It's been a little while since Brisbane was last treated to a show from Fontaines D.C..
When the band last toured Australia, they were among the higher-billed acts on the 2023 Laneway line-up. They also played a sold-out show at The Triffid, and it should speak to the Irish lads' success since then that they're now headlining and selling out one of Brisbane's biggest stages.Hot off the release of their 2024 Grammy-nominated album 'Romance', it was a pleasure to receive the announcement Fontaines D.C. were coming back to Australia for a 2025 tour.
Although originally billed to be touring with Wunderhorse, British band Shame took over as openers after Wunderhorse had to drop out due to personal reasons. While certainly disappointing, this was great news for fans of Shame, as they haven't toured Australia since 2018.
Although I arrived a few songs late into Shame's set, it was clear they'd warmed up the crowd. Hailing from South London, the Shame lads carried themselves onstage with an effortless swagger, barking lyrics about the working class and growing up in Britain. Vocalist Charlie Steen used his microphone stand as a baton, commanding the audience to move about while directing them with it.
After a brief intermission, once Shame left the stage, the lights all around the Riverstage (1 March) dimmed, aside from one giant spotlight illuminating Fontaines D.C.'s logo at the centre of the stage.
Fontaines D.C. - image © Dylan Hewitson-Bevis
The band walked onstage to rumbling bass tones of 'Romance', the eponymous first song off their latest record. Even at the back of The Riverstage, it was a song you could feel deep in your chest. Talk about making an entrance, right?!
Fontaines D.C. wasted no time transitioning into one of their most famous tracks, 'Jackie Down The Line'. A real showcase of the Skerries-born frontman Grian Chatten's North Dublin accent, the song deals with how some Irish carry the feeling of being a fish out of water, should they find themselves having moved to mainland Britain.
The band performed almost every song off 'Romance', leaving some room in the set list for crowd-pleasers from their back catalogue. 'Televised Mind' from 'A Hero's Death' and 'Boys In The Better Land' received some of the biggest cheers from the crowd, with the latter being one of Fontaines D.C.'s most famous hits.
Fontaines D.C. - image © Dylan Hewitson-Bevis
Before stepping off-stage to prepare for an encore, the band played arguably their most widely known song from Romance, 'Favourite'. Being at an open-air music venue among 9,000-plus people singing every word was one of those magical experiences only live music can produce.
Fontaines D.C. closed out the night with a solid four-song encore, wrapping up the night with the first single from 'Romance', 'Starburster'. I hope we see Fontaines D.C. again in Australia sometime soon, as their unique brand of Irish post-punk is something I've truly been missing.
More photos from the concert.
