SXSW 2019: Fontaines DC Run Riot In The USA

In the shadows of the backstage, wearing a green, knee length overcoat, frontman Grian Chatten incessantly bounces from left foot to right foot, privately revving his adrenaline up like a boxer preparing for the mayhem that is to ensue. This is Ireland’s most talked about band 10 minutes before their South By Southwest debut.

In 2016, Fontaines DC played to 30 people in a dark basement in Temple Bar. At the time they had no DC (Dublin City) in their name. They were still learning their craft, but there was promise.

Three years later, the quintet is an emerging act of the ‘Repeal Rock’ movement - artists that aligned with the successful campaign to legalise abortion in Ireland.

The band’s relentless work ethic has been evident. KEXP sessions, constant touring and crafting numerous beloved anthems, have led to a highly anticipated debut LP, Dogrel, due April 12.

Fontaines DC don’t engage with crowds with placated banter, instead they let their charisma radiate from their style of play. The group’s competency is stunning, developing true finesse to their live sound.

Singer Grian is a constant ball of energy. Between songs he restlessly strides back and forth wiping his lips, shaking a tambourine, or pulling up his trousers. He’s completely seized in the show’s momentum. The only time he is still is when reciting mournful lyrics to ‘Roy’s Tune’, “I like the way they treat me but I hate the way they use her”. There’s a desperation as he whispers, “hey love, are you hanging on”.

When you see an artist relive the moment they’re singing about, the look in their eyes is unmistakable. On stage, Grian lives every lyric he sings, that’s why he’s so potent. Vocally his range isn’t strong, yet more importantly, his voice is distinct. Over the years, Grian has built a power to his raspy delivery.

During ‘Too Real’, Guitarist Carlos O’Connell uses a glass beer bottle to slide down the neck of his guitar to phenomenal sonic effect. He’s the peacock of the quintet, sashaying towards the crowd with his axe raised during gleeful guitar solos.

The rest of FDC have more of a fixed energy. Guitarist Conor Curley appears transfixed in meditative motion as he arches his back, looks to the sky and shuts his eyes as he plays. Bassist Conor Deegan III and drummer Tom Coll are an imperative essence for the Irish act to shine, providing a solid structure to flourish from. Deegan melts into the background and Tom’s face is permanently shrouded by his lengthy gruaig, as they execute another flawless gig.

There is a timeless quality to Fontaines DC. They keep the past alive through the oldest medium, storytelling. Their tracks capture capricious characters from a defunct Dublin. Eccentric essentials that fortify a city’s absurdity from the mundane. Two of those inspirations being Bang Bang and Johnny Forty Coats, on the tracks, ‘Liberty Belle’ and ‘Hurricane Laughter’.

Their lyrics traverse a penniless Dublin they were never a part of, to a Dublin they’re being priced out of. As the building boom broadens across the city, the band’s adopted stronghold, the Liberties, is being pilfered. Music venues and neighbourhood hangouts will soon be high cost hotels and brewery backed ‘urban quarters’. As Dublin City transforms, it remains unclear what impact that will have on the group’s lyrics and sound.