Fontaines D.C. brought their biggest tour yet to a packed-out Hangar at Luka Beograd on October 28, in their only show in this part of Europe. Organised by Charm Music, the night drew fans from across Serbia and the wider region. It was the first chance to hear new album Dopamine Chamber live, alongside the band’s biggest hits, and frontman Grian Chatten congratulated the crowd on the outcome of the elections.
The timing made this more than just another tour date. It was the first time a major international band had played Belgrade since the elections, and Grian Chatten didn’t let the moment pass. Between songs he congratulated the crowd on the result more than once. “Victory! Congratulations! This is your moment, not ours!” he told the room, and the response was deafening.
That backdrop fit closely with what the band are writing about right now. Released on October 16 via XL Recordings, Dopamine Chamber is the band’s fifth album. It’s a record about chasing pleasure in a world weighed down by tech overload, ecological uncertainty and political violence, and in a room charged with that kind of energy the new songs hit even harder. They held their own next to the long-time favourites.
Northern Irish duo Chalk opened the night. Fontaines D.C. then played an 18-song main set before returning for a four-song encore. The setlist moved across every era of the band, from ‘Boys in the Better Land’, ‘Nabokov’ and ‘A Hero’s Death’ to ‘Favourite’, ‘Starburster’ and the new material. The encore closed things out with ‘Japan’, ‘Six Shot Morning’, ‘I Love You’ and ‘Where Is Gone?’.
The sold-out show also showed how much the gig meant to the region as a whole. An estimated 40% of the crowd travelled in from abroad. With Belgrade the band’s only stop in this part of Europe, fans came from all over to be there.
For the rest of Fontaines D.C.’s tour dates, head to the band’s official website.
Reporting on music, UK-based
