Fontaines D.C. Is No-Frills, Youthful Passion At SXSW

CLICK HERE To Go Back To Blurred Culture’s SXSW Artist Page For March 12th, 2019

AUSTIN, TX- On the first track of their debut album Dogrel, Fontaines D.C.’s frontman Grian Chatten sings, “My childhood was small, But I’m gonna be bigI”. It’s a rather brash opening statement, but after seeing them perform at SXSW for ATC Live/British Music Embassy at Latitude 30, my guts are telling me that these chaps from Dublin have the sound, angst and doggedness to turn that proclamation into a reality.

Their music is gritty and relatable; just the right amount of rough around the edges with a lyrical narrative that really speaks to the everyman. Their songs are gloriously abrasive snapshots of their daily conditions, and with each song you start to feel like you know the band, like you’re at a pub in Dublin sharing a pint with them as they jaw about what’s been going on in their lives and random thoughts that they’ve had.

At SXSW, I was able to catch this band perform cuts from Dogrel to an intimate room for ATC Live/British Embassy. In front a packed crowd, Grian and his mates slapped the room to life with their no-frills, youthful passion.

Grian’s intensity was plastered on his face. As he nervously paced the the small space on stage while his bandmates shred out chords, he would stare intensely into the audience with his piercing eyes; eyes that seemed both menacing and inviting at the same time. That intensity gave the performance a heightened sense of anticipation; amplified by the small confines of the venue. That energy literally overflowed from the stage when the band’s guitarist made his way to the top of the bar to jam out some riffs.

If I hadn’t had all of my camera gear draped around my body, I would have started little mosh pit. I can only imagine how engaged crowds get to Fontaines D.C. when there’s more room for bodies to bounce off of each other. Fontaines D.S. will be touring the states again with Idles. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to lose mind with them when they’re back in Los Angeles.

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CLICK HERE To Go Back To Blurred Culture’s SXSW Artist Page For March 12th, 2019

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