Fontaines D.C. fans have been given a treat with the resurfacing of footage of the Irish post-punk band performing “Reptilia” by The Strokes in 2014, before they hit the big time. The four-minute clip was uploaded to YouTube by a channel called Fontaines D.C. Archive and shows the group playing at Dublin’s BIMM Music Institute, where they had been students before signing to Partisan Records, where IDLES and Cigarettes After Sex also feature on the roster.
Frontman Grian Chatten chats easily with the crowd before the music kicks in, singing admirably and doing a bit of crowd interaction that involves getting one fan to clap along with the song. Since this early performance, Fontaines D.C. have won countless fans with their hard-hitting, inventive sound, and will be hitting the road again this year for a UK and Ireland tour that supports their latest album, “ROMANCE”. The lead single from the LP, “Starburster”, earned a 5-star review from NME’s Andrew Trendell, who declared it “their most experimental work yet”.
However, in front of this crowd of BIMM music students and tutors, they were enigmatic, tight, and well on their way to honing an impressive sound and approach, which has seen them compared to artists like The Pogues and given star ratings and glowing reviews. For their many fans who weren’t around back in their early days, this footage is a welcome return to where it all began.
Chatten has previously talked about the role The Strokes played in Fontaines D.C.’s early development, admitting to Vera on Track that they had heeded perhaps a little too closely to the US band’s formula. “It took us a couple years to stop ripping them off,” he said. “When you start a band you’re kind of limited in what you can do. You don’t really understand what a guitar and a bass and drums can do together when it’s four or five people. And then we listened to The Strokes’ first album… it’s all very organised, very easy to comprehend. And because it’s so catchy as well, it’s very easy to get into.
Read the full article on NME here: Read More