Welcome to the DCC, aka Swansea…
Touring their fourth and latest album Dead Club City, Essex’s Nothing But Thieves took Swansea Arena by storm. Beforehand, a generous brace of support bands warmed up the crowd earlier in the evening. First up was King Nun, setting the tone with a high-octane, energetic set which had the Swansea crowd bouncing; quickly following, Kid Kapichi hit the stage with an explosion of bass-heavy rock making for a fine main support.
With the Swansea crowd suitably primed, Nothing But Thieves enter stage right, bathed in red light. Opening the show with the new album’s quasi-title track, Welcome To The DCC, and swiftly following with a cluster of other Dead Club City cuts, moshpit madness ensued, the crowd flowing frenetically and swirling like a swarm of worker bees.
When NBT slow down the pace in order for frontman Conor Mason to catch his breath, the stage is in darkness, just a single spotlight shining down on the vocalist. The crowd is silent for a moment, but are promptly singing along to a spellbinding rendition of Lover, Please Stay.
Despite Mason struggling vocally at times, attributable to a recent illness, Nothing But Thieves put on an unforgettable show drawing on new and old tracks in pretty much equal measure. The results keep the crowd energetic, seemingly loving every minute of what the band has to offer.
With the evening coming to a close, Nothing But Thieves exit stage right, the crowd whistling and jeering for more – naturally, after a few minutes, the five-piece re-emerge, and the Swansea crowd erupt. An encore of Amsterdam, the band’s most popular song, followed by Overcome – Dead Club City’s final single and most streamed song – topped off a triumphant set.
Nothing But Thieves have an intense tour schedule in the coming months, with shows booked more than 12 months from now, and you can bet that some of the crowd here in Swansea will be making return visits.
Nothing But Thieves, Kid Kapichi + King Nun, Swansea Arena, Tue 7 Nov
words and photos ANTHONY CONWAY
