You know that meme of Vince McMahon getting progressively more excited? It’ll give you a pretty good idea of our reaction to finding out about tonights gig. Fontaines D.C.! Months before their UK tour!! On the back of a new album!!! In tiny (for them) venue!!!! On stage at 7pm!!!! Sign us up and put the kettle on – we’ll be home before 10pm.

We were far from the only ones to jump upon such an attractive prospect as no sooner did this evenings show sell out another one was added meaning Liverpool would host a double dose of the Dublin darlings showcasing their 4th album Romance. If it’s nice, play it twice!

Situated in the continually evolving Baltic Triangle and typically home to Bongo’s Bingo and other such entertainment, Content has become one of a few venues in the city to jump on the “album launch show” format which has fast become a modern staple in the industry. Shorter, more intimate shows with earlier stage times and curfews with the price of a ticket being the physical purchase of the record, be that vinyl, CD or in our case tonight, cassette (we’d already pre-ordered every vinyl variant known to man).

It’s a win win situation for all involved, fans get to see the bands they love ahead of a full tour, in a smaller setting and at a fraction of the price. The bands sell some extra units (that go towards week one sales) and get a few warm up shows under their belt to an already adoring crowd.

Much has been said about the bands new look. It’s heavily 90’s inspired, yes, but it mysteriously avoids nostalgia. It’s just off kilter enough to feel influenced by the past but entirely now. It’s the first time we’ve seen the band pair their musical output with a visual image and by all accounts they’ve created something really impressive. The record and the image are totally coherent with each other, they go further than just to compliment each other, they complete each other.

Having given the record significant airtime since its release we’ve become convinced that it’s the whole package of the sound, lyrical content, image and artwork that has turned Romance from an album to an event. One that will elevate Fontaines D.C. to the next level.

With the backing of XL Recordings and producer James Ford the band have evolved from their raw, post-punk roots and seem destined to now follow in some monumental footsteps. We speculate that the guidance of James Ford may be being followed more than just in areas of album production, but in matters of performance, character and presentation. Romance has us reflecting on the evolution of the Artic Monkeys, one of the greatest examples of using image, music and presentation to create more than just a record, and how this feels very much like an AM moment for Grian and co. Tonight feels like a night that in years to come we’ll feel even luckier to have been at than we already do.

The title track and album opener seems like the logical place to start. A sinister bass line, Grian Chatten’s menacing delivery and brutal strobe lighting instantly create a more dark and brooding atmosphere than what we’ve seen from them before.

Performed live, tracks that had previously had us racking our brains (“it sounds a bit like something but I can think what…garhh”) spark their influences to life, such as the grunge-inspired Death Kink, whose gritty basslines nod to the Pixies and Nirvana, and In the Modern World, where the dreamy textures hint at influences like Lana Del Rey and the Smashing Pumpkins. Sundowner, with Connor Curley at the helm, takes a trip into shoegaze territory.

It’s without a doubt that the highlight of the night is the one-two-three punch of I Love You, Favourite and Starburster to close the show. It doesn’t get any stronger than this. They could quite happily close out every set like this going forward but we know they won’t, because they don’t play it safe. Enjoy this trio together whilst you can. Tracks like Favourite, with its paradoxically uplifting jangle-pop sound and heart on its sleeve approach, provide a contrast to the darker inclusion of Skinty Fia‘s I Love You. A song that appears on the surface to be a simple love song but as it reveals itself, it’s apparent that it’s an angrily worded rant about certain policies in their homeland. The song works on multiple levels and is quintessentially Fontaines D.C.

The aforementioned Starburster is a visceral panic-attack of a performance, drawing the audience into repeated moments of increasing tension and release. We can’t recall any shows where the crowd collectively gasp along! It’s a high energy finish and leaves you emotionally all over the place, in the best way possible.

A band actively resisting the pigeonhole, it’s no surprise they continue to grow into one of the biggest bands in the world. Their wide-reaching appeal is mirrored by the diversity of their audience: at the front, a frenzied pit of fans throwing fists in the air, while further back, more contemplative fans nod along in quiet admiration. This ability to bridge multiple genres and audiences has solidified Fontaines D.C. as a truly unique force in the modern world.

Fontaines D.C. are inviting us all into Romance. Maybe it is a place, or maybe it’s a moment, one that could define their legacy. Here’s the thing, Fontaines D.C. are currently the best band on the planet.

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Photo Gallery by Alex Cropper