Fontaines D.C. to headline Roadmender as part of Revive Live shows

Dublin post punk five-piece Fontaines D.C. will headline the Roadmender this month thanks to a partnership between the Music Venue Trust and The National Lottery to support grassroots music venues across the UK.

The gig at the Northampton venue is part of the Revive Live Tour series and one of dozens due to be announced this morning.

Fontaines D.C. released their Mercury Prize nominated debut Drogel in 2019 and its successor, A Hero’s Death, last year.

Bassist Conor Deegan said: “Venues such as Roadmender are the way bands make a name for themselves.

“If you don't gig then you don't really exist, a record is a photograph, easily faked.

“It's only when you see a band live that you know who they really are- if they're the real deal or if they're just a bunch of phonies.

“And it's not at the stage when you're playing arenas that this can be ascertained - we all know that there's plenty of bands selling out arenas that don't have what they sell on the tin.

“So, it's down to those small gigs to know what's really up.

“There's no lightshow or expensive PA to hide behind, there's just music and the people attending, who will either adore you or curse your name. Or even worse, they could take you or leave you.

“We're doing this show as part of the National Lottery's Revive Live Tour to reconnect with the real stuff and make sure that we're still a half decent band. And God knows we all need a gig.”

Fontaines D.C. will headline the Roadmender on Wednesday, July 21, and tickets go on sale on Monday, July 12, at 8pm.

Fans purchasing a ticket will be entitled to bring a ‘plus one’.

To qualify for this offer, one of the party will need to show proof they are a National Lottery player, either by showing a physical lottery ticket, or one within the National Lottery app.

This could be a weekly draw ticket or a scratch card and the ticket holder must be over 18-years-old.

The other ticket holder only needs to adhere to the venue’s age restrictions.

The National Lottery’s Revive Live Tour will contribute £1,000,000 to directly underwrite the touring and production costs of more than 300 live performances this summer with feature other headline acts including Olivia Dean, Twin Atlantic, The Magic Gang, The Futureheads, Tom Jones, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Mahalia, James Arthur, Frank Turner and Sam Fender.

Music Venue Trust chief executive Mark Dayvd said: “It's so important to get artists and crew back out and working, to get our grassroots music venues back up and running and to get friends, families and communities back together enjoying live music.

“Grassroots music venues play a crucial role in the development of British music, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills.

“These venues also play a vital role in the cultural and economic vibrancy of any village, town or city. The National Lottery Revive Live Tour is a fantastic initiative which will kickstart the return of great events across the country. We can't wait to get started."

During the last 14 months grassroots music venues have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic - 83 per cent have faced closure during this period and are emerging from lockdown burdened with a collective debt of £45m.

The money for this initiative comes from a National Lottery promotional fund and it is not being funded by money allocated for National Lottery Good Causes or by Camelot.

Nigel Railton, chief executive of National Lottery operator Camelot, said: “The National Lottery is very excited to be working with Music Venue Trust in what we believe is a truly ground-breaking initiative.

“The last year has been incredibly challenging for many industries and we hope The National Lottery Revive Live Tour will help kick start the return of grassroots live music.”

For more information on The National Lottery Revive Live Tour, visit:

https://musicvenuetrust.com/the-national-lottery-revive-live-tour