From behind a large curtain, a sold-out First Direct Arena had their first glimpse of the Dublin City 5-piece.
With their shadows cast in an eerie, green light, they ran through the slow, sinister-sounding title track from their fourth album, Romance. An excited sense of anticipation in the room formed as the song climaxed and the curtain gave way to reveal the band, who looked like goth-punk superheroes complete with vintage style trackies, dyed hair and bug shades.
Their latest album has ushered in a new era for Fontaines DC, one in which they have outgrown their poetic post-punk roots to become fully fledged arena rock superstars.
Before the audience had the chance to take a breather, the band broke into Skinty Fia favourite Jackie Down The Line, following it up with a ruckus one-two of Televised Mind and A Lucid Dream. They then gave a near-immaculate rendition of Roman Holiday and a spectacularly beefed-up version of Big Shot.
While the set list was varied and gave each of their four albums the chance to steal the spotlight, it’s tracks from their most recent offering that stand out. The songs off the new album are brooding, hazy, arena-ready anthems, often shifting into near cosmic levels of intensity when performed live.
Grian Chatten, whilst still his jittery self, looked completely at home on the big stage, commanding and captivating the audience with ease.
New cuts like In the Modern World, Favourite and Bug all shone a light on their progression as artists, while older tracks like Big, Nabakov and A Hero’s Death provided the raw energy that had the world captivated by the boys in the first place.
Running through the show at a furious pace, the band barely addressed the audience. After Boys In The Better Land where Chatten remarked “Free Palestine,” with the occasional show of gratitude, nothing was lost. While there was a lack of audience interaction, the show flowed fluidly, taking us all on what felt like a roller-coaster ride through their discography. Every moment where the sludgy, scuzzy guitar tones took centre stage, they were balanced out with more dreamy, serene and atmospheric periods, creating a compelling and enthralling overall experience.
As the night drew to a close, it was their fourth record’s lead single Starburster that gave the curtain call, and with the audience fully immersed at this point, they chanted back almost every single word. As quickly as they began, the band left the stage for the final time and we were all cast out back into the cold December rain – only having witnessed one of this’generation’s (potentially) most important bands.
While some bands seem to struggle on their first few major tours of arenas and large venues, it’s clear to see that years of near constant touring has left Fontaines DC standing as arguably the most formidable, electric and breathtakingly powerful sounding live band around. I can’t see them stepping down from the big stages anytime soon with performances as good as this. If anything, I’d be surprised not to see them topping the bill at major festivals in the near future.
Run, don’t walk, if you get the chance to see Fontaines DC live is my advice.
Photography by Mark Wheelwright for Leeds Living at Leeds Festival 2024.
