Fontaines D.C. Bring Romance To A Place Called Vancouver

April 18th was a night for the ages, as one of the year’s most anticipated shows took place at a sold-out Commodore Ballroom. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Fontaines D.C. finally brought their Romance Tour to Vancouver. I say finally, because this was a show originally scheduled for last year. Unfortunately, Singer Grian Chatten had suffered a herniated disc and the South and North American dates had to be rescheduled. The postponement clearly affected the band as they felt they’d let down their fans who’d waited so long to witness them perform. So they assured fans when they’d return it would be well worth the wait. And I can say with all honesty, this was one of, if not, the best show I’ve witnessed this year.

Knowing the venue would be packed, I arrived over an hour early, prior to doors opening. Even with that, I wasn’t prepared for the sheer volume of fans present. The line stretched for blocks with a spanning age demographic. Many people find a nostalgic warmth in the band’s sound, which is best described as a love letter to 90’s alternative. The night’s audience even had a few familiar faces in attendance, making the show almost feel more personal. Until last year, I had no idea who Fontaines D.C. was. Scrolling through Youtube, I stumbled upon a video from one of my favourite music channels, Turning The Tables. Vancouver father and son duo Connor and Kevin gave insight while reviewing Fontaines latest, Romance. I was intrigued enough to purchase the LP from my favourite record shop in the city, Neptoon Records. In attendance for the show was some of the Neptoon crew, and knowing this band brought together some of my favourite people felt like a full-circle event.

At 8pm, the night began with roaring cheers as London’s Jadu Heart took stage. Finally experiencing the band after listening to them for over 2 years felt like a privilege. Back in 2023, actor Simon Pegg shared a story on Instagram shouting out the track “I Shimmer,” and I was immediately hooked into the band’s moody, atmospheric sound. For a while, I hoped the group would announce a show in Vancouver, but with time that idea dwindled. When Fontaines announced the reschedule dates I was ecstatic to see Jadu added to the bill and with the performance, it only heightened the experience as the whole. Alex Headford and Diva Jeffrey’s 40 minute set had the Commodore drenched in red lights as they and their bandmates performed like silhouettes in darkness. The performance included albums ranging from Hyper Romance, Derealised, to their latest release POST HEAVEN. Even with such a short performance, I can’t say I was left disappointed, and it seemed Vancouver had the same consensus.

As Jadu’s eclectic performance came to its end, we were moments closer to the performance Vancouver has awaited for almost a year. Swarms of fans collected themselves on the dancefloor, merch lines were at what seemed a record length for the venue and the energy was crescendoing to a fever pitch. 9:15pm arrived and with it, the mounting tension was let loose in an electrifying cheer as Fontaines D.C. graced Vancouver with “Romance”. Carlos, Conor Deegan, and Tom broke in the opening notes of the titular track. Lastly to arrive on the scene was The Man In Black, Grian, who showcased a more mysterious look, with black trench coat and sunglasses, like a character out of The Matrix.

18-tracks spanning the group’s projects dominated the floor with the likes of “Big Shot,” “In The Modern World,” “Big,” and “Roman Holiday,” to name a few. Each song was met with war-cries and lyrics sung so loud it was as though fans were out to replace Grian. Mosh-pits, fights, standing on the shoulders of others. Fontaines brought out the excitement from the sold-out crowd, and it was the textbook definition of a rock show. Aside from the crowd’s insanity, the band put on a stellar performance with every member playing off each other with perfect synergy. Conor (Deegan) and Carlos provided back-up vocals that only heightened Grian’s already mesmerizing vocal prowess. Listening to Grian was the best bits of Liam Gallagher, Thom Yorke, Robert Smith rolled into one. At points, he even took to a guitar and smashing at a tambourine, it was great to know his recovery was in-effect.

After leaving stage with what Fontaines made Vancouver believe was the final song, fans said absolutely not, and began screaming out “Starburtster” and “one more song”. After minutes, Fontaines returned and treated the city with a finale of four songs. The night ended with the song so many cheered on “Starburster,” and was met with collective chaos. From crowd surfers falling in the pit, to shouting out lyrics, it’s like the past hour and a half built to this particular performance. As the night came to a close, myself and many others were left in a state of bittersweet bliss as the performance we waited so long for finally happened. Shuffling through the venue like sheep, so many were left in a high-energy state, while others reflected. Overall, Fontaines D.C. left an incredible mark on the city and with their current trajectory, it won’t be long until the next time we’re treated to their performance will be with an arena show.

Check out our favourite photos from the night or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

FONTAINES D.C.

JADU HEART

All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno