On a cool autumn evening, the Melbourne CBD (Melbourne Central Business District) was buzzing with activity, and the city held several events on the same evening. The MCG and Marvel Stadium hosted Australian Football League games with the footy season in full swing. Next door to Margaret Court Arena, ex-One Direction member Niall Horan was playing a sold-out show at Rod Laver Arena.
But tonight, fans gathered to see British rock band Nothing But Thieves, who have returned to Australia in less than 12 months. The attention they received from their last headline tour and Groovin the Moo Festival paid off with their first arena tour in Australia.
To open the show was The Moving Stills, a young four-piece band from the NSW Central Coast. The crowd embraced and vibed to their style of upbeat indie pop music.
Bassist Brad Guthmann was animated and totally engaged in the music, Mike Drennan took a few solo guitar riff moments, all the while Ben Day kept it together on the drums and Tom Mahler delivered a relaxed vocal performance whilst driving on rhythm guitar.
Their performance included songs from the 2023 album Wabi Sabi like “Sunshine”, “I Got You”, and their interpretation of Ladyhawke’s “My Delirium”. It was cohesive and fun, making way for an entertaining evening.
Band:
Tom Mahler – Vocals and Guitar
Brad Guthmann – Bass
Mike Drennan – Guitar and Vocals
Ben Day – Drums
Setlist:
1.Westside
2. My Delirium (Ladyhawke cover)
3. I Got You
4. Volcano
Nothing But Thieves is a rock band established 10 years ago in Essex in the United Kingdom. Touring extensively on their fourth album Dead Club City, they had plenty of material to cover in their show.
15 minutes before the show, “Dead Club Radio” played over the PA with fictitious band interviews and disco-style music to hype the crowd. With the DJ announcing the arrival of Nothing But Thieves, they launched into “Welcome to the DCC” in a flood of red stage lighting and the frenzied roar of the crowd.
The stage production seemed slightly more stripped back and lean compared to their other international shows. No background visuals, just a big clean stage and a sea of lighting around them. In a way, this facilitated fans to focus and connect with the band, and the band seemed to utilize the space to walk/run around during the show, with frontman Conor Mason strolling over to James Price on drums during “Tomorrow is Closed”, and Joe, Dom, and Phil also connecting with James numerous times during the show.
Their sound is eclectic and dynamic, going from hard-hitting rock to synth new wave and all elements in between. From the reflective “Sorry”, to the intimate “Lover, Please Stay” which had the crowd out with their phone torches, to the glorious guitar-heavy instrumental “Ce n’est Rien / Gods / Number 13” featuring Joe Langridge-Brown and Dominic Craik, that leads into the heavy “Unperson”.
Conor has a falsetto-style voice that is very reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke. He effortlessly carried and changed up the mood from one song to the next. He was clearly chuffed being in Melbourne, remarking that it was the best city in Australia and how the first 5 minutes were the best on tour so far.
The band returned with an encore that everyone wanted to hear, with “Amsterdam” and “Overcome” that had the crowd fist pumping and jumping up and down in unison. This was one tightly delivered show from start to finish.
Band:
Conor Mason – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Joe Langrige-Brown – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Keys
Dom Craik – Guitar, Keyboard, Piano, Backing Vocals
Phil Blake- Bass
James Price – Drums, Drum Machine
Setlist:
1.) Welcome to the DCC
2.) Is Everybody Going Crazy?
3.) Tomorrow Is Closed
4.) Broken Machine
5.) Real Love Song
6.) City Haunts
7.) Drawing Pins
8.) Sorry
9.) Do You Love Me Yet?
10.) Ce n’est Rien / Gods / Number 13
11.) Unperson1
2.) You Know Me Too Well
13.) Lover, Please Stay
14.). Trip Switch
15.) Futureproof
16.) Impossible
17.) Pop the Balloon
18.) Oh No :: He Said What?
19.)Amsterdam
20.) Overcome
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Darren Chan is a talented and creative photographer with a passion for capturing life’s special moments through the lens of his camera. With over a decade of experience in the photography industry, Darren has honed his skills in various genres of photography, including weddings, portraits, landscapes, and commercial photography. Over the years, Darren has developed his unique style, which is characterised by his ability to capture the essence of his subjects and their surroundings.
Whether it’s a live music event, press shoot, wedding, or a commercial shoot, Darren puts his heart and soul into every project he undertakes. He works closely with his clients to understand their vision and brings his expertise and creativity to the table to produce results that impress. His attention to detail, technical proficiency, and creative flair makes him a sought-after photographer.
Darren’s work has been featured in various publications and has his work presented in exhibitions including the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. He resides in Melbourne, Australia, where he runs his photography business and continues to capture life’s precious moments, one frame at a time.
