Fontaine’s DC ended their three-date run in triumphant style at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse on Sunday night. Three consecutive sold out gigs reaffirms Manchester’s love for the Irish post-punk four-piece who since arriving on the scene back in 2017, have made huge waves on the alternate scene. The Dubliners are rarely left out of festival line-ups, and continue to dominate the mainstream stage with their short, snappy alt-rock tracks.
Support came from Wunderhorse, hailing from the South London scene along with the likes of Goat Girl have also caused a stir in the industry with their gradual rise to fame since the release of their release of ‘Teal’ in 2021. A tight set included tracks from ‘Teal’ and also their latest EP ‘Leader of the Pack’ released in July of this year. Fronted by Jacob Slater, the band has garnered quite a following with a fellow photographer in the pit summing up their set simply with ‘I fucking love these guys. Their latest offering shares similarities with ‘Teal’ with standout tracks being slower paced ‘The Girl Behind the Glass’ and the grunge-inspired ‘Epilogue’ which concluded a very diverse set.
I have been fortunate enough to catch Fontaine’s DC three times in the last twelve months and they seem to just get better and better with each performance. Since I caught them at the Academy just over a year ago they have since released the epic EP ‘Skinty Fia’. This has added another element to their live performances, with a slower-paced, grungier offering as opposed to the previous releases. The band has been mixing up their set list over their three night run, and on Sunday decided to let rip by opening with three fast paced belters which whipped the already hyped crowd into a mass frenzy.
Frontman Grian, notorious for his onstage inability to keep still (much to the anxiety of photographers in a very cramped pit) sauntered onto the stage to chants of his name, yet remained completely focused at the task at hand, passionately launching into ‘Big’, ‘Sha Sha Sha’ and ‘Television Screens’, before slowing down the tempo with the ‘I Don’t Belong’. Grian’s ability to make you feel like he is singing in a much smaller venue.
The set concluded with the band’s most well-known tracks from both of their previous albums ‘Boys in the Better Land’ and the beautiful ‘I Love You which suits Grian’s haunting vocals perfectly. Fontaine’s continue their tour of the UK before heading back to their hometown at the end of the month. You can find all things Fontaine’s related here https://fontainesdc.com/
