Rock icon Elton John has declared Fontaines D.C. to be “the best band out there at the moment,” adding to the growing chorus of praise for the Dublin-based post-punk outfit. The statement, made during Elton John’s Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, comes as the band faces a series of setbacks on their U.S. tour due to frontman Grian Chatten’s vocal issues.

During an interview with Chatten, Elton John heaped praise on the band, reflecting on their growth across albums and their electrifying live performances. “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment,” John said, citing their Glastonbury performance and latest album, Skinty Fia, as proof of the band’s rising reputation. “You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way; it’s a brilliant record.”

John, who is renowned for his ability to spot and elevate emerging talent, didn’t hold back in his admiration for the band’s sound and artistic evolution. “I think this album takes you—and I’ve been around for a long time—to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time,” John said, adding that the music on Skinty Fia is “really, really, really special.”

This endorsement comes on the heels of a growing recognition for Fontaines D.C., who in 2022 won a similar accolade to John’s recent praise, titled the “Best Band in the World” award at the BandLab NME Awards. Their distinct blend of gritty post-punk and poetic lyricism has made them a standout act, but recent releases have seen the band explore a more spacious and synth-based sound.

However, despite the high praise, the band is currently grappling with a tough break on their North American tour. What was supposed to be the start of a triumphant run of U.S. shows turned into a difficult week when Chatten fell ill just before the tour’s opener in Seattle on September 20. Singer Chatten revealed that he had come down with “some kind of flu,” which had severely impacted his voice, forcing the cancellation of the Seattle show.

Despite the rest and medication, I can now not even speak without pain. It breaks my heart to have to cancel the show tonight in Portland, and tomorrow in Vancouver, two shows I was really looking forward to.

— Fontaines D.C. (@fontainesdublin) September 21, 2024

Initially, fans hoped the illness would pass quickly, but Chatten’s condition worsened, leading to the cancellation of two further shows in Portland (September 21) and Vancouver (September 22). In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Chatten expressed his deep regret over the cancellations, explaining that he was in no condition to perform.

“Despite rest and medication, I can now not even speak without pain,” he wrote on X, adding: “It breaks my heart to have to cancel the show tonight in Portland, and tomorrow in Vancouver, two shows I was really looking forward to. But there is just no way of making them work.”

The band’s U.S. tour, which is set to run until October 20 in Philadelphia, includes opening performances by New York indie rockers Been Stellar.