Each of the 4 Fontaines DC albums has been better than the last, or if not, has consolidated them in some way. That’s why it’s not surprising that the band’s followers can no longer even fit into La Riviera. The presentation of his new album ‘Romance’, definitely the best of his career, has been scheduled at the WiZink Center, although with part of the stands and the sides closed. Perhaps around 7,000 attendees, not bad for a group that started in post-punk and that has not had the support of Spanish radio, nor of successful playlists, nor of TikTok.
Fontaines DC’s songs and albums have gone viral thanks to their soul. Grian Chatten, born in 1995 although this Saturday wearing a shirt with the number 93, has inherited the unease of the lyrics of Kurt Cobain or Ian Curtis, adding to the disenchantment of Irish youth and the poetry of that country. The group displays a Palestinian flag on one of the instruments, while continuing to draw the Irish flag on the label with the name of the group.
A giant curtain protects Fontaines DC during the performance of the first song, ‘Romance’. We practically don’t see them until this song, so obviously produced by James Ford (Depeche Mode), ends. Grian Chatten moves from one side of the stage to the other, like a hooligan, only in him the violence is contained, with a sensitivity that is evident in his voice and his vocal delivery, his best weapon. At times, he grabs the acoustic, but it is when he extends syllables that he truly magnifies himself.
Sometimes, the sound or lack of experience in this type of venue penalizes them. Either the drums or a guitar bounce too much, and the sound is a bit disjointed at specific moments. ‘Here’s the Thing’ sounds a bit chaotic. Things get better as the show progresses, and the strength of the repertoire is such that old hits like ‘Jackie Down the Line’, in second place, and ‘Boys in the Better Land’, towards the end, are not necessarily what best of the set.
It seems that people react especially to the songs from the recent ‘Romance’, which for some reason is holding up phenomenally on the charts, to the point that we miss the two “ballads”, as ambitious as ‘Desire’ and ‘Motorcycle Boy’. Without being the most sung cut obviously, the track ‘Sundowner’ leaves a magical moment for anyone who would like to attend it.
Although for a magical moment, the one in which the Spanish guitarist, Carlos O’Connell approached the microphone to perform an acoustic version of ‘Tesoros’ by Antonio Vega. A curiosity that served to underline Fontaines DC’s love for both poets and the city of Madrid.
Of course, if we have to talk about the best of the concert, that can only be the meeting of three of their best songs in the final encore, which was a must. The show closed with the beautiful ‘In the Modern World’, which so well describes the chaotic world intoxicated by social networks, images and stimuli of today; the exciting ‘I Love You’ and that burst of energy called ‘Starburster’ in which Grian almost raps and chokes. There are those who missed that the group communicated more with the public, but it doesn’t seem like their style. Their thing is to transmit in another way. With still some room for improvement, Fontaines DC are doing better and better.
CARLOS SANG IN SPANISH pic.twitter.com/p64nDR1LYR
— carla★ saw fontaines (@inmys1eep) November 2, 2024
