MUSIC PREMIERES
You may have seen that meme about how slapping a ‘Directed by David Lynch’ sticker on your window helps this bewildering world make a little more sense. It’s that same prism that Dublin’s Fontaines D.C. view the shitshow through. Arriving to their take on ‘In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)’ from Eraserhead mashed up with a ghostly stripped-back ‘Starburster’, the band drag Finsbury Park’s 45,000-strong crowd through the screen and into the surreal.
The acid, neon and sci-fi of 2024’s ‘Romance’ is a world of its own. As Amy Taylor of support act Amyl And The Sniffers puts it, “Fontaines, especially their last album, remind me of how it feels to be alive today, which is really fucking confusing”. She points specifically to the profound ‘Modern World’ as a soundtrack to these times of horror fatigue and livestreaming atrocities.
That universe is reflected in today’s line-up and their actions – soulful, fierce and independent acts. The fight for Palestine dominates the day, not least from Kneecap (who Fontaines frontman Grian Chatten joins for the cutting polemic ‘Better Way To Live’) and it’s a cause shared by the flag-baring, freedom-calling crowd.
Fontaines are among their people. When they arrive on stage, they’ve got that something that the best bands do – they look like a gang that you want to be part of, and you can. The crowd, dressed in their Bohemian F.C. shirts, continue Fontaines’ anime street gang aesthetic, its brash colours the makeshift uniform of a subculture.
From the acidic sleaze of ‘Here’s The Thing’ through to the punky promise of ‘Boys In The Better Land’ and the recent sunset single of ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’ feeling like a warm hug at a lock-in, Fontaines are absolutely on one. Chatten stomps the runway, having grown into a fearsome frontman, while Conor ‘Deego’ Deegan III proves the cool anchor of the band, Conor Curley the mystique, Tom Coll the heartbeat, and Carlos O’Connell the wild card.
Highs come with the holler back for that stuttering refrain “Shit / Shit / Shit / Battered” on ‘Death Kink’, the gothic swamp of newbie ‘Before You I Just Forget’, and the Deftones K-hole of ‘Desire’. ‘A Hero’s Death’, ‘Big’, ‘Hurricane Laughter’, ‘Favourite’ and “that violent, ‘How do you do?’” of the stonking ‘Liberty Belle’ continue to incite mosh pits – then we hit peak Lynch.
Images of warped faces, creepy hallways and a two-headed, double-ended, red-eyed pig greet us through snowglobes. “Maybe romance is a place,” offers Chatten, returning for the encore. It is here in Finsbury Park tonight. The “selling genocide” line from ‘I Love You’ lands a sledgehammer blow when the screens declare “Israel is committing genocide, use your voice” to rapturous support, before we end on that short-sharp inhale of “momentary-blissness” with ‘Starburster’.
The show doesn’t hit the same as their dumbfounding ‘Romance’ launch at Glastonbury 2024 or the drama and theatrics of their Ally Pally show last year, but this feels more like a victory lap and proves that the band can totally lay waste to a show of this size.
Their first London show was just around the corner at The Finsbury pub to about 20 people. Now here we are. Headlining Finsbury Park has led to epic folklore gigs by the likes of Pulp, Oasis, New Order and Arctic Monkeys. They more than deserve to be listed among them. They are the most important band of this decade. They’ll headline Reading & Leeds in no time, and maybe Glastonbury needs that fallow year to take a very deep breath and prepare for a Fontaines takeover.
‘Here’s the Thing’
‘Jackie Down the Line’
‘Boys in the Better Land’
‘Televised Mind’
‘Roman Holiday’
‘It’s Amazing to Be Young’
‘Big Shot’
‘Death Kink’
‘A Hero’s Death’
‘Before You I Just Forget’
‘Motorcycle Boy’
‘Horseness Is the Whatness’
‘Big’
‘Bug’
‘Hurricane Laughter’
‘Nabokov’
‘Desire’
‘Favourite’
‘Liberty Belle’
Encore:
‘Romance’
‘In the Modern World’
‘I Love You’
‘Starburster’
MUSIC PREMIERES
“I’m looking for an answer in between the lines/ Lying to yourself if you think we’re fine,” Sabrina Carpenter sings while seated gracefully on a toilet.
It is the opening night of her “Short n’ Sweet” tour at what she proudly described as “five fucking sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.” The toilet appears within the bathroom section of her expansive stage design, which resembles a cross between a 1970s television set and a Barbie-inspired dream house from the same decade.
More importantly, Carpenter performs a heartfelt ballad, one of her signature songs blending humor and honesty in her storytelling about relationships. The track, “Sharpest Tool,” reflects on being in love with someone lacking awareness, serving as a thematic successor to her recent hit “Please Please Please.”
The toilet itself is an elegant prop with a heart-shaped lid, while the “bathroom” area is surrounded by sheer screens that display close-up video projections of her performance. Few major female pop artists today would likely deliver a serious song in such a setting. It highlights Carpenter’s willingness to approach familiar ideas with originality and confidence.
With her classic American glamour, Carpenter maintains a striking image while writing songs that address relationships and intimacy with unfiltered honesty. Those themes are presented within polished, radio-ready pop production that still holds musical depth. The pre-show playlist included ABBA’s 1979 track “If It Wasn’t for the Nights” and Diana Ross’ 1980 hit “I’m Coming Out,” acknowledging both her stylistic influences and her strong LGBTQ following.
Her audience consists largely of young girls who may not yet relate directly to the personal experiences behind her lyrics but view her as a relatable, older-sister figure. Many of their parents, especially mothers accompanying them, also appeared to be fans. One of the night’s more unexpected moments came when Carpenter led thousands of middle-school-aged fans in singing the explicit lyric “I’m so fucking horny!” during “Juno.”
The show, mostly following the same structure as her previous tour, featured the full production scale of a modern arena concert. The visual theme of vintage television carried through as Carpenter performed across multiple areas of the set, including a balcony, staircase, walk-in closet, and in front of a vanity and fireplace, supported by 11 dancers and a live four-piece band.
She changed outfits four times throughout the concert, each one sparkling and styled to highlight her signature stage presence. The setlist focused mainly on her latest albums, “Short n’ Sweet” and “Man’s Best Friend,” while including several tracks from her 2022 record “Emails I Can’t Send,” which marked her transition into a mature artistic phase. The show opened with “Taste,” included highlights such as “Manchild,” “Feather,” and “Bed Chem,” and concluded with “Espresso” during a colorful confetti finale.
Between songs, the screens played comedic 1970s-inspired mock commercials, including a parody tool advertisement using the line “The Sharpest Tool, trusted by carpenters everywhere.” The presentation also featured a fabricated “Technical Difficulties” interruption and an excerpt from a Leonard Cohen interview in which he compared writing poetry to “shining the shoes of one’s soul.” The concept was imaginative and visually engaging, though much of the nostalgia predates her audience’s generation. Still, it reflected Carpenter’s ability to merge vintage aesthetics with contemporary performance.
The most memorable parts of the concert came from her natural connection with the crowd. Familiar interactive moments filled the show, including audience singalongs, call-and-response sections, and a “surprise song” feature in which Carpenter spun a bottle to select a number, leading to a live debut of “Go-Go Juice” from her new album. She also spoke candidly with the audience, remarking that she had “been one of you” during her years living in New York, before adding, “Actually, I’ve tried to be one of you.”
Her awareness of the audience’s enthusiasm was evident throughout. She acknowledged fans directly, often gesturing toward specific sections and offering warm appreciation. Near the end, she took time to praise their creativity, saying, “I want to take a second to commend all of the amazing outfits I see.” She expressed gratitude for the crowd’s effort and enthusiasm, recognizing the fans who mirrored her signature style with platform heels, glitter, and lipstick marks on their shoulders.
From artists such as Cher, Donna Summer, and Deborah Harry to Madonna, Beyoncé, and others, many women in pop music have explored the boundaries of expression and sexuality in their art. Sabrina Carpenter continues that tradition with confidence, balancing playfulness and self-awareness while maintaining authenticity and respect for her audience.
