The stupendous Fontaines D.C. are back with a blistering new single, “Big”. It may clock in at a warp speed of 1 minute and forty-five seconds yet it is, no exaggeration, safeguarding the future of intelligent, dirty rock’n’roll.
“Big” is swaggering punk poetry at its best, continuing a line of brilliant singles released by the Fontaines D.C. last year – see my review for the double A single Boys in the Better Land/Chequeless Reckless.
Singer Grian Chatten’s laconic observational slam-poetry style vocals ride over the raw guitars, defiant and ambitious: ‘my childhood was small, but I’m gonna be big“. Part Mark E Smith, part Johnny Rotten and all Dublin cool.
The accompanying video by Molly Keane brilliantly features Chatten’s next door neighbour Finn McGinnis – according to the band “we felt that great ambition was a sickness, and we got Grian’s 11 year next-door neighbour to say it to you all because he’s got the presence of a hundred frontmen“.
“Big” is off their soon to be released and very much anticipated debut album “Dogrel”. A dogrel, according to the band, is a crude, traditionally Irish working-class form of verse, historically looked down upon by literary critics. It captures the ethos of the band: defiant, belligerent and mouthy, unwilling to be labelled or defined. There is, however, a literary spine that carries an angry yet optimistic brutality and honesty, leavened by a hopelessly romantic and raffish air. “Dogrel” is out on 12 April and you can pre-order here.
I love this band. I’m not the only one either – Fontaines D.C. are getting a lot of airplay in the UK and have all but sold out a massive tour across Europe and the US, slowly expanding to bigger venues as the word gets out. Catch them when you can:
07 FEB 2019 / FR / Besancon / Generiq Festival
08 FEB 2019 / FR / Grenoble / La Bobine
09 FEB 2019 / FR / Lyon / Le Sonic
10 FEB 2019 / FR / Dijon / Génériq Festival
07 MAR 2019 / US / Brooklyn, NY / Union Pool SOLD OUT
08 MAR 2019 / US / Brooklyn, NY / Union Pool
11-16 MAR 2019 / US / Austin, TX / SXSW
11 APR 2019 / UK / Bristol / Thekla SOLD OUT
12 APR 2019 / UK / Leeds / Brudenell Social Club SOLD OUT
13 APR 2019 / UK / Manchester / Gorilla SOLD OUT
14 APR 2019 / UK / Glasgow / King Tuts SOLD OUT
16 APR 2019 / UK / Nottingham / Rescue Rooms SOLD OUT
17 APR 2019 / UK / London / The Garage SOLD OUT
18 APR 2019 / UK / Brighton / The Haunt SOLD OUT
19 APR 2019 / BE / Diksmuide / 4AD (Friday)
20 APR 2019 / NL / Rotterdam / Motel Mozaique Festival
22 APR 2019 / FR / Paris / Le Point Ephemere
24 APR 2019 / ES / Valencia / El Loco
25 APR 2019 / ES /Madrid / Siroco
26 APR 2019 / ES / San Sebastian / Dabadaba
05 May 2019 / US / Raleigh, NC / Kings Barcade* SOLD OUT
06 May 2019 / US / Richmond, VA / The Broadberry*
07 May 2019 / US / Baltimore, MD / Metro Gallery* SOLD OUT
08 May 2019 / US / Albany, NY / The Hollow*
10 May 2019 / US / Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Steel* SOLD OUT
11 May 2019 / US / Washington, DC / Rock & Roll Hotel* SOLD OUT
12 May 2019 / US / Washington, DC / Rock & Roll Hotel* SOLD OUT
14 May 2019 / US / Cleveland, OH / Beachland Ballroom*
16 May 2019 / US / Kansas City, MO / recordBar*
17 May 2019 / US / Dallas, TX / The Curtain Club*
18 May 2019 / US / Austin, TX / Barracuda* SOLD OUT
20 May 2019 / US / Phoenix, AZ / Valley Bar* SOLD OUT
21 May 2019 / US / San Diego, CA / Belly Up*
22 May 2019 / US / Los Angeles, CA / The Fonda*
24 May 2019 / US / San Francisco, CA / Great American Music Hall*
25 May 2019 / US / San Francisco, CA / Great American Music Hall* SOLD OUT
27 May 2019 / US / Portland, OR / Wonder Ballroom* SOLD OUT
28 May 2019 / US / Seattle, WA / Neumo’s* SOLD OUT
31 MAY 2019 / DE / Neustrelitz / Immergut Festival
01 JUN 2019 / FR / Nimes / This is Not A Love Song Festival
04 – 06 JUL 2019 / ES / Catalonia / Vilanova i la Geltrú’s International Festival
13 JUL 2019 / UK / Glasgow / TRNSMT Festival
20 JUL 2019 / FR / Carhaix-Plouguer / Les Vieilles Charrues
26 JUL 2019 / UK / Oxford / Truck Festival
27 JUL 2019 / UK / Rainton / Deer Shed Festival
28 JUL 2019 / UK / Pikehall / Y Not Festival
29 AUG 2019 – 1 SEP 2019 / UK / Wiltshire / End of The Road Festival
19 NOV 2019 / UK / Manchester / O2 Ritz
20 NOV 2019 / UK / Liverpool / O2 Academy
21 NOV 2019 / UK / Glasgow / SWG 3
22 NOV 2019 / UK / Leeds / Stylus
23 NOV 2019 / UK / Sheffield / Leadmill
25 NOV 2019 / UK / Birmingham / O2 Institute
26 NOV 2019 / UK / Oxford / O2 Academy
27 NOV 2019 / UK / London / O2 Forum
28 NOV 2019 / UK / Brighton / Concorde 2
30 NOV 2019 / UK / Bristol / SWX
1 DEC 2019 / UK / Southampton / The 1865
* = supporting IDLES
Fontaines D.C.
‘Dogrel’
Partisan Records
Out 12th April 2019
Tracklist:
1. Big
2. Sha Sha Sha
3. Too Real
4. Television Screen
5. Hurricane Laughter
6. Roy’s Tune
7. The Lotts
8. Chequeless Reckless
9. Liberty Belle
10. Boys In The Better Land
11. Dublin City Sky
Photograph:Richard Dumas
