It’s been a busy few years for Fontaines D.C. Since their Mercury nominated debut album Dogrel landed just three years ago back in 2019, the Dublin five-piece have released two further top 5 albums, travelled the world, headlined festivals and seen widespread critical acclaim, in some quarters heralded as the ‘saviours of rock and roll’, rallying against a world of TikTok, Snapchat and… Ed Sheeran.
In that time, the band’s sound has developed quickly, with frontman Grian Chatten’s lyrics eloquently portraying a life of Irish unrest in their new world surrounded by red, white and blue. Warts and all.
It’s a recipe that has captivated thousands, many of whom have flocked to the O2 Victoria Warehouse this weekend. Tonight is the first of an impressive three night, sold out, residency.
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The band take the stage to a rapturous reception and launch straight into Televised Mind, the first single from their second album A Hero's Death. It thuds along like a wind tunnel blast. The bass throbbing loudly as the post punk guitars pan left and right.
Chatten is immediately magnetic, capturing attention with a dismissive trance like delivery. ‘Now you don’t care what they say. Nor do I.’ He drawls every single vowel like it’s the last thing he’ll ever say.
They then dig back into their early archive. Sha Sha Sha is less menacing and more direct. Taken from their debut long play, it’s all floor toms and scratchy indie guitar. Clearly a crowd favourite with the catchy, simple chorus that makes up its title.
The band stand onstage in a confident, democratic formation and in a swirl of feedback dive into Hurricane Laughter . It’s a frenetic Joy Division swirl. Edgy and energetic rhythm topped with Fall like vocals, Chatten ranting ‘There is no connection available’ in that irreverent Mark E. Smith manner.
Skinty Fia follows, the first tonight from the more mature 2022 release of the same name and you can hear the difference. It’s like a Leftfield song covered by Faithless, with Gratten dropping an octave to riff over a more electronic soundscape.
I Don’t Belong is all slow chainsaw guitars, driven along by a sultry bassline. Whilst a lyric which could be defiant is delivered with a lackadaisical innocence. ‘I don’t belong to anyone. I don't wanna belong to anyone’ It’s a different side to the band. Pensive and reflective, bringing an interesting change of pace to proceedings.
The venue lends itself perfectly to the soundtrack onstage. It’s industrial, ambitious and has scale. And in turn, there’s an intensity in the air.
Chatten himself is mightily impressive. Looking at him through Mancunian eyes, he’s an amalgamation of every great frontman this city has seen before. The indifference of Bernard Sumner, the energy of Ian Curtis, the dexterity of Ian Brown, the street poetry of Shaun Ryder and the aggression of Liam Gallagher. It’s a heady cocktail which lifts the music to another level, like all great frontmen do.
The second half of the set rattles along at pace, one ‘Hello Manchester’ aside there’s typically little interaction with the audience. That’s left to the music, and the lyrics.
Too Real is out and out punk. Chatten paces back and forth across the stage with tempestuous impatience, backed up by his irrepressible bandmates, all grungey pout and Sex Pistols posturing.
More gentle on record, Roy’s Tune is beefed up for the night's proceedings, the crowd encouraged to join in with its anthemic chorus.
Then, recent single Jackie Down the Line is a classic Temple Bar, Guinness soaked singalong, followed quickly by Roman Holiday with its hypnotic, baggy tinged swagger.
For the encore, with the backdrop lit by the tricolour of their homeland, they crash through debut single Boys in the Better Land , cultural identity front and centre. The moshpit responds accordingly as the throng sways across the room.
For their finale they turn to their album closer I Love You . It’s a screaming, shouting culmination of everything the band has achieved to date, nothing left off the page. Its powerful chorus is a scathing criticism of modern Ireland, a country they can’t though help but love. It’s a passage that holds both sides of your face and demands that you listen.
In a live music sector dominated by huge nostalgia acts and pop behemoths, the band are young, their audience are young and they’ve all got something to say. It feels important. A certain band from Sheffield aside, Fontaines D.C. are making a strong case to be considered one of the biggest, and certainly one of the best bands around.
‘Saviours of rock and roll…?’ On tonight’s evidence, they have it very firmly within their grasp.
SETLIST
Televised Mind
Sha Sha Sha
Hurricane Laughter
Skinty Fia
I Don't Belong
Big Shot
Chequeless Reckless
Nabokov
Too Real
How Cold Love Is
A Lucid Dream
Roy's Tune
Jackie Down the Line
Roman Holiday
A Hero's Death
Encore:
Big
Boys in the Better Land
I Love You
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