Live Review: Fontaines DC – Manchester Academy, 06/10/2021

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As the five-piece Dubliners, Fontaines DC rolled into Manchester as part of their very delayed UK tour, they were given a very warm welcome from their first of three nights at the Academy. 

The Grammy award nominated lads shredded the stage from the word go. Pints launched, people falling off shoulders and the pits opened as the first chords of ‘A Lucid Dream’ were played. 

The post punk tunes had the crowd engrossed throughout the whole hour set. 

There was pretty much, no crowd interaction from the band, but the lyrics did the talking. Specifically, ‘I don’t belong to anyone’ the melancholy lyrics alongside the grunge guitar solos, had the crowd singing in a very, emotive way. 


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The show felt like a very pivotal moment in the bands career. I’m sure after 18 months they expected a good show, but the audience’s attention and engagement were incomprehensible. Giving the first night at the academy a great start. 

Frontman, Grian Chatten has definitely nailed the ‘Rockstar’ aura, you could argue the lack of band to crowd interaction comes from a place of Chatten using frontmen like Ian Curtis and Alex Turner as an inspiration. In all honesty, when your songs are so politically driven and hard hitting, there’s not much you would have to say.

As the bands most streamed tune ‘Boys In The Better Land’ kicks off, the mixed audience, pre-teens, students and middle-aged men are opening up huge pits whilst chanting the lyrics “get yourself a good car get out of here”. For a complex song, the bands musical performance was so tight, which to me and I’m sure many others was very captivating. 

For Fontaine’s DC I’m sure arenas will be next, the lads have had such a good year in terms of streams, award nominations and storming the charts around the world. 

Although they fit perfectly in this size of a venue, selling out 3 nights at the academy is one hell of a sign that they could easily sell out an arena tour. 

Like others, I’m so excited to see what’s next for the lads, both albums were unbelievable and somehow sound even better in a live setting. 

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Words by Lucy Holden
Photography by Abbie Jennings


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