Raw and pure self expression: Fontaines D.C. Live in Auckland Review
The Irish post-punk superstars took to the biggest stage in New Zealand and created a melting pot of pure euphoric bliss.
There are few bands currently that are making the same impact on the music world that Fontaines D.C. are. They have grown and evolved both their image and their sound to incredible new heights and their current world tour shows them in full glory.
Their latest album, ‘Romance’ (released August 23, 2024) is a cinematic masterpiece which was born to be witnessed live. The five piece took to the Spark Arena stage in Auckland at around 9pm on March 12. For the next hour and a half, they entranced the thousands which had gathered to experience the energy that these men oozed throughout the room.
Opening the set with the eery title track of ‘Romance’, the band went on to play a variety of their biggest hits from across their portfolio which went down an absolute treat with the crowd. ‘Jackie Down the Line’, ‘Roman Holiday’ and ‘Televised Mind’ followed and were just a demonstration of their ability to make music that makes you want to move, cry and smile.
As their set progressed, they started to delve more so into the atmosphere that their latest album has created. With their fourth album came a bright and garish yet stylish new image and the New Zealand crowd saw this in full force. Pigtails, grills, skirts and neon colours created an overwhelming feeling of an abstract confetti canon continuously exploding.
Every element of the performance on a technical level was flawless. Fontaines D.C. really are talented musicians, the live delivery of their art was executed with precision and an eccentric flare.
The bass guitar would regularly grab every member of the audience with both hands and stare deeply into its soul. It would rise from the depths and fill the arena with a sound that would potentially be the closest audio representation of the feeling of pure joy humans have ever been able to create. This was particularly noticeable on their latest tracks which are conducted and utilise the bass in a matter that is intensely dramatic.
Hearing the latest album live really highlighted what it is that it is so special about it. It does not feel rushed, and it does not feel overcrowded, it feels considerate, passionate and articulate.
Faster paced, rock songs from earlier on in their career were beautifully sprinkled throughout the set. This in turn extracted the excitement of what the crowd was witnessing out and into the air. ‘Boys in the Better Land’ and ‘Big’ are extraordinary songs that deserves limbs to be thrown at all angles at all speeds. Seamlessly transitioning between the intensity of these kind of songs and the theatrical nature of their more recent music was an impressive feat that allowed for an incredible range of emotions to be triggered within the audience.
The encore was the most delightful collection of four songs they could have possibly chosen. Laying their most recent pieces of art in front of the people that love them. Finishing the set with ‘I Love You’ and ‘Starburster’ (their two most popular songs) created an atmosphere of pure bliss. To be able to perform the most incredible set and still have their two most famous tunes still in the bank says a lot about the band.
The entire set was a demonstration of a group of young men who have curated a way to express pure and raw authenticity with beauty, grace and confidence. A true pleasure to witness a part of history.
