Fontaines DC huge Gig at Finsbury Park
- Louise Young
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
There is a unique kind of energy that only comes from outdoor summer gigs. It builds throughout the day, anticipation growing for the main event, before it transforms into something electric and dreamlike. That had what it felt like to see Fontaines DC take over Finsbury Park in July 2025.
The moment the show was announced I knew I had to be there. Fontaines DC, Kneecap and Amyl and The Sniffers all in one gig and at a park? I was not missing that.
The day was packed full. Kneecap starting off the day, followed by Amyl and The Sniffers, and then finished off with the main act; Fontaines DC. the weather wasn't the sunshine and heat we were hoping for, but none of that took away from the excitement that was clearly buzzing around the park as everyone eagerly awaited for the first group, Kneecap, to take the stage.
Kneecap had brought a chaotic rebellious feeling to the stage as soon as they began. Opening with their usual '3CAG', the infamous way that fans new Kneecap were taking the stage with a bass heavy, defiant energy due to its playful yet unapologetic attitude. This was closely followed by their song 'Your Sniffer Dogs are Shite' which i remember sending the crowd into a frenzy. I remember being pushed around between fellow concert goers, drinks were definitely spilled. The energy was infectious, you couldn't help but join in with the riotous behaviour of the crowd.
Kneecaps stage was infectious from start to finish, their hip-hop genre with lyrics both a mix of irish and english, had everyone singing along with them. they took time to interact with the crowd, speaking on current political outrages in the world such as Palestine which prompted chants of supports from the crowd, mostly chants of "Free! Free! Palestine!", a true feeling of community and a shared feeling of conviction and anger towards world affairs.
Kneecap continued on with their set, performing some of their most known songs such as 'Get your Brits Out' and H.O.O.D'. They closed with 'The Recap' one of their newer songs at the time, and the crowd went insane. the vibe of the song gives off the feeling of being in an underground sweaty east london club, with its hammering beats that send vibrations through listerns chests. DJ Próvai, clad in an Irish flag balaclava, jumped into the crowd during the climax of this songs, fans rallying around him to help him crowd surf which just caused more chaos with mosh-pits already happening during this song.
If you're not a fan of mosh-pits, or not the tallest, you may want to stay clear from the main crowd at a Kneecap gig!
When it came time for Amyl and The Sniffers to take the stage, the park had turned into a somewhat full blown riot. Amy Taylors stage presence was impeccable, hard to take your eyes off, and the crowd felt that. It was clear the crowd was feeding off the bands energy just as much as the band was feeding off the electric atmosphere of the crowd. At the time of this gig, I didn't know many of their songs, but still, the energy around me was enough to carry me through their set and I definitely left with new fondness for Amyl and The Sniffers. I took a particular liking to their song 'U Should Not Be Doing That' which was played near the end of their set and i feel like is a good first song to get into Amyl and The Sniffers.
It felt like bot of these acts were less of filler support acts and more like a perfectly curated build up for the main event; Fontaines DC.
What stood out most for me when Fontaines DC took the stage was the crowd. Finsbury Park is big, but somehow it still felt unified. There were moments where entire sections moved together, shouting lyrics back with a kind of urgency that blurred the line between performer and audience. You were involved in it whether you wanted to be or not.
They opened with 'Here's the Thing' a song of their most recent album 'Romance'. As soon as they started, the crowd was there. Singing along, jumping about, cheering. The atmosphere was radiant, and I found myself lost in it several times. I had already seen Fontaines DC a few times prior, but I can honestly say everytime they don't disappoint and neither does the crowd. They played at least one song from each of their albums, but mostly their newest one 'Romance' as this was part of their tour for said album.
As a longtime fan of Fontaines DC i was more than happy with this setlist, especially when they played songs they hadn't played live in years like 'Liberty Bell' off their 'Brogeal' album which they hadn't played since 2022, so hearing was a real surprise and was insane to me. I had seen them in Glasgow just months prior in december as part of their 'Romance Tour' so hearing songs that weren't on that setlist was also a real treat.
Before I knew it, the gig was coming to an end unfortunately. I was so consumed in the moment, living with the crowd, hearing songs that landed with a weight heavier live rather than through headphones. All the anticipation I had built up for this gig for months was coming to an end, but I didn't dwell on it when the encore hit, especially when the famous notes of 'I Love You' started to ring out throughout the park. A kind of worn down love song, feeling like a slow-burn of anger and heartbreak, quietly devastating.
It was during this song, I got shivers. By now, it was dark, the only light coming from the stage and the stalls behind. The stage effects were mostly black and white until the first bridge hit. The stage exploded into green, with the two side screen holding bold letters in green stating the phrase 'Free Palestine' and the middle screen a block of bright green.
I remember everyone around me, erupting into cheers. It made an already headstrong bridge more powerful, like people were singing along to the punchy lyrics with more meaning and emotion. when the bridge finished, the green background had swapped to a large Palestine flag, causing cheers of support from a crowd who shared the same passion of speaking on the issue. The song continued, but it felt more emotional now, like it had a deeper meaning and the crowd was coming together to call out the injustice.
When the song finished, a message was broadcasted along the screen, a powerful statement that unified the crowd and the artists who were trying to make a change.
They finished up with one last song, 'Starbuster'. a solid finish as fans erupted into chaos once again, mosh-pits forming left right and center as everyone went crazy over the heavy tones of the song, bouncing around the place whilst chanting their support and love for Fontaines DC.
To this day, i still say this is one of the best gigs. I have ever been at. An incredible line up of similar artists, conveying a power message whilst singing in my opinion amazing music. I would recommend all three of these acts, each one having their own sounds but coming together just as well. An amazing day but amazing music.
Finsbury Park setlist: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/finsbury-park-2025/pl.u-vxy6PyBCzaJzpKN
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