Concert review: Fontaines D.C. at The Orange Peel
Over the past few months, I’ve caught a fair number of concerts during which headliners, who I wholeheartedly enjoy, have performed for as long as two and a half to three-hours. Each time, it was an exhausting experience, resulting in plentiful pondering about what exactly is the perfect set length.
Fontaines D.C. may have cracked the code at The Orange Peel on Sept. 29.
One of Dublin’s finest exports since Guinness, the Irish quintet was named “Best Band in the World” at the 2022 NME Awards back in March. Although the hype hasn’t been quite as hyperbolic in the U.S., there was still a solid turnout to catch the group’s Asheville debut — a pleasant surprise after the sparse turnout for Iceage at The Grey Eagle earlier this year.
Seemingly driven to live up to the distinction bestowed upon them by NME, Fontaines D.C. kicked things into full gear within the first few drum beats of opener “A Lucid Dream,” and never let up over the progression of the set. Projecting a frenetic energy, vocalist Grian Chatten tirelessly paced around his mic stand like a fighter circling an opponent in the ring, occasionally spitting and stomping as his bandmates conjured a brooding sound around him. His manic stage presence harkened back to the early days of American hardcore.
With each song, the lads improved upon their case that maybe, just maybe, they are the best band in the world. From the noisy blues punk of “Hurricane Laughter” to the spacey psych-rock of “Roman Holiday” to the rumbling post-punk of “Televised Mind,” they continuously outdid themselves while showcasing a far greater range of ideas than common comparisons to The Fall and Sleaford Mods may indicate.
With biting lyrics about working class Irish life presented in a shouty talk-sing style, there’s no question that Mark E. Smith’s influence on Chatten is sizable, but I couldn’t help but also hear hints of Shaun Ryder’s Happy Mondays and the Madchester scene in general as the quintet wrecked its way through the set’s second half.
After primarily playing cuts from Dogrel (2019) and A Here’s Death (2020) early on, the quintet shifted focus to highlights from its incredible 2022 release, Skinty Fia. Rhythm-heavy tunes like “Jackie Down The Line” and set-closer “Skinty Fia” maintained the fervent connection with the crowd until the very final note.
Rewarded with roaring applause, Fontaines D.C. returned to the stage to offer fan favorite “Boys in the Better Land” before finally ending the night with the hazy “I Love You” — a scathing rant about Ireland’s most unflattering past history.
Playing for just over an hour, the Dubliners never lost momentum, seemingly improving with each song until the set concluded. Although I may not quite be ready to herald Fontaines D.C. as “The Best Band in the World” — it’s Low, right? — a rather strong case was presented.
(Photos by Jonny Leather)
