Fontaines D.C. part one

A damp and windy Wednesday night in north London just as I remember them at the Town and Country club. Debbie and I pop into the pub (not the gentrified Bull and Gate) for a quick one before jumping the queue as O2 priority and catch what I guess is most of the Warm Drag set. A bloke on keyboards and woman singer who have a 50s rock n roll sound with an electronic overlay and post punk shouty singing. A fair enough way to start the evening off although it's a bit as if they've worked out it's a good sound rather than fallen upon it but I may be doing them a disservice. We thought we'd be about the oldest there but for some reason we're nearly the youngest which is weird for a young band. Maybe it's cos us oldies plan ahead and bought all the tickets for this sold out show. After what seems like a long time doing a sound check eventually the lights dim and Fontaines DC take the stage. They play a great set mainly of their debut album which jumps the genres whilst always keeping that hard edged punky sound. We are treated to 50s rock n roll (although this time grungy rather than electronica) through to a psychy Fall like thumping bass Joy Division style post punkiness with a bit of dance thrown in with searing guitar work. And as Debbie says, it's got a strong punk vein throughout reminiscent of Sham 69. And there's a band I don't often compare others to. It's a novelty given my usual lazy comparisons are Hawkwind and The Fall. Oh yeah, I've already done that one. We don't do encores (who does these days except for old hippies) so we are forewarned before the last number which is a raucous boys in the better land then they're off and the old geezers squeeze out into the night air. Me and Debbie have one for the road before tubeing off south. A great gig. A small mosh pit but I think that's the age thing. I resisted partly cos worried about losing my phone and wallet. Ah, never had that problem back in the day as no phone and money was a fiver in me back pocket not a load of plastic. Writing this on Friday we're back up there tonight too...

Warm Drag - the stage seems too big

Fontaines D.C.

Debbie's phone is better than mine!