Nothing But Thieves performed at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on November 5, 2023, as part of their Dead Club City tour. Despite a strong start, lead singer Conor Mason faced vocal issues that affected the overall energy of the performance, leading to a drop in audience enthusiasm. The opening acts, King Nun and Kid Kapichi, set a lively tone, but the lighting and pacing of Nothing But Thieves' set ultimately left the crowd wanting more.
Nothing But Thieves performed at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on November 5, 2023, as part of their Dead Club City tour. Despite a strong start, lead singer Conor Mason faced vocal issues that affected the overall energy of the performance, leading to a drop in audience enthusiasm. The opening acts, King Nun and Kid Kapichi, set a lively tone, but the lighting and pacing of Nothing But Thieves' set ultimately left the crowd wanting more.
Nothing But Thieves performed at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on November 5, 2023, as part of their Dead Club City tour. Despite a strong start, lead singer Conor Mason faced vocal issues that affected the overall energy of the performance, leading to a drop in audience enthusiasm. The opening acts, King Nun and Kid Kapichi, set a lively tone, but the lighting and pacing of Nothing But Thieves' set ultimately left the crowd wanting more.
Nothing But Thieves performed at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on November 5, 2023, as part of their Dead Club City tour. Despite a strong start, lead singer Conor Mason faced vocal issues that affected the overall energy of the performance, leading to a drop in audience enthusiasm. The opening acts, King Nun and Kid Kapichi, set a lively tone, but the lighting and pacing of Nothing But Thieves' set ultimately left the crowd wanting more.
O2 Apollo, Manchester – Live Review By Trev Eales - 7 November 2023 0
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Nothing But Thieves
Nothing But Thieves | Kid Kapichi |
King Nun Manchester O2 Apollo 5th November 2023
Nothing But Thieves bring their Dead
Club City tour to Manchester and Louder Than War heads to the O2 Apollo to witness the second of three shows at the venue. It’s a night where bubbling euphoria is ultimately tempered by singer Conor Mason’s vocal issues.
First on tonight are King Nun. They’re
new to me but initial impressions are pleasing. Playing guitar-driven rock with an energetic visual presence, they’re sonically reminiscent of Pixies at times. Vocalist Theo Polyzoides and Jack in the box, perennially jumping guitarist James Upton provide the visual focus. I’m not sure about the closing track Lamb though as it descends into a cacophony of guitars with all but the drummer running, jumping and writhing on the stage floor. It’s a disturbing yet comedic sight in the dimly lit red half-light.
King Nun
Kid Kapichi are up next and they don’t
do charm and charisma. Treating us to thirty minutes of punk-infused rock, they ooze an underlying air of macho menace, echoing the now rebranded Slaves in their attitude and approach. It’s music that’s easily accessible; simple choruses, and rhythms that get feet moving with lyrics reflecting everyday life. They’re good at what they do but it’s very one- dimensional; thirty minutes is enough.
Their sets performed under a similar
red/yellow half-light to King Nun’s set. Presumably, someone thinks this enhances mood and atmosphere. Occasionally it can but tonight we’ve just got just crap lighting. It’s November 5th and the sky outside is illuminated with more light from fireworks than the stage at the Apollo.
Kid Kapichi
Nothing But Thieves open with
Welcome To The DCC, the frenzied introductory chords soon segueing into disco-infused rhythms. Worryingly we’re still seeing things through sombre rays of red light. Fortunately, this doesn’t last. Is Everybody Going Crazy follows; a signal for everybody to do just that. Real Love Song slows the pace with its nagging keyboard refrain, bringing tonight’s first mass singing. The volume only increases when followed by the similarly slow and melodic Keep You Around.
City Haunts heralds a return to rock. Its
got a riff bearing an uncanny resemblance to Free’s 1972 classic Wishing Well. This, juxtaposed with Conor Mason’s extraordinary falsetto is a truly inspired mix. The audience seem imbued with a growing aura of euphoria that’s elevated further by straight ahead rock of Life’s Coming In Slow. I can’t help reflecting on how many of these early set tracks are from Nothing But Thieves current album Dead Club City. I’m struck by both their quality and the crowd’s familiarity with the music. Those around me seem to know almost every word of every song.
Conor Mason, Nothing But Thieves
Conor pauses to tell us he’s pleased and
relieved to be here. He’s suffering from vocal problems that forced the band to cancel a gig a couple of days earlier. He says he’s functioning at about 60% and might need our help later. He’s offering some explanation for what’s to come.
Keyboards and string effects dominate
the poppy Do You Love Me Yet. There are echoes of Stockport 1970s art rockers 10CC lurking here. As applause dies and Conor takes his leave the band launch into a medley of guitar-laden, rock-heavy instrumentals. The broad smiles on the guitarists faces suggest musicians relishing being unleashed.
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With Conor back on stage, Phobia’s
delivered with a brooding intensity, but we’re heading for a surprise, the mood’s about to change. With Conor’s voice seemingly struggling the band slow things for the fairly nondescript Green Eyes: Siena; it’s perhaps one song too many from the DCC album.
Nothing But Thieves
Tomorrow Is Closed should be euphoric;
a real banger guaranteed to elicit singing and air punching. Instead, guitarists Joe Langridge Brown and Dominic Craig sit left and right of stage while Conor sings. The delivery’s well crafted and tender, really highlighting the melody in the song but lacking the passion of a full band version. They perform Impossible, which should build and build in intensity in a similar stripped-back form and people are beginning to lose focus. For the first time tonight there are voices chattering around me.
With Conor’s voice presumably rested by
the quieter delivery, the band return with first album highlight Trip Switch. Futureproof follows, with doom-laden lyrics and heavy riffs that get us rocking again. Closing number, and likely future rock classic, Pop The Balloon leaves us with dystopian visions as the band take aim at societal gullibility as the song veers between quiet vulnerability and raw rock riffs.
Nothing But Thieves
Of course, they’re soon back for an
encore and of course we get Amsterdam. Just as surely, the song’s pulsating beat takes us toward a state of delirium as arms and phones are raised skyward. They close to thunderous applause yet there’s a sense that something’s lacking among a crowd that seemed more up for it after six or seven numbers than they do now.
Nothing But Thieves have been good
tonight. For the first forty-five minutes they’ve been stunning, but frailties of health can’t always be surmounted. The musicianship has been faultless throughout, but fifteen minutes of mellow stripped-back sounds have consumed the crowd’s enthusiasm and energy. The euphoric atmosphere building early in the set has seeped away and no elixir can restore it.
Tonight has been one of those “if only”
nights.
Conor Kid Kapichi Kid Kapichi Nothing But
Mason, Thieves Nothing But Thieves
Nothing But Nothing But Nothing But Conor
Thieves Thieves Thieves Mason, Nothing But Thieves
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Words and photos by Trev Eales.
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