Fontaines D.C. and IDLES live at Glastonbury: headline sets with contrasting energies
Two Bands Excel At Worthy Farm On Friday
The 2019 Glastonbury festival marked the debut of both IDLES and Fontaines D.C. on the legendary Worthy Farm stage. After years of hard work, the Bristol band secured a coveted spot on the Park Stage, while the Dublin punks were promoted from smaller stages to fill in for Sam Fender at the last minute on what was then known as the John Peel Stage (now Woodsies).
These two performances set the foundation for the two bands to become the main acts in the rock scene of the UK and Ireland over the past five years. It is appropriate, therefore, that on the opening night of Glastonbury 2024, they will come back to headline two of the festival's largest stages.
Even though it may disappoint the many fans who enjoy both acts, the decision to schedule their performances at the same time seems like a smart move from the event organizers in terms of crowd safety. IDLES performed to a large but spacious audience on the Other Stage on Friday night, while Fontaines' crowd extended all the way back to the Ribbon Tower at the Park.
As IDLES perform their set, it seems like a celebration of their newest album TANGK and the successful five years that have passed since their debut at Glastonbury. On the other hand, Fontaines seem to be on the verge of an exciting new chapter, and the excitement surrounding them could be what attracts the more energetic and lively crowd to their performance.
Although they are often grouped together as similar bands, the frontmen of IDLES and Fontaines D.C. displayed vastly different energies and interactions with the audience during their performance. IDLES' Joe Talbot wasted no time in encouraging the crowd to engage in a wall of death and express support for Palestine. Throughout their set, an inflatable boat filled with migrant models sailed above the audience during their pro-immigrant song 'Danny Nedelko'. It was later revealed that the boat was created by Banksy, and the band was unaware of the stunt until after the show. Talbot also introduced Glastonbury to what he called their "new national anthem" with the straightforward lyrics: "Fuck the king."
Fontaines' set has been going on for an hour before Grian Chatten finally speaks a simple "how are you?" in between their reflective and moody songs. Chatten and his bandmates perform with energy and intensity, but without trying to act cool. IDLES finish their set with 'Danny Nedelko' and 'Rottweiler', while Fontaines play their popular songs 'Boys in the Better Land' and 'I Love You' before ending with 'Favourite' and 'Starburster' from their upcoming fourth album, ROMANCE.
This band is on the verge of achieving greater success with their latest songs. One is a catchy indie tune, while the other is a hard-hitting industrial track. This performance showed that they are still dominating the rock scene.
You can return to this page to find all of Rolling Stone UK's coverage of Glastonbury throughout the weekend.
