Throwback: Nothing But Thieves shakes the stage at the thirteenth edition of Summerwell

Sometimes, in the bleak midwinter, it is necessary to warm ourselves with memories of summers past. One can fill a cup with tea and wait for the snow to melt or take a trip down memory lane. Therefore, in tonight’s cup of warm memories, we have: NOTHING BUT THIEVES - live from Romania.

They will make you rage, cry, and laugh through your headphones, and shake your bones in person. That’s the duality of the Nothing But Thieves listening experience. The setlist started on a dancing note with Oh No: He Said What? and got us all warmed up for the few hours of lung-scratching screaming that followed.

The ever-consuming stage presence of Conor Mason has captivated millions of fans over the years to the point that they are on their way to becoming Summerwell’s regulars, performing for the third time since the festival’s debut, each time meeting a more and more enthusiastic crowd. Their masterful mix of gut-wrenching, passionate lyrics and brutal delivery of ugly truths has gifted the festival with a setlist that carried the crowd through endless feelings — from out-of-body exaltation to tears and dizziness from all the headbanging that comes naturally.

With the recent release of Dead Club City, the band has concocted an impressive setlist containing 16 originals and a Pixies cover of Where is My Mind. Somewhere between Trip Switch and City Haunts, the frontman makes a mysterious disappearance, leaving us enraptured by the bassist’s skillful entertainment, only to later reveal a change of outfit due to a belt malfunction. Safe to say, while entertaining us, Conor Mason charmed the masses with his sparkling and fun personality. Hard to believe that such a deep and resonant voice can come from such a teddy bear-like person.

It is a universal experience to be in total awe of your favorite artist and to be completely transported into another dimension hearing them live for the first time, especially with rock groups where the intensity of the sound has the potential to shake you to your core. Sorry, Amsterdam, and Futureproof are three fan favorites that made even the people in the back scream their lungs out with Conor’s booming voice, James’ thrumming drums, and the bassist’s insane riffs and solos.

The crowd consisted of various age groups and levels of knowledge when it comes to the group, but I can safely attest that no matter the pace or vibe of the song, everybody danced the night away collectively.

The stage had a simple design meant to enhance the viewer’s experience by syncing flashing red and white lights while alternating video imagery and stage shots on a huge background screen. The audience was shown on the screen as well, portraying a plethora of emotions during the entirety of the performance. In all corners of the venue, you could see dancing bodies, screaming souls, crying eyes, and astonished new and longtime fans. By some stroke of luck, during mournful, regretful, spiteful, and hopeful lyrics, planes flew above us, each one accidentally becoming a symbol of every feeling illustrated.

As a first-time spectator of Nothing But Thieves, the group has won me over with everything stated above, but also with their wild and fun demeanor that transported me to the old rock concert stories told by my elders. Their performance of Where is My Mind sealed the whole vibe together, making the audience live their wildest rock concert dream.

They left the stage after a dazzling performance with a warm goodbye and a promise to rock again with the Romanian public as soon as possible, thanking us for always shaking the ground beneath the stage.

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