Bastille, Friendly Fires and Fontaines DC bring festival fun to a scorching Citadel 2019

Celebrating their second weekend at West London’s Gunnersbury Park, it’s another scorcher of a Sunday for Citadel 2019. And while Catfish and the Bottlemen feel a bit at odds with the headliners that’ve come before them, it’s the acts lower down the festival’s line-up who really whip up a storm.

After the bonkers frenzy of Brightonians Squid warm things up on our own DIY stage, The Murder Capital are a darkly cool prospect in contrast to the sunny warmth outside. Sharply-dressed and atmospheric to the last, tracks like ‘For Everything’ thrash into intense life, while ‘Love Love Love’ transforms from its sparse introduction into a thunderous offering. The Irish quintet may still be a young live band, but already their slick and moody set feels electrifying. Meanwhile, over on the Main Stage, Dream Wife are a bundle of frenetic energy; veering from the powerful sugary pop of ‘Somebody’ to the still-ferocious ‘F.U.U’, the trio have become an addictively giddy force to be reckoned with.

Having already made their mark on countless festivals across the world so far in 2019, it’s no surprise that Fontaines DC’s set really feels like a moment. With the crowd packing themselves into the tent to catch a glimpse of the Irish heroes, the foreboding introduction of Luke Kelly’s ‘For What Died the Sons of Róisín’ rings out, heightening tension. Masters of cadence and pace, cuts from across their debut are met with triumphant raised voices, while frontman Grian Chatten moves slickly between the urgency of ‘Hurricane Laughter’, and the simple chant of ‘Sha Sha Sha’. The kind of band you can barely tear your eyes away from, they’ve fast become both a menacing and enticing beast.