Was Thin Lizzy’s ‘tough guy’ image the real death of the band? Thin Lizzy is one of those bands that you could have mistaken for being criminals, in a lot of ways. It was almost a little naive, the way that teenage boys are when they realise that the possibility of danger can be electric. It started as a young man, when he would fake fights on stage only to draw in a crowd. “Tonight, there’s gonna be a jailbreak,” Lynott smouldered, trying to convince the audience to join his ride of lawless rioting.