MAYBE ROMANCE IS A PLACE | FONTAINES D.C. LIVE AT LIVERPOOL’S CONTENT

LIVE REVIEW | FONTAINES D.C. @ CONTENT, LIVERPOOL 28/08/2024 by Keira Knox

Liverpool always has some of the best crowds, but when the hottest band around at the moment takes to the stage and combines raw indie rock with heart-breaking melancholy, the crowds response is just spectacular.

Conor Curley of Fontaines, throbs a sinister, stripped-down bassline. A ’90s grunge icon when he is by himself on stage. With his pink-tinged hair, Carlos O’Connell follows him, simulating the roar of an explosion while tapping out a skeletal keyboard chord and leaning into his microphone. The band’s ground-breaking new album, ‘Romance,’ opens with a warped and twisted sound that floods the stage as frontman Grian Chatten enters and begins to sing menacingly. Lights flash colours of pink, green and blue indicting that Romance really is a place for me and you.

Rewinding to their sophomore album, Grian Chatten rips through the lines of the band’s iconic single ‘Televised Mind,’ tambourine in hand. Droning guitar riffs sent the crowd into a frenzy, each and every audience member jumping along with Chatten. Switching it back to their latest album with the gloomy and dramatic track, ‘Death Kink’. Rapidly flashing lights fall onto Chatten’s form as he patrols the stage, adding to the already apocalyptic feel of the ‘Death Kink’ live stage presentation. O’Connell plays menacing guitar riffs, and the track’s already ominous vibe is enhanced by a lone blue light.

The frantic nature of ‘Here’s The Thing’ oscillates between anguish and paralysis. With every lyric Chatten belts out, you can see the intensity he’s feeling, and the band has an energy that is unmatched in their music. With their latest album, Fontaines hasn’t held back when it came to experimentation, and it’s definitely paid off. I love how ‘Here’s The Thing’ adds a post-punk, grungy vibe to the line-up.

Conor Curley takes the reigns on this next track. ‘Sundowner’ is a synthesised, dream-like tune that is considerably quieter than the previous tracks played, but the crowd still loves it just as much. One of my favourite songs on the record is ‘Bug,’ it’s Romance’s answer to ‘Roman holiday’. The song unexpectedly shifts to orchestral harmonies with hallucinogenic visuals; performed live, it sounds just as outstanding as it does on record.

In ‘In the Modern World,’ Fontaines D.C.’s complex and turbulent relationship with modernity is explored, with a focus on the disappointment and disconnection associated with today’s lifestyle. This song, which blends joyous instrumentation with a contemplative tone, criticises the impact of the digital age on true human connection. This song elicited an incredible response from the crowd, with every person screaming out the lyrics and a genuine sense of unanimity among them.

Grain Chatten conveys an incredible level of passion and emotion in his performance of “Favourite.” It has undoubtedly already won a spot among the tracks that fans adore the most. Couples singing this to each other and friends holding hands while everyone in the venue belted out this incredible track was really touching. The band transported us back to the era of ‘Skinty Fia’, as the deep basslines dropped for ‘I Love You’. Rapid fluttering lights added to the intensity and emotion captured in this song, which made the audience go absolutely crazy. Seeing this in person and seeing Grian Chatten use his hand to influence the audience was an almost religious experience.

Though the band were excellent from the beginning of their career, it seems as though they have suddenly made the decision to become the greatest band in history. ‘Starburster’ is the perfect example of this ; the music starts out as a carnival synth that stutters and twists until it fits perfectly and takes off. The crowd interaction in this track is off the charts, friends and strangers turning to each other in an attempt to mimic Chatten’s sharp intakes of breath. A truly amazing set comes to a beautiful conclusion.

Listen to ‘Romance’