Nothing But Thieves – St. Andrews Hall – 9.12.18

Nothing But Thieves, grandson, & Demob Happy
St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI – 9.12.18
Photographer: Robert Sherman

International alt-rockers Nothing But Thieves brought their world tour to Detroit on Wednesday, stuffing the room full with fans, as the English group continue their final run for their latest release Broken Machines.

The mid-week show could have been mistaken for a weekend event. Fans were going crazy throughout the entire night, and were even rowdy for opening band Demob Happy. There was a lack of knowledge about the first act, but there was not a lack of energy.

The Detroit crowd absolutely came to life when up-and-coming artist grandson, legal name Jordan Benjamin, took the stage as the direct support on the night. Coming onto stage donning a Donald Trump mask, brandishing double middle-fingers, to the delight of the crowd, the politically charged lyricist demanded attention.

Benjamin put together an energetic set despite his limited discography. Starting off with new song “6:00”, Benjamin took a second before playing “Overdose” to bid a tribute to recently deceased rapper Mac Miller.

The highlight of Benjamin’s set came with the final two songs of the set. “Stick Up,” which is an incredible song about how pressure can crack a human, set the crowd off as a perfect precursor for his finale, “Blood // Water”, which has just reached the Top 40 charts.

Finally, it was time for the headliner to hit the stage, and Nothing But Thieves came out ready to give the Detroit crowd a memorable show. Starting off with “I Was Just a Kid,” lead singer Conor Mason’s stoic demeanor did not match the power of his unique voice.

Playing through a mix of fan favorites and radio-friendly tracks, Nothing But Thieves jogged through a majority of the songs on Broken Machines. 

My favorite NBT song “Trip Switch” came in the latter end of the performance, before sending the St. Andrews Hall crowd home with a two song encore consisting of “Itch” and “Amsterdam”.

–

Nothing But Thieves

grandson

Demob Happy