Fontaines D.C. manager Trevor Dietz has died

Hot Press is deeply saddened by the news that Fontaines D.C. manager Trevor Dietz has died.

His death, on Sunday, June 7, was confirmed this afternoon by the "utterly heartbroken" band.

"Trevor was beside us from the beginning of our journey as a band, we have never known Fontaines D.C. without him, the sixth member of the band," they wrote on social media.

"He cared passionately for us and for what was fair and right in the wider world. He was fearless in his beliefs. We will miss him always.

"We ask that you kindly respect our privacy and that of his family at this terribly difficult time. RIP Trev."

Truly one of the rock 'n' roll good guys, he spotted the band at a very early stage and helped guide them to international success, making sure throughout that they had the artistic space and time to grow.

Outside of his involvement with Fontaines, Trevor had a significant impact on live music and nightlife in Dublin through his work at The Workman's Club – from Somewhere? Wednesdays, to his well-known Bank Holiday Sunday events showcasing emerging acts.

A massive football fan – we spotted him on the terraces at the Ireland vs. Czechia play-off – Trevor was part of the Bohemian FC Another Sunny Afternoon bill, which last year helped warm Oasis fans up for Croke Park.

He was also a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and was generally to be found on the right side of history. We liked and respected Trevor enormously.

"Fontaines D.C. came along in 2016," Trevor revealed at the 2019 Hot Press MIX (Music Industry Xplained) Course Wrap Night. "I spotted them and put them on three or four times at the Workman’s and then we decided to take the relationship from promoter to manager. I’d been putting on bands for twenty years, and had my plan of attack ready for when one jumped out at me. I’d watched and studied the managers who came into the venue; people like Frank Murray, God rest his soul, who looked after The Pogues. He called me just before he passed away – Frank was looking after the Mighty Stef at the time – and said, 'Have you found a band yet? No? Well, just go out and find them!' Lo and behold, these guys came along pretty soon after.

"At the start, when we decided to work together, it was really just one question," he continued. "I went for a coffee with the boys in William Street and asked if they’d set their goals and their endgame. I wouldn’t have worked with the band if they hadn’t had huge expectations and huge dreams. If other people had heard the conversation that day they would have gone, 'Jesus, these guys are nuts, it’s not going to happen', but I knew we could go well beyond Ireland with this. So, first and foremost, you need a band that shares your vision and who are reliable, accountable and honest."

Trevor Dietz, left, and Fontaines D.C.

“This is desperately sad news,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. “Trevor Dietz was a brilliant mainstay on the Dublin music scene for what seems like a very long time. He was ever-inventive and ambitious, dreaming up fresh ways to promote new and upcoming Irish artists and creating clubs that were real and authentic – and that mattered.

“With the emergence of Fontaines D.C., I was thrilled to see him find a band that merited his attention and commitment – and to see them go on to fulfil all the high hopes he had for them when they agreed to work together. They have been one of the outstanding success stories of recent times not just in Ireland, but in the world of music, in many ways helping to make rock ’n’ roll fashionable and relevant again.

“A band is a really strange organism, which involves a group of people gathering under the one umbrella and deciding that this is how they will relate to the world, as a unit – while also allowing one another whatever level of independence and freedom seems right for the particular vehicle. I always saw Trevor as being an essential part of the Fontaines team, one of the gang that had gathered closely together – under that umbrella – in the pursuit of making the very most of the idea of Fontaines D.C., and what that marvellous musical beast could achieve creatively.

“I know the members of the band, and all of their close associates, will be utterly devastated today. Trevor made a huge contribution to Irish music, both as an activist and promoter – and, I think it is fair to say, most of all, as the manager of Fontaines D.C., as they rose through the ranks. Our hearts go out to everyone in the band, and to all of those who worked with Trevor and who loved him. He was a good mate of Hot Press’ at every stage of his life in rock ’n’ roll. We will miss him, and his energy, his warmth and his humour enormously. A star has fallen from the sky. The night will never be the same."

 

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