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A sweaty and swampy affair, capricious Irish post-punks Fontaines D.C hit the halfway mark with their UK + Ireland tour as they set sights during a rowdy Rock City evening

Agitation was rife as we got closer to the stage times for one of the most acclaimed post-punk bands around to stroll on through. Whipped into a 20-track setlist, their brazen bravado was unmatched with a no-nonsense fashion of blitzing songs from all albums one, two and three.

We’re quite fortunate still seeing such a band to feature at smallish venues still.

The new brainchild project of Wunderhorse was an impressive support slot, too, as he harnessed a hazy rock-blues battering sharing his new sides from debut album, Cub. The likes of Leader of the Pack certainly got more gig-goers riled up for the Irish following, but many performances felt a wee-bit sluggish, despite the anticipated build-up for the four-piece.

Then, the scene was set. A frenetic backdrop met with mesmerising visuals, Fontaines D.C were preparing to embark on stage. As a preamble of Nottingham-based duo Sleaford Mods’ Nudge It played, out emerged frontman Grian Chatten, arms flailing, as a frenzied roar erupted within the jovially-sized 2,000 capped venue.

<< gone is the day, gone is the night, gone is the day. >>

An effortless affair, as the brash frantics of A Hero’s Death swamp into the grudges of post-alternative Sha Sha Sha, a culmination of some of the bands’ finest work brought to the stage for their tour of defining left-hand crane, Skinty Fia. Prompt and tender, the band didn’t utter a single word throughout the 20-track roster apart from a glum hello uttered halfway through their set. An enigmatic profiling to say the least, the band had one thing on their minds. Let the music speak for itself. That they did. Prompt and pure rock ‘n’ roll at times, idled with tender moments where the sorrow is sung, Fontaines D.C know the exact rule of thumb when it comes to their live shows.

The might of Roman Holiday is met with a dazzling light display as the glitterballs are projected gleeming with beautiful energy. Meanwhile in another breadth, encore-listing of Boys in the Better Land is a ferocious tale in how the swampy and sweaty mosh pits come to light, as the crowd becomes a salty selection of sardines. The little trinkets of water handed out by security won’t do much good when the likes of Big and Too Real are thrown into the mix.

Matched with some of their most beloved from their most recent, Jackie Down The Line, How Cold Love Is, I Love You were met with electric reception amongst a passionate crowd packed to the rafters. A neurotic collection of aggravated punk alternatives, Skinty Fia is a catering to most fans but hits hardest with their Irish fans – as it makes for a perfect address to their Irishness, and ultimately remaining as Irish as they begin to make new lives for themselves. You can read the full-length review of Skinty Fia here.

Stoic in performance – littered with literate temptation – I can only imagine what the Dublin concerts would have been like!

Their most recent – Skinty Fia – has been a deciding factor in the band chartering to dizzying heights. From an honourable tightly-whipped collective to one of the most electric and raucous post-punk band, Fontaines D.C are not to be messed about with. Their most recent tour is a great showing of that.

A swamped gig packed with angst, attitude and passion, it was a delivery to one of the years’ most rowdiest crowds – and I was fortunate enough to catch a golden ticket for it.