Fontaines D.C. & Jadu Heart
April 18, 2025
Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
On April 18th, Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. brought their 2025 North American Tour to the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. “The Boys in the Better Land” brought the energy and had the Commodore Ballroom dance floor bouncing as fans moshed their hearts out through the night.
The band consists of Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), Tom Coll (drums), and Carlos O’Connell (guitar). They have released four studio albums and are touring in support of their newest album, Romance. It seems the band keeps growing yearly as they are headlining arenas in the UK and making their name in North America. Their newest album, despite taking a genre change from their previous music, has received critical acclaim, and the band was nominated for two Grammys this past year.
Supporting was the English musical duo Jadu Heart. The band created a unique vibe, as they explored multiple genres during their set, including indie, shoegaze, dream pop, and even folk and electronic elements.
As the night grew on, anticipation grew for the Irish rockers. The show was planned for September but was rescheduled to April as Grian was experiencing a vocal injury. Around 9:15, the wait was over as the band took to the stage.
The boys opened with the title track “Romance”. The crowd was immediately immersed in the experimental and sophisticated sound of the Romance album with ominous synth and keyboard sounds, coupled with the album-themed lighting consisting of green and magenta hues. The band then jumped into the cult classic “Jackie Down The Line,” getting the crowd chanting back “Do do do, la la la.”
The night was focused on showcasing their newest work, with a performance of 8 out of the 11 tracks on Romance. That didn’t overshadow their previous work, as they threw in a great mix of songs from all four albums, including “Big”, “Roman Holiday, “Televised Mind”, and “Big Shot”. It gave fans who may think the new album isn’t their cup of tea something to write home about.
It was clear Grian didn’t have any vocal injury this time, as his voice shone through the mix. His vocals were highlighted on many of the songs from the new album, including “Desire” and “Horseness is The Whatness.”
As the night moved closer to the end, the energy in the venue shot back up as guitarist Carlos O’Connell began strumming the riff to “The Boys in the Better Land,” and Grian followed with his tambourine. This was the song the crowd was waiting to hear, and they began moshing, and crowdsurfing ensued.
Fontaines D.C. closed off their main set with the beautiful and dreamy song “Favourite”. The catchy and angelic guitar riff, coupled with Grian’s blissful vocals, provided a joyful, fun vibe in the audience, with many people hoisting their friends on their shoulders. As the band exited the stage, Vancouver was yearning for more, and chants of “one more tune!” broke out.
The band came back on to perform a four-song encore, with “In the Modern World”, “Desire”, “I Love You”, and chart-topping “Starburster.”
Vancouver got a real treat seeing the Dublin band at a venue like the Commodore Ballroom. It won’t be long until the band will be coming back and filling up arenas on their next tour. Until that time, fans will be excited to see what comes next, musically, for the band, as they have showcased they aren’t afraid to explore genres.