Fontaines D.C.‘s current live tour promoting ‘Romance’, their latest album, is nothing short of a thrilling, raw, and relentless assault on the senses, reaffirming the band’s place at the forefront of post-punk. The Dublin five-piece, renowned for their ferocious energy and compelling lyricism, have managed to push themselves into new territory with this record, embracing a more expansive, intricate sound that still retains the gritty essence of their earlier work.
It’s always such a privilege to see music like this on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, with the coathanger Sydney Harbour Bridge arching over the dark waters and the buildings of the city seemingly glittering in tune with the music, and the odd star visible above.
From the moment they take the stage, it’s clear that Fontaines D.C. are operating at full throttle, unleashing the dark and brooding atmospherics of the track ‘Romance’ in all its glory. The band’s performance is a masterclass in tension and release, as they meld soaring, anthemic melodies with moments of abrasive, almost cathartic intensity. It’s a dynamic, unpredictable ride, one that never quite lets you catch your breath — and that’s precisely the point.
Guitarist Carlos O’Connell’s riffs are razor-sharp, biting with the urgency of a city on fire, while the rhythm section, anchored by bassist Conor Curley and drummer Tom Coll, locks into a groove that propels the band forward with a relentless, propulsive drive. They’ve always had a particular knack for building momentum in their live shows, but here it feels as though they’ve honed their craft to a level where every beat, every note, is expertly calibrated to evoke maximum emotion.
As ever, frontman Grian Chatten is the band’s gravitational center, his presence magnetic as he prowls the stage like a man possessed. His delivery is fevered, his words steeped in a sense of both existential dread and romantic longing. Romance as an album is a reflection of this duality, and Chatten brings it to life with every lyric, his voice switching between a whisper and a howl, often in the space of a single song. The songs are more than just anthems for the disillusioned; they are a mirror, reflecting a world on the brink of collapse, offering glimpses of vulnerability amid the chaos.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Tracks like ‘I Love You’ and ‘Roman Holiday’ provide moments of clarity and almost reckless abandon, with crowd interactions that feel less like passive observation and more like a shared experience. The energy in the impossibly beautiful setting of the Sydney Opera House forecourt is palpable, with every member of the audience leaning in, caught up in the hypnotic whirl of sound that the band conjures effortlessly.
The newer material sits seamlessly alongside their older hits. Songs from ‘Dogrel’, ‘A Hero’s Death’ and ‘Skinty Fia’ still hit hard, but it’s clear that the band is evolving. The intimacy of ‘Romance’ — with its more reflective, melancholic qualities — doesn’t just translate live, it’s amplified. The crowd is enraptured, moving in a collective trance, lost in the dark poetry of Chatten’s words and the swirling noise around them. ‘Starbuster’, the last song in the encore set the skies alight.
The setlist strikes a perfect balance between the urgent, post-punk fire of ‘Dogrel’ and the more contemplative, expansive nature of ‘Romance’. But I have to say nothing ignites the audience more than the thrilling three chord thrum of ‘Boys from The Betterland’. And if there’s one thing this tour confirms, it’s that Fontaines D.C. have truly evolved, both sonically and as performers. They no longer feel like just a band playing for an audience; they feel like a band playing with their audience, pulling them into a shared emotional experience. It’s a catharsis, a release, a moment of reckoning.
Fontaines D.C. aren’t just touring to promote an album — they’re creating a world. A world where, no matter how dark, we’re all in it together. And judging by the fervent response from the crowd, it’s a world that everyone wants to inhabit.
People I know roll their eyes when I boast about having seen Fontaines D.C. at a small venue – The Gorilla – early in 2019 in Manchester just as their debut album was released: by the end of the same year they were selling out the O2 Ritz across town. Then they were all guitars and attitude. Now, there are many more instruments and complex layers to their songs, but the attitude remains, and it’s delicious and cathartic.
Set List
Romance
Jackie Down the Line
Televised Mind
Roman Holiday
Big Shot
Sundowner
Death Kink
It’s Amazing to Be Young
Big
A Hero’s Death
Here’s the Thing
Bug
Horseness Is the Whatness
Nabokov
Boys in the Better Land
Favourite
Encore:
In the Modern World
Desire
I Love You
Starburster
Feature Photograph and Gallery: Arun Kendall
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