After the release of their fourth record, Dead Club City, the alternate rock band, Nothing But Thieves brought their “Dead Club City” tour to the Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City. On the same day as the New York Rangers home opener and a New York Yankees win the playoffs, fans from the metropolitan area flooded the venue. Fans were all packed into the rooftop venue with the idyllic Brooklyn Bridge in the background.
Before Nothing But Thieves graced the stage, the Essex, United Kingdom punk band, Bad Nerves took over. The five-piece band delivered an electric set full of enthusiastic and raw power. Bad Nerves played only 10 songs but impacted the New York crowd. Lead singer Bobby Nerves had the look of Joey Ramone of the Ramones but the power of Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols.
One of the last times that the band was in town was at the small Bowery Ballroom in the Bowery. Now, they have moved up and are playing for a bigger audience. Nerves thanked the people who attended that first Bowery Ballroom show and are now there again to see them. The entire band made sure to introduce the crowd to their style of punk. The two guitarists, William Phillipson and George Berry along with the bassist Jonathan Poulton were all jumping in unison and off of the speakers. It was awe-inspiring to see such a young band that is early in their career have such a captivating presence on stage. At one point in the show, Nerves jumped into the crowd and started a mosh pit that lasted their entire set.
I highly recommend seeing Bad Nerves when they roll into your town. After witnessing their set, it’s very safe to say punk isn’t dead. With one loud power chord, Bad Nerves will single-handedly lead the punk surge again. They were simply amazing.
Bad Nerves are:
Bobby Nerves – Lead Vocals
William Phillipson – Guitar/Background Vocals
George Berry – Guitar/Background Vocals
Samuel Thompson – Drums
Jonathan Poulton – Bass
Setlist:
1. Baby Drummer
2. Electric 88
3. Don’t Stop
4. Radio Punk
5. Televison
6. Antidote
7. Can’t Be Mine
8. USA
9. You’ve Got The Nerve
10. Dreaming
By a quarter past eight, the house lights dimmed, fog pumped into the outdoor venue and Nothing But Thieves jumped right into their first song, “Oh No :: He Said What?” From the minute they stepped on stage, all eyes were on them. Their aura was captivating and their presence commanded attention. Throughout the show, every time a member of the band signaled to cap, the fans clapped with thunderous applause. If lead singer Conor Mason put the microphone up, then the audience sang at the top of their lungs. Fans traveled from all over just to see the band. There were a few fans from England who came over to see them and some fans had followed them all over the east coast. There was a special connection between the band and their fans which I haven’t seen in a very long time.
What was apparent between the five band members was their tightness and unit-like togetherness. Since its formation in 2012 Nothing But Thieves hasn’t had a lineup change. Over those 12 years, they have honed their skills and created one of the most tight, together bands to date. This translated to their music. They had a certain quality that moved the audience. Between guitarist Joe Langridge-Brown running around stage right and Mason strutting on stage, they sounded just like the records. Their live sound – despite being harder – was very practiced and you could tell they knew their material inside and out. This led them to be loose on stage.
The band played a whopping 20 songs of all original material except for one song. Nothing But Thieves paid tribute to “an American classic” and blasted into “Where Is My Mind?” by The Pixies and famously featured in Fight Club. It was an outstanding cover that Mason sang well. Having the one-two guitarist duo of Langridge-Brown and Dom Craik (whose cousin is bassist Philip Blake) made for a great wall of guitar sound on this song.
It was great to hear the band play material from their entire discography and not just zero it on one record. Even though a majority of their music was from the previously mentioned Dead Club City, they covered a ton of ground. More often than not Mason would announce that they are playing a “band favorite” or “one of the original songs.” No matter what they played, they received monstrous applause. This turned into a giant dance-off in the general admission area.
Throughout their setlist, they did a great job at alternating between a lighter song and a heavier song. They switched between faster-paced songs like “Unperson” to more ballad-based songs like “Impossible.” Constantly fans were guessing which song was up next. It felt like fans were being taken on a journey throughout the show as the band covered much of their discography.
At one point, the band took a second in between songs to acknowledge the audience for “coming out on a Saturday night.” Mason also acknowledged the beauty of the venue that sits in New York City’s east side. They didn’t need any fancy backdrop or curtain with the band name. They had the Brooklyn Bridge lighting up the back for the entire night. The red lights of the passers-by on the bridge made for a once-in-a-lifetime background.
By the time the group finished their regular set, fans were screaming at the top of their lungs that they wanted an encore. Their die-hard love and appreciation for a band is something that all artists strive for. Nothing But Thieves happily granted their request. They played “I’m Not Made By Design” and “Overcome” to close out their thrilling set.
Nothing But Thieves channels a different kind of show through their fan’s appreciation. They feed off the audience cheering, dancing and singing which creates an amazing atmosphere at their shows. It’s easy to see why fans were lined up downstairs starting early in the morning for the show. Their undying loyalty to the band creates one of the best live music performances. If the “Dead Club City” tour rolls into your town, you must go out and see them. It’ll be one of the best live performances you’ll ever see.
Nothing But Thieves is:
Conor Mason – Lead Vocals/Guitar
Philip Blake – Bass
Dom Craik – Guitar/Background Vocals
Joe Langridge-Brown – Guitar/Background Vocals
James Price – Drums
Setlist:
1. Oh No :: He Said What?
2. Futureproof
3. Is Everybody Going Crazy?
4. Tomorrow Is Closed
5. Soda
6. Trip Switch
7. If I Were You
8. City Haunts
9. Forever and Ever More
10. If I Get High
11. Sorry
12. Ce n’est Rien/Gods/Live Like Animals/Number 13
13. Unperson
14. Impossible
15. Welcome to the DCC
16. Always, Always
17. Where Is My Mind? (The Pixies cover)
18. Amsterdam
19. I’m Not Made By Design
20. Overcome
Follow Nothing But Thieves Online:
Follow Bad Nerves Online:
My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
