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On Tour With Fontaines D.C.
From pre-show rituals to mid-show thrills, the Irish post-punk band takes us behind-the-scenes of their raucous New York City show.
Playing a show in New York City is a big deal for any band, but selling out three nights at the Hammerstein Ballroom probably hits even harder for a Dublin-based group like Fontaines D.C. In honor of the milestone achievement, the rock stars celebrated with a casual pre-show journaling sesh and a game of pickup basketball.
But while the vibe backstage was notably chill — it was the last leg of their U.S. tour, after all — Grian Chatten, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan III, Tom Coll, and Carlos O’Connell unleashed their darkly sexy brand of post-punk on the famed theater. And judging by the football-jersey-ed crowd’s frenzied reception of hits such as “Favourite,” “Bug,” and “Jackie Down The Line,” Fontaines delivered — then did it all again the following two nights.
To commemorate the weekend, Fontaines D.C. gave NYLON a backstage pass for an exclusive look, from soundcheck to curtain call (with a much-needed encore break in between).
“6000 tickets, 12000 lil’ handies.”
“One minute until walk on.”
“Encore-break debrief.”
“Soundcheck peace.”
“Premium-guest-list hole.”
“A few words before a few notes.”
“The gaps between songs build tension.”
Photographs by Pooneh Ghana
