Top of their game
by Roger on 07/07/2025Finsbury Park - LondonRating: 5 out of 5A formidable band, combining poetic brilliance with quality musicianship, creating beautiful and haunting sounds capes. Just magic...
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Fontaines D.C. announce new UK tour dates
Irish post-punks Fontaines D.C. came together at music college in Dublin. Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Deegan III (bass), Carlos O'Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar) and Tom Coll (drums) bonded over a mutual love of poetry, from Kerouac and Ginsberg to Irish figures such as Yeats and Lorca.
They named their band after the crooner Johnny Fontaine from The Godfather, adding the D.C. (Dublin City) after discovering a similarly named LA band. The band's initial releases were two short volumes of poetry and these lyrical foundations featured prominently on their critically acclaimed 2019 debut album Dogrel. The record blended a muscular post-punk sound with vivid verse barked out in Chatten's charismatic Dublin accent, most notable on singles 'Big', 'Boys In The Better Land' and 'Hurricane Laughter'.
A slew of five-star reviews and album of the year awards followed, notably from Rough Trade and BBC 6 Music, placing the band at the forefront of an Irish post-punk wave alongside The Murder Capital and Girl Band.Relentless touring in the wake of Dogrel took its toll on the band. Back home in Dublin, Chatten's fear of no longer being able to write led to the band quickly setting to work on a follow-up. Their second album, A Hero's Death, was released on 31 July 2020. The band had released the title track as the first single, accompanied by a video starring Irish actor Aiden Gillen (Game Of Thrones, The Wire). The album signalled a move to a darker, blunter sound than its predecessor, while the artwork (featuring the legendary Irish warrior Cú Chulainn) and album title (inspired by the writings of Brendan Behan) showed that Irish literature remained a cornerstone of the band's identity.I n support of the new record, the band embarked on their biggest UK tour yet in May 2021, starting in Edinburgh and winding up with a huge show at London's Alexandra Palace.
Fontaines D.C. released their third album Skinty Fia in 2022. Featuring the tracks 'Jackie Down The Line' and 'Roman Holiday', Pitchfork magazine called the record their "most demanding and musically adventurous album is also its most open-hearted, striking a perfect balance between tough and tender," while The Guardian noted that the "Dublin alt-rockers trade in their punky full-pelt approach for measured, compelling insights."
In April 2024, the band hinted at new material with a teasing visualiser called 'Romance', before releasing their new single 'Starburster' with news of new album Romance being released on 23 August 2024. The band announced a UK and Ireland tour for November & December 2024, including two nights at London's Alexandra Palace, which ends in their native Dublin at the 3Arena on Friday 6 December.
In 2024, Fontaines announced their biggest headline show to date at Finsbury Park for 5 July 2025, alongside Amyl and the Sniffers, Kneecap and more TBA. They also announced that they would play a headline show at Cardiff Castle that same month. A month later they announced their biggest-ever Manchester headline show at Wythenshawe Park for 15 August, with support from English Teacher and Kneecap.
Encore
With a Finsbury Park takeover announced for next summer, it's time to rank the best Fontaines tracks
A formidable band, combining poetic brilliance with quality musicianship, creating beautiful and haunting sounds capes. Just magic...
Great atmosphere, top tunes. Better than any festival I've been to recently. No one was rude, mosh pits were decent.
The mighty Fontaines deliver maybe their best performance in front of 45,000 adoring fans. They were on it from start to finish, so tight and so strong throughout with the huge crowd loving it, from the pit all the way to the back.
Fantastic day with a great line up of acts consisting of Cardinals, Been Stellar, Blondshell, Kneecap, Amyl and the Sniffers and topped off with a fantastic headline set from Fontaines DC. Venue with capacity of 45000 was more or less full from 5pm just before Kneecap took to stage which made trying to get to the toilet or a drink absolute chaos beyond that point. Atmosphere great all day and performances from all acts was first class.
Fantastic day with a great line up of acts consisting of Cardinals, Been Stellar, Blondshell, Kneecap, Amyl and the Sniffers and topped off with a fantastic headline set from Fontaines DC. Venue with capacity of 45000 was more or less full from 5pm just before Kneecap took to stage which made trying to get to the toilet or a drink absolute chaos beyond that point. Atmosphere great all day and performances from all acts was first class.
Fontaines are one of the best bands out there at the minute and since 2019 releasing absolute tunes the frontman (Grian Chatten) vocals are unmatched he sings every song with so mush passion and the rest of the band play exactly how they sound on record my best gig last year
Fontanies Dc, I can happily admit that they were one of the best gigs I have ever had the chance to experience, I felt every emotion through the whole show and I would give a lot up to see them again. The opening from romance straight into Jackie down the line was sensational, I wish I was able to experience this for the first time again.
Aww they were amazing chattens voice is beautiful and the band together superb soon as I heard they were doing transmit I got tickets straight away best band there is fantastic if you've never saw them go and listen to in the modern world you will be converted
Fontaines DC absolutely fantastic. They just get better and better each time I watch them.
A proper good performance. Fontaines had everyone energised and loving the gig.