Nothing But Thieves concluded the European leg of their “Welcome to the DCC World Tour” in Madrid, setting La Riviera ablaze with an unforgettable performance on a chilly March evening. From the moment fans congregated outside the iconic venue to the final encore, the atmosphere pulsated with anticipation and raw energy.

After a month on the road across Europe, the Essex band took to the stage in Madrid, before a sold-out and enthusiastic La Riviera crowd. Throughout the day, several fans were seen already outside the iconic venue in the Spanish capital, ready to rush to the front line of the concert, exchanging friendship bracelets and talking to each other. The palpable excitement crescendoed as the Spanish band, “Los Niños Bravos,” opened the night, priming the crowd for the sonic journey ahead. Amidst a nostalgic blend of classics and ads on the fictional “Dead Club Radio,” anticipation reached a fever pitch when ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” played just before Nothing But Thieves graced the stage. The venue erupted in a symphony of cheers as the band launched into “Welcome to the DCC,” igniting the night with fervor drawn from their latest album, “Dead Club City.”

Conor Mason, the vocalist and guitarist, took to the stage wearing a black lace jacket, dancing and enchanting with his powerful voice. After four songs spanning the band’s albums, Conor finally addressed the Madrid audience, which accompanied the band like a choir in every song. “Do you wanna sing a REAL love song?” he said, before starting the first chords of “Real Love Song” from the band’s third album “Moral Panic,” released in 2020. After an enthusiastic performance with a passionate fan chorus, the vocalist shouted “HOOLAAA CHICOS!!” which echoed through the venue, adding, “We come from Essex, England. It’s nothing like Madrid, it’s sh*t.”

Although only Conor addressed the audience directly during the concert, it never meant that the other band members didn’t shine as brightly as he did. The synergy between band members was palpable, as guitarists Joe Langridge-Brown and Dominic Craik, who is also on the keyboards, bassist Philip Blake, and drummer James Price, joined Conor’s iconic high notes in “City Haunts” and “Drawing Pins,” wowing the audience, especially in their solos. Fans responded to the guitar chords with enthusiastic cheers for each of their favorites, and smiles were evident on the faces of the artists, who seem to absolutely love what they do on stage.

During “Sorry,” the second single from the band’s 2017 album “Broken Machine” and a clear favorite of the audience, Conor turned the microphone to the crowd during the first chorus, and the voices of around 2500 people echoed through the venue in unison. The crowd’s voices were heard again in “Unperson” when they shouted “It’s worse” in the pre-chorus.

Conor addressed the audience again after “Phobia,” almost at the end of the concert, stating that he is very happy for the European leg of the tour to end in Madrid because the energy is electrifying, and the fans sing very loudly. The guitarists sat down, and it was time for a ballad, a hallmark of the band’s beginnings 10 years ago, “Lover, Please Stay,” from the self-titled album. La Riviera was filled with flashes of phone lights in a beautiful and intimate moment where the connection between the audience and the band was evident. Waters were distributed after someone in the middle of the audience felt unwell and was assisted, with Conor only continuing the concert after asking twice if everyone was okay and if more water or assistance was needed. Conor introduced the next song by saying it was dedicated to a fan, Francesca, who was attending her 101st band concert and it was her favorite song. “Trip Switch,” also from the self-titled album, echoed amidst enthusiastic cheers. “Some of you are really great singers. Some are just aspiring singers, but I hear you all sing all of these songs, new and old. I need all of you to sing the next one,” Conor requested before singing “Impossible” and ending the concert with “Pop the Balloon.”

But the fans didn’t budge without shouts, chants, and applause for an encore. And the band responded, returning to the stage and singing their latest song, released earlier this year, “Oh No :: He Said What?”. The encore was undoubtedly one of the most energetic parts of the concert. The audience seemed not to lose any kind of energy as if Nothing But Thieves’ concert charged them with lifelong energy with their melodic indie-rock. Everyone vibrated with “Amsterdam” and “Overcome” as if it were the song they most longed to hear. In between, there was still time for a conversation break where Conor revealed that the sound guy had gotten drunk the night before and teased him, asking someone in the audience to buy him the worst shot available. During the last song, he repeated several times that he was watching him to make him drink it.

The night was energetic, full of good music, and with a happy band and fans. That’s how a European tour was made, but I believe that if the band wanted (and could) continue playing, fans would stay all night jumping with the energy and charisma that Nothing But Thieves bring to the stage.

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 – JAM
11. Unperson
12. Phobia
13. Lover, Please Stay
14. Trip Switch (Dedicated To Francesca For Her 101st Show)
15. Futureproof
16. Impossible
17. Pop the Balloon

Encore:

18. Oh No :: He Said What?
19. Amsterdam
20. Overcome