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There's
been no escaping the recent buzz surrounding The Thrills.
With a Q Award for Best New Act, a Mercury nomination and a debut
album that's been championed by everyone from Bono to Oasis, it's
little surprise that tickets for this gig at the Shepherds Bush
Empire were like gold dust.
Hear and read
more on The Thrills here>>
But
did the new boys of rock live up to the hype?
Opening
the show with Michael Jackson's Thriller was nothing short
of genius. The atmospheric opening chords of the 80s anthem - which
incidentally inspired the band's name - ensured the auditorium was
crackling with anticipation.
momentum
 The
as yet unreleased Tell Me Something I Don't Know blew the
roof off the venue and was the perfect opener, setting the momentum
which carried on throughout.
As
well-received as this song was, there was no mistaking the pleasure
of the crowd when it was followed with The Thrills' summertime hit
Big Sur.
More album tracks followed to the obvious delight of the sell-out
crowd, most evident perhaps in the sing-back section of Old Friends,
New Lovers.
irish
charm
Frontman
Connor Deasy introduced the band's new material with an unnecessary
soupcon of modesty - and a bucket load of Irish charm:
"Â….now
for the most dreaded words in the history of live music: this is
a new song we wrote just a few days agoÂ…"
Deasy
needn't have worried. The pounding beat and catchy lyrics of If
I Wasn't So Pretty had the crowd jumping about as if it was
an old single they knew and loved.
Speaking
of old singles and guaranteed crowd-pleasers, none come bigger for
The Thrills than Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far), and the
frenzied excitement in the Empire certainly stepped up a few notches
as Deasy's dulcet tones rang out the band's biggest hit to date.
beg, borrow or steal
 Finishing
with an encore of Plans, the secret track from the album
So Much for the City and new single Don't Steal Our Sun,
they seemed as reluctant to leave as the crowd were to see them
go, particularly after Daniel and Padraic's stage diving to the
obvious disdain of security.
If you missed the gigs this time then shame on you. The Thrills
rocked.
And if you ever get the chance to see the band live, then beg, borrow
or steal as required to get your hands on a ticket - The Thrills
very definitely live up to their name!
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Listen live
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through amazing shots of London from high up in a helicopter!