Stopping off in Cardiff as part of their Dead Club City tour, Nothing But Thieves brought pure indie-rock joy to the walls of Cardiff Castle last night to thousands of eager fans. They were supported by Essex based band Bad Nerves and well-known favourites The Snuts, who warmed up the crowd as the sun began to set over the castle. Two bands that have an incredible energy and deserve to be headlining their own castle shows. It was a line-up that couldn’t let us down!
There’s something to be said about the positive vibes at an indie gig; people are there for good music and a good time, which means it’s a trouble-free event where everyone comes together over their love of the band. Looking around at the sea of ‘Nothing But Thieves’ branded t-shirts, it was clear that this gig was long awaited for many. With excited fans came a lot of dancing and jumping around; it was the literal definition of ‘good vibes’, and I absolutely love seeing people have a great time.

I’m a big indie music fan myself, but I must admit I went to this gig only knowing a handful of Nothing But Thieves songs. However, it’s safe to say that they are about to become my most played artist on my streaming service because… WOW. What a performance! I was absolutely blown away by their talent and professionalism for music. It’s clear that they are a band who have worked tirelessly to get to where they are today, and that they have a huge love for the music that they create, with lead singer Conor Mason saying to the crowd “Thank you for allowing us to create different music that we love and still coming to see us, even if you think it might be sh*it” to which many fans screamed back “you could never be sh*t”. Conor even referenced memories of playing early gigs in Clwb Ifor Bach to 20 people, something which he mentioned when I had the privilege of interviewing him last month, which you can listen to here: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsoncardiff/video/7381513667075902752
Speaking of Conor, his vocals are nothing short of incredible. I found myself in constant awe whenever he sang.
It’s safe to say that Nothing But Thieves were absolutely brilliant and it will go down as one of my favourite gigs. If they’re ever playing a gig nearby, I recommend that you catch them live. To top it off, Cardiff Castle is such a stunning backdrop for a gig, especially when you get lucky with sunny, blue skies and a beautiful sunset like we did. Big kudos to Depot Live for such a well organised event, too. There’s a whole programme of music events happening in Cardiff Castle this summer, with some big names, you can check it out here: https://www.depotlive.co.uk/