Nothing But Thieves
The Moving Stills

Presented by XIII Touring, Untitled Group, triple j, Wasserman Music and War Road Management, UK alt-rockers, Nothing But Thieves returned to Melbourne for a second Australian leg of their Welcome to the DCC World Tour.

Almost a year after they last graced Australian shores, the UK five-piece returned to Melbourne to promote their since released fourth studio album, Welcome to the DCC, the tour aptly named. The album itself dropping shortly after their sold-out show at Melbourne’s iconic, Forum theatre, and subsequent appearance at regional festival Groove in the Moo in 2023, a year earlier.

This current set of shows now marking a milestone for the band, whose performance had outgrown from the one-thousand-five-seater theatre to now an almost sold-out, eight thousand attendee arena, a massive leap from their initial 2016 show in Melbourne, at the city’s much more intimate Ding-Dong Lounge and the latter 2017 show at the much-loved Corner Hotel, a fact not lost on lead singer, Connor Mason, who made comment on this fact, stating, “look how many people are here for us in Melbourne, Australia. Did anybody come to the Ding Dong Lounge?”, reminiscing on the earlier shows.

Far from where they once were, the band found themselves amid a packed Olympic Park in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. The area flooded with fans from various avenues, as both Margaret Court and surrounding arenas clashed due to simultaneous shows running in the precinct, something that has become a staple on the city. This leaving many frustrated at the straining transport system while trying to attend the shows. Despite this, droves came out in full force to support the band, who were met with hoards of eager fans, many of whom were holding cardboard signs, which the band would later interact with, bringing a level of intimacy to the show.

Beginning the night, local band, The Moving Stills, opened the show. A bit of a slow burn, they were greeted with a decent turn out, albeit, very much a mellow and quiet crowd, which seemed suitable for the bands more, beach-like ‘surfer’ tunes, something more reminiscent of summer cruising a coastal highway or sunbaking than that of the headliner’s rawer dystopian aesthetic, a bit of a juxtaposition for the night. During their act the band also took the opportunity to address the crowd on social matters they cared about, both giving an acknowledgement of country to the Indigenous people of the area, as well as highlighting the country’s recent call to action regarding violence against women, which has been a major talking point over the past month. Overall, the band won over the crowd to some extent, which as always is something not easy to do for most openers, and with that we were now left waiting for the main act.

In what seemed like a scene from a modern noir rave or a dystopian horror movie, the arena flooded with blood red light and Nothing But Thieves walked out on stage to the screaming cheers of fans. The blasting sound of radio tuning from the bands DDC Radio intermission fading out and replaced by the sound of the anticipatory guitar riff of, Welcome to the DCC, to which the band greeted the audience, before lead singer, Connor Mason’s, vocals pierced the room with the song’s titular lyrics. Soon the crowd was buzzing under the, haze of dull red light and the band was ready to take them on a journey.

With an array of genre bending sounds, the five-piece was eager to demonstrate their musical adventure, Connor Mason stating, “We’re constantly fucking around and finding out with our music,” making note of the bands ever increasing catalogue, which now features a total of four studio albums over the past decade and has seen the band’s style evolve, with each subsequent album not necessarily straying from the other but more expanding, and growing with the band as if it were the next chapter in a story, the latest of which hones in on that of a futuristic dystopian city influenced by 80’s pop culture, yet marred with exclusivity, fame and a dark ominous undertone. Something reflected in the bands recent music which seems to take influence from 80’s staples such as The Cure, Depeche Mode, and The Killing Joke, incorporating similar synths and futuristic gothic tones into the album, which invokes the vision of a desolate, abandoned city with cyber-punk like qualities.
The crowd treated to an experience, a musical narrative filled with highs and lows, the energy in the room constantly fluctuating from song to song, as the band weaved emotions through heavy rock pieces, emotional ballads, and dance themed tracks. Before long the night was ending, and both the crowd and the band was overcome with emotion, lead singer, Connor Mason, expressing his gratitude, noting, “Melbourne, that was so fucking good! I think I speak for the rest of the band when I say this is my favourite city in Australia. I love it and it somewhat reminds me of home in London, but people are actually nice here. Thank you for allowing our band to write whatever we want to write, and you still come back and see us and support us,” and with that the band entered the final tracks of their night, the audience filled adulation, many stating how ‘incredible’ the performance was.

It’s not hard to say that the band has grown exponentially in the past decade, with no end in sight as they gain an ever-increasing multitude of fans, the recent shows are a great indication of this. After the string of high demand and highly successful Australian shows, it’d be safe to say that the band will continue to grow, and people would be sorry to miss out on catching the act. We’re looking forward to seeing what they’re cooking up next, as well as any future gigs, even bigger than the last!