Shame, Sorry, Fontaines: Live Review

Shame + Sorry + Fontaines D.C.

Newcastle University Students Union

Friday 23rd November 2018

Three exciting musical prospects performed in front of a big Newcastle crowd on a Friday night.



First up was Dublin quintet Fontaines DC have just released their next release as a double A-side single including ‘Too Real’ and ‘The Cuckoo Is A Callin’’. The single featured in the tight set. Strong rhythms punched through the air. Precision drumming with layers of Marr-ish guitar layered over the top, it is easy to see why the song has been playlisted by BBC 6 Music this week.

Fontaines DC

Catchy hooks helped the Tyneside crowd to respond to the music. They went down and set the night up nicely. There was a nervous energy from singer. Imagine a Jarvis type with a touch of Mark E Smith fronting Therapy? The band entered the studio back in the autumn to record their debut album, before heading on an extensive tour, with producer Dan Carey (Kate Tempest, Bloc Party) and it’ll be interesting to hear the results.

London-based Sorry started gently with hushed tones, they tempted you to get close before showing their teeth. A mix of influences came through as the set continued. They had that Elastica style hook. It felt like the best of the second half of the 90s – we’re talking Echobelly here rather than Oasis! There are calm sections of sound are integrated with slabs of intensity from schoolmates Asha Lorenz and Louis O’Bryen backed by  Campbell Baum on bass and Lincoln Barrett on drums. Mixing a male backing vcal to the female lead vocals added a ghostly effect to the live sound. They really grew on me.

Sorry

Sorry

Headliners Shame are touring in support of their debut album Songs Of Praise and they entered the stage as a victorious band who appreciate they are on the cusp of great things. Lead singer Charlie Steen has family connections in Newcastle and clearly having members of his family in the audience was going to make this a special night.

Dust On Trial had Charlie going straight into crowd, we knew then that he would be so keen to smash down that traditional fourth wall between the audience and the band. It wouldn’t be his last trip into the masses.

The newer songs segued seamlessly with the more popular numbers. Each one getting the crowd going.

The lick was a slower number that pounds. The live version has real energy that resulted in another bout of surfing the crowd. The performance was reminiscent of Iggy pop in his prime.

Some songs had much more of a dance vibe - Friction for example – but that doesn’t stop the audience feeling a part of the action in the other numbers. Angie is the last song on album and is very This Ground Moves.

Gold Hole ends the main set and is an opportunity for a spot more crowd surfing. Quickly the audience demand the band back and are rewarded with Concrete as the encore.



There was no let up, no slacking, no low points to this performance. Charlie is very much an enigmatic front man but the other musicians are impressive too in creating the vibe. This results in lots of energy that feeds into the audience.