There is no sweeter sound than the roar of a packed 02 crowd when the lights turn off on a Friday night, and the band steps onto the stage in a cloud of mist.
Or so I thought, until I heard the even sweeter sound of the Nothing But Thieves (NBT) electric guitars kicking into life as lead vocalist Connor Mason began belting out the first rock anthem of the night.
The fact that this was NBT’s first ever performance at the O2 added a strong emotional charge. When they played Graveyard Whistling (a personal favourite) off their first EP, Connor had to stop singing as he fell to his knees crying.
Describing this show as “the best day of my life,” Connor thanked the crowd for being a part of it. “I dreamt of playing at the O2 when I was 10,” he said, joking that he could retire now – to the dismay of the crowd!
Another highlight was a version of Particles that nobody had ever heard before which gave me goosebumps and brought some of the crowd to tears.
An NBT live performances is on another level. The punchy guitar and raw vocals mean the songs hit you in the chest in a way that they never could through earphones.
Earlier on the opening act Airways started the night off well with some London rock – but only after winning the crowd over with a joke: “I’m on universal credit and was talking to my case worker. He asked me what I was doing on the weekend. I told him him I was playing at the O2. He told me to f#ck off!” It was an apt anecdote for the age of COVID and the struggles that artists have to go through because of it.
After Airways came British punk band Yonaka, featuring a lead vocalist with luminescent green hair and red lingerie who got the crowd so fired up that an impromptu mosh pit erupted in the middle of the O2.
But there’s nothing like Nothing But Thieves, and as the concert ended in a hailstorm of confetti I couldn’t help but think: I have been to many concerts, but this was by far the best. Nothing But Thieves have rocked the O2 for the first time, but hopefully not the last.
For a snatch of raw video click below…
Cover shots and video by Daegan Martin
