Gig review: NOTHING BUT THIEVES – O2 Forum, London, March 31 2016

Southend’s Nothing But Thieves have been making moves since 2012. Signing to RCA Records in 2014 saw the band get to work on their debut album. After it’s release last September, they’ve slowly began the rise to the big time.

Last week saw the band play their biggest headline show to date at Kentish Town’s O2 Forum. And it was a show for the history books with a sold out crowd packed into the 2,300 capacity venue.

From set opener Itch, the band made their intent pretty clear. They were there to entertain fans old and new with their own brand of alternative rock. The set unsurprisingly drew heavily from their self-titled debut, including tunes from the deluxe release. Stand out tracks were, without a doubt, Painkiller, Drawing Pins and Ban All The Music. Not to mention a note perfect cover of the Pixies’ Where Is My Mind?

The anthemic hits drew huge reactions and sing-a-longs from the crowd, with every word sung back to the band. This is one hugely passionate fan base already! The majority of the album track listing had an outing, and it was obvious that tracks like Hostage and Graveyard Whistling are already firm fan favourites.

Although the talent of Nothing But Thieves as a whole can’t be denied, it’s lead singer Conor Mason who was the star of the show. Flawless vocals drenched every track and it was hard to focus on anything else when he hit that stunning falsetto. He may look like he should be fronting a boy band with that baby face, but his mature vocal and stage presence certainly say otherwise. His range is superb, and the switch between gravelly soul and pitch perfect beauty was an impressive thing to witness.

It’s no wonder the band are currently supporting Muse on a string of arena tour dates. The similarities with the Devon trio were certainly clear. And if Nothing But Thieves continue making music this good and putting on shows this impressive, it won’t be long before they’re topping their own arena bill!

Review by Katie Territt

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)