Culture 4 min read By Morgan Griffin
Fontaines D.C.'s Grian Chatten explains Cwmbran Celtic FC Mogwai shirt at Reading
Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten wore a Cwmbran Celtic FC shirt designed with Mogwai during the band's Reading Festival headline set, nearly doubling pre-sales and supporting the Music Venue Trust.
Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten has explained why he wore a Cwmbran Celtic football club shirt during the band's headline set at Reading Festival this weekend, revealing his support for both the volunteer-run club and grassroots music venues.
The green and white jersey was part of a collaborative kit launched last month, with Scottish post-rock icons Mogwai, Super Furry Animals, Panic Shack, and Loose Articles each designing limited edition versions for the Welsh team's 2026/27 season. Proceeds from every sale go to the Music Venue Trust, which supports grassroots venues and emerging talent across the UK.
Speaking to BBC Wales, Chatten said: «I love Cwmbran and I love initiatives that support independent venues.» He added: «Cwmbran Celtic is a club run by volunteers who have a sense of solidarity with the plight independent music venues are facing. I think that's class. Also, I love Mogwai.»
The shirt made its festival debut during Fontaines D.C.'s Reading set, where the band aired new singles «Six Shot Morning» and «Marianne» from their upcoming album «Dopamine Chamber.» Technical issues cut the performance short, with three songs reportedly dropped from the setlist, but the fashion moment had an immediate impact offstage.
Cwmbran Celtic shared their thanks after Chatten wore the shirt on stage, noting that pre-sales of the design almost doubled as a result. The club said they were sending him «a lifetime season ticket» and admitted they were «still in shock.» Matt Jarrett, joint commercial manager for the team, revealed that a friend of the club who works as Fontaines' monitor engineer helped get Chatten the shirt ahead of the festival slot.
«In all honesty, we thought we'll give it to him. It'll be nice for him to have it. Maybe he will wear it backstage or something… We were as surprised as anyone when we saw him walking out on stage with the shirt on,» Jarrett said. «Our pre-sale orders have almost doubled from last Friday. Fontaines fans have gone crazy over it.»
The shirt remains available to order, with 10 per cent of proceeds donated to the Music Venue Trust. The collaboration highlights a growing trend of football clubs and music acts joining forces to support cultural institutions facing financial pressure.
NME awarded Fontaines D.C.'s Reading headline performance four-and-a-half stars, writing: «Sorry for the short set, ends Chatten before the pure anxiety explosion of the full stop of 'Starburster.'» The review called the night «a deserved coronation from the band of our time, even if we didn't get them in full.»
At the following headline slot at Leeds Festival, Fontaines played new song «Happy, For You» for the first time live, before performing their first Irish show since the death of longtime manager Trevor Dietz at Electric Picnic. The Dublin rockers will embark on an arena tour later this year, kicking off in Lisbon next month, with the UK leg starting at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena on November 20.
For 2027, the band has announced two massive shows at Slane Castle, which will see them play to up to 160,000 over both nights with support from Hayley Williams, Damien Dempsey, and Madra Salach.
