Fontaines D.C. played two shows in Newcastle on the same day, such was the demand to see them. We were at the second, and, thankfully, they didn’t show any signs of flagging. The Dublin band were celebrating the release of their new album ‘Romance’ and, after a bit of a wait, they emerged to screams of excitement from the audience. Standing in front of a simple mauve backdrop they let the music speak for itself. They opened with the brooding, beautiful single ‘Romance’ then went straight into the fantastic ‘Jackie Down The Line’ from previous album ‘Skinty Fia, which, needless to say, got everyone singing along. Grian Chatten, wearing white sunglasses, was a captivating front man, pacing around the front of the stage and only stopping to tell us that this was their sixth gig in three days, adding ‘And this is our best!’ to cheers from the crowd. The band were on top form, playing a string of crowd-pleasing songs from the new album including the intense ‘Here’s the Thing’ and the claustrophobic ‘Starburster’ and its gasping-for-breath chorus. Gritty, angst ridden lyrics, but with great tunes. As we were leaving we looked up to see the band leaning out of an upstairs windows, waving goodbye. A perfect end to a fine show, which was a fantastic showcase for one of the albums of the year.

Deb Snell