Fontaines D.C. Band/Live Review

Moving from Variegated to Repeat Offenders, Sophia Kearns reviews the latest tour from Fontaines D.C., delving into how their music has evolved whilst remaining true to their punk roots.

The iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House stood in stark contrast to the pulsating energy emanating, the wait for Fontaines D.C.'s return had ended, and Dublin's finest were finally back on our shores with their Romance tour. As their silhouettes emerged through a green fog machine haze, nearly two years since their last appearance in Australia, the recent Brit Award winners delivered a performance that transmuted their recorded material into something transcendent.

Against the backdrop of Sydney's illuminated nightscape, UK post-punk band Shame ignited the evening with explosive energy. Their performance was quintessentially English and unabashedly punk – all bleached hair, angular outfits, and boundless character. Their guitarist ricocheted across the stage with frenetic enthusiasm, while frontman Charlie Steen engaged the audience with commanding presence, such as instructing the crowd to compress inward before launching himself into their collective embrace. He surfed atop his Australian supporters with evident delight before concluding a set that perfectly primed the audience with the spirit and grit for what was to follow. While Wunderhorse were originally slated as support (withdrawing for undisclosed reasons months prior), Shame proved more than capable of energising the crowd. Still, one wonders how Wunderhorse might have established a different, maybe moodier or deeper atmospheric, foundation for the headliners.

When Fontaines D.C. emerged, the anticipation that had been building in their two-year absence crystallised into palpable electricity. Opening with the title track from their latest album Romance, the band immediately demonstrated why they've ascended so rapidly from self-released singles to Grammy nominations. The sonic evolution evident on their fourth album – the incorporation of pop sensibilities, electronic beats, orchestral elements, and even nu-metal influences – translated seamlessly to the live setting without sacrificing the visceral intensity that has defined them since their inception.

From the moment Fontaines D.C. took the stage, it was immediately apparent they were operating at peak intensity. They began performing the title song "Romance," delivering its dark, moody ambiance with powerful intensity. Frontman Grian Chatten emerged as the gravitational center of the performance, his presence magnetic and uninhibited, seemingly intoxicated by his own music. His movements across the stage weren't choreographed but seemed dictated by some internal rhythm that occasionally aligned with, then diverged from, the music surrounding him. The relationship between Chatten and his bandmates created a compelling visual dynamic, as guitarists Carlos O'Connell and Conor Curley, bassist Conor Deegan III, and drummer Tom Coll performed with equal emotional investment, creating a unified force that belied their individual contributions. Every note and beat delivered with profound intention.

The audience reflected the band's cross-generational appeal – younger fans responded with particular enthusiasm to recent hits "Bug" and "Starburster," while older attendees found connection in earlier material like "Boys in the Better Land" and "I Love You" from their previous album Skinty Fia. This diversity speaks to Fontaines D.C.'s unique position within contemporary music – simultaneously innovative and referential, progressive yet steeped in tradition. Following "Romance", the band launched into "Jackie Down the Line" from Skinty Fia, establishing a pattern of minimal stage banter that allowed them to deliver their entire setlist in just over ninety minutes. Half the setlist showcased material from Romance, but each of their four albums received representation, providing both longtime supporters and recent converts with moments of recognition.

What distinguishes the band from their contemporaries is their ability to capture zeitgeist without explicitly referencing it. Songs like "Favorite" and "It's Amazing to Be Young" function as oblique commentaries on contemporary existence – simultaneously celebrating youth while acknowledging the precariousness of coming of age during uncertain times. These songs, especially, feel both 100% uplifting and impending doom at the same time. Something in Chatten's delivery and the band's sonic architecture speaks directly to contemporary anxieties while providing moments of cathartic release. 

In a poignant moment, Fontaines D.C. acknowledged the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, displaying a Palestinian flag on stage, and as the night drew to a close, their calls of "Free Palestine" rang out across the forecourt, with many in the crowd responding in vocal solidarity. Though concluding relatively early at 9:40 pm, the concert's impact lingered long after its final notes. We departed the venue energised rather than exhausted, with melodies continuing to resonate internally through the following morning. The return to daily routines felt like awakening from a particularly vivid dream.

Teenagers in band T-shirts stood shoulder-to-shoulder with gray-haired music veterans, both groups shouting the same lyrics, both finding something vital in Fontaines D.C.’s delivery. Some mouthed every word of Chatten's literary references, others closed their eyes during instrumental builds, while many simply surrendered to the visceral punch of sound. The band may have achieved commercial success and critical acclaim, but they've preserved the authenticity that initially distinguished them.