bin chickens being ‘pigeon dinosaurs’ before we heard a throwback to their earliest song Lover, Please Stay and golden oldie Trip Switch. Flipping into Moral Panic I and II for Futureproof and Impossible, we heard about how Melbourne is the bands favourite city as they thanked the crowd for supporting them through all the changes – allowing them to write whatever they wanted with continued support. Closing track Pop the Balloon was well received as the band departed the stage briefly.
As encores go, Nothing But Thieves were at their finest closing out the show. Oh No: He Said What? fast became the highlight of the night, while their biggest hit Amsterdam went absolutely mental. Overcome as the closing song made sense as it was one of our favourites from the new album. As the night came to a close, Mason told the audience, ‘Melbourne, that was so fucking good. Honestly that might have been one of the most fun times I’ve ever had on stage in my entire career’. As an audience, the feeling was mutual, and we can’t wait to see them again, whenever they decide to return.