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There are gigs, and then there is Slane. So it was a special morning for Irish drumming when Fontaines D.C. confirmed they will headline Slane Castle on Saturday, June 26th 2027 — with a second night, Sunday, June 27th, added within days after phenomenal demand. That is 80,000 people a night on the banks of the Boyne, and it makes Fontaines D.C. only the third Irish act ever to top the bill at Slane, after Thin Lizzy in 1981 and U2 in 2001. Serious company.
And behind the kit for all of it: Tom Coll, from Parke, Co. Mayo.
A Mayo man at the back of the biggest stage in Ireland
We first featured Tom on Irish Drummers back in 2018, when Fontaines D.C. were a hungry Dublin band with a handful of singles and a debut album still in the works. He talked then about growing up around trad music and pipe bands in Mayo, getting his first kit at 12, and studying at BIMM in Dublin. Eight years, three Grammy nominations, a Mercury nomination and a run of chart-topping albums later, he is heading for Slane. Fair play does not begin to cover it.
Tom is not the only Mayo connection either — bassist Conor Deegan hails from Castlebar. Two-fifths of one of the biggest bands on the planet, straight out of the West.
The playing
What makes Tom such a joy to watch is how much space he leaves. He drives the band without crowding it — the drums serve the tune. His influences say plenty about that approach: Levon Helm, James Gadson, Mark Guiliana, Brian Downey and Jojo Mayer.
His advice to players, from our chat with him, still stands up: surround yourself with good people who fulfil you creatively and personally. That is how original work gets made.
The details
- Dates: Saturday, June 26th & Sunday, June 27th 2027, Slane Castle, Co. Meath
- Support: Hayley Williams, Damien Dempsey and Madra Salach
- Tickets: on general sale now
- New album: Dopamine Chamber, out October 16th 2026
Two nights, 160,000 people, and a Mayo drummer counting it in. We could not be prouder. Roll on June 2027.
Read our 2018 interview with Tom https://www.irishdrummers.com/2018/05/tom-coll-drummer-with-fontaines-dc-be.html
