The O2 Institute 2 suits post-hardcore lot Thrice perfectly; a room where things are close and immediate, even if you’re at the back. Going into see band completely blind and not knowing what to expect isn’t something I’ve done in a number of years so my excitement is different to everyone else’s. Their fanbase are clearly a hardcore bunch (pun not intended) and for a mid-week show, the venue is rapidly filling.
Support comes from Lysistrata with a sharp, energetic, and slightly unpredictable set which keeps people engaged. There’s a mathy edge to what they do, but it never feels overly technical for the sake of it. Instead, it comes across as urgent and physical, with quick shifts in pace and intensity that stop things from settling too comfortably. There’s an atmospheric edge to their opening with its dissonant feel before “Acid to the Burn” brings in a jangly mood before its fierce chorus. By the end of their set, the crowd is fully switched on with the shoegaze of closing song “Mourn” acting as an ideal bookend.
There’s no big dramatic intro, no overblown theatrics — just performing. And immediately, I’m taken by Thrice. There’s no ego, no airs or graces, just four guys on stage playing for the love of it. There’s a ridiculous amount of energy and angst without treading into pastiche. People settle in quickly and pay attention and when “The Artist and the Ambulance” kicks in, the crowd becomes unglued. Tonight isn’t a nostalgia-heavy run-through or a crowd-pleasing greatest hits set — it feels deliberate and measured, and very much in line with where the band are now, showcasing their ever-changing journey with an understandable large focus on recent album, Horizons/West.
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Dustin Kensrue is a strong presence, not because he demands it, but because he doesn’t need to. His vocals have a worn edge now, but that works in the band’s favour, adding weight to both the quieter moments and the heavier ones. The dreamy and brooding soundscapes have the weight of age and experience to them yet the filthy breakdowns are fuelled by the same sort of energy a toddler has after demolishing an Easter egg bigger than their own head.
Musically, everything is tight without feeling mechanical. The guitars are layered well, never drifting into excess, and the rhythm section kept things grounded throughout. It’s a band that knows exactly how it wants to sound live, and sticks to it.
As they move further into their set, the heavier elements start to come through more clearly. The crowd responds accordingly, but it never tips into chaos — there was always a sense of control in how the band managed those dynamics; people bob their heads and shuffle their bodies without it becoming a full-blown pit.
By the end, the crowd have clearly been through the ringer. There’s no over-the-top finale, just a straightforward finish and a quiet exit. In a live scene where bigger often seems to mean better, Thrice go the other way. No spectacle, no gimmicks (other than a bit of early strobe lighting which burned my retinas), just a solid, well-thought-out performance which relies on the strength of the material and the people playing it.
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Header image by Atiba Jefferson
Thrice: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | soundcloud | youtube
Lysistrata: official | facebook | instagram | bandcamp | youtube
