Fontaines D.C. is an Irish band that pushes genre barriers, originating in Dublin in 2014. In recent years they’ve experienced a popularity boom, with shows being quick to sell out. In 2019, they toured with the bands Shame and IDLES, and in 2022 they released their famous album Skinty Fia which charted number one on the UK Albums Chart. Currently on tour with their latest album Romance, the show in Wolverhampton was their first UK performance, and it was absolutely brilliant.

The opening act was the indie rock band Sorry, which had a lot of potential and some memorable moments. Both the singing and the instrumentals were impressive, albeit we were slightly confused by the amalgamation of skillful rock and Tik Tok sample audios. One notable example was a sample of Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Body’, which was distracting from an otherwise good song. Nonetheless, it got us excited for Fontaines D.C.

The performance began with the title track of the album, ‘Romance’, as a massive white curtain descended to reveal the band members at the song’s crescendo. The crowd was raring to go and so were we; the mosh pit at the front of the hall was full of excitement and energy. Perhaps they overdid it a little, as someone had to be carried out early on in the show due to being trampled. Fontaines handled this well, transitioning smoothly to the track ‘Lucid Dream’.

The first half of the show was back-to-back hits of their previous releases, with staples such as ‘Televised Mind’, ‘Jackie Down the Line’, and ‘Big’, with the transition into Romance being made with ‘Here’s the Thing’. The song is a move away from their usual post-punk sound they’ve been previously confined to. It was a point they made specifically when marketing the album, wanting to break out of the ‘post-punk box’. The track has received a mixed reception with many criticising it for being overly poppy and radio-friendly; however this certainly didn’t show at the gig. 

We found the show to be surprisingly moshy, given some songs were more lyrical such as ‘In The Modern World’. At those moments, we were particularly glad to be in the circle, able to enjoy the music without risking a stray elbow to the head. An old favourite song that we were looking forward to was ‘I Love You’, the performance of which felt very different to the rest of the songs. Frontman Grian Chatten seemed entranced with the lyrics, filling it with emotion that was almost palpable; it was definitely one of the many highlights of the gig. 

Two new songs that we were strongly anticipating were ‘Favourite’ and ‘Starburster’ (for which we almost missed our last train). ‘Starburster’ was the closing track of the concert, and it got the audience in the circle to finally stand up from their seats. Before ‘Starburster’, the band had secretly passed around neon green balaclavas to those in the mosh pit, instructing them to wear it before the final song. We, however, had no idea what was transpiring and were confused at the sea of green-headed concert-goers. Neither of us have uncovered the reason behind this, but we were surely entertained. 

The show left us incredibly impressed, and though there wasn’t much crowd interaction, this let us focus on the raw delivery of the songs. Compared to other gigs that we have both been to, Fontaines D.C. left a memorable imprint. The experience of seeing a band’s live interpretation of their own songs is always deeply moving. Since Fontaines weren’t overly theatrical, it felt like a dialogue with the audience, which cultivated an intimate connection. Having followed them since the early days to now watching them play sold-out tours, they are certainly deserving of their vast, dedicated fanbase. They have definitely raised our standard for future performances, but until then, we will continue replaying the show in our minds.

Read more:

EP Review: Omar Rudberg – Every Night Fantasy

Single Review: FKA twigs – Drums of Death 

Live Review: Infinity Song