Arcade Fire

[Amy Lawn]

I know it wont happen, but a Christmas show in Manchester would really make me happy. I'm the last one out of my brother and sisters to get on board with the Arcade Fire thing, I've gone from a casual admirer before the announcement, to quite in to them leading up to the festival, to born-again afterwards. Seeing as Christmas will be the only time we're all up in the mother country together, and that I can't wait to see them again, Manchester arena would be ideal. Probably wont happen, but it would be lovely.

[bocumaroy]

Definitely think they were planning to come back later in the year, if I remember correctly their managed implied as much, but obviously things have changed, for whatever reason. I wouldn’t hold out much hope for anything else, isn’t Hyde Park listed as their last UK show? Shame for those in other parts of the country, but I think it was more by accident than design.

[GlastoSimon]

I recall them making a comment pre-Reflektor about them 'only playing shows because they want to/because they're special' due to the challenges of parenthood - of course I took that with a pinch of salt because many bands will do the standard tour whilst calling all the shows 'special'. However, it appears they are going to stick to their word.

Thought they'd do an arena tour and play Reading next year personally - but something like that may accompany the next album.

[beau1]

Didn't they flog tickets for Hyde park for £2.50 or somethin during glastonbury? I know they weren't selling well at all

Due to an administrative error, I don't think it was intentional.

[Tuna]

I think playing Flashbulb Eyes 2nd was about all they did wrong. Shit crowd around me, stage left about 7-8 deep but still had a cracking time. Nearly shit myself when Common People started to play

[Anarion]

I really enjoyed Reflektor, Neighborhood #1, Sprawl II and the encore songs, but songs like Flashbulb Eyes, We Exist and Haiti just killed the crowd and the momentum.

I can't understand why some are unhappy with Regine. Her enthusiasm and happiness made the concert so much better.

[dentalplan]

I think playing Flashbulb Eyes 2nd was about all they did wrong.

I looked around for disgruntled eFesters.

I can't understand why some are unhappy with Regine. Her enthusiasm and happiness made the concert so much better.

Yep. She was lovely. I think people remarked that her voice was off but she's not meant to be a perfect singer really.

[CaledonianGonzo]

I did it notice it at the time, but on the BBC recording she sounds like Minnie Mouse.

Surprised at the near unanimous acclaim for this gig - it really was a set of highs and lows, with some real longeurs.

[The Nal]

Surprised at the near unanimous acclaim for this gig - it really was a set of highs and lows, with some real longeurs.

I thought so too. First 45 mins ish was great, then I totally lost interest apart from the odd spot until the very end.

[CaledonianGonzo]

A group of people around me started singing Like A Virgin during We Exist to the extent that it drowned out the band for a bit.

[The Nal]

A group of people around me started singing Like A Virgin during We Exist to the extent that it drowned out the band for a bit.

haha! Yeah I got very bored. Some of their new stuff really is awful. It was from about that tune on when it went radically downhill.

[kidpresentable]

I did it notice it at the time, but on the BBC recording she sounds like Minnie Mouse.

Surprised at the near unanimous acclaim for this gig - it really was a set of highs and lows, with some real longeurs.

That was definitely my experience of it too. I thought some of the ones she sang sounded very Scissor Sisters, which was weird.

[bocumaroy]

Some of my favourite Arcade Fire performances are from the early days when Win in particular was a pretty awful singer, technically. In fact, I kind of preferred him then. Can see why it bothers some people, but the only thing I’ve ever really cared about is that the vocals convey the emotion of the song.

Edited July 3, 2014 by bocumaroy

[rjb94]

Yeah, they've never been the most technically accurate band (hence sometimes not coming across well on TV), but I find it doesn't tend to matter at their gigs.

I agree that the momentum dropped a bit around We Exist, but still thought it was fabulous.

[marktea]

Hadn't seen them live before, only limited knowledge of their music but I loved every moment.

Poignant at times but also euphoric. Regine and Win have mesmeric stage presence and Regine's voice, though not technically precise, is all the better for that in my view. Still can't get Sprawl II out of my head - in a good way.

Right up there as one of my highlights.

[LondonTom]

Surprised at the near unanimous acclaim for this gig - it really was a set of highs and lows, with some real longeurs.

Find it odd to and I am a massive fan!

Something seemed to be missing for me, I don't know what it was but it wasn't the life changing gig I thought it was going be. Maybe I hyped it up to much in my head.

I enjoyed it don't get me wrong and they didn't really do anything wrong at all...but it didn't feel special at all to me. I was in a great position centre inside the barrier and eveything and after the opening few songs....it just started to feel like a really cut down version of the full arena gig. (I know esentially thats what festival slots are..but sometimes they can be more geared towards festivals, this to me litrally felt like the arena show but with the extra stages etc. cut out.)

Just another standard show from them but cut down from how good the arena tour i think sums it up for me.

Edited July 3, 2014 by LondonTom

[bocumaroy]

I’d agree that it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary from them, but I was never expecting it to be. They use the arena venues so well to create an atmosphere different to the usual arena gig, it’s always going to be a slight disadvantage moving into a festival environment. I do think they pretty much nailed it, though. Sure it would have been even better if they played all of their best songs, but I think all of the new stuff worked, even We Exist; was probably my favourite time seeing that live. The ‘special’ element for me was just that I was watching Arcade Fire headline Glastonbury, rather than anything specific about the performance.

Interesting that it seems to have actually gone down better with non-fans. Of course there were a few people slagging them off, but I’ve seen loads say that they’re not that into the band but really enjoyed it.

[howlin_pete]

Watching the set back now, I have 2 questions

1) Why does Win always refer to them as The Arcade Fire?

2) Did the owner of the phone Win nicked during Reflektor to film the crowd ever get it back?

[dentalplan]

Watching the set back now, I have 2 questions

1) Why does Win always refer to them as The Arcade Fire?

2) Did the owner of the phone Win nicked during Reflektor to film the crowd ever get it back?

1) I'd always thought they could be called either. Like the Pixies.

2) He probably didn't, no. He's always stealing stuff.

[Amy Lawn]

1) Why does Win always refer to them as The Arcade Fire?

Jus cus.

Look at the inlay for the Funeral CD.

[kingcrawler]

Watching the set back now, I have 2 questions

1) Why does Win always refer to them as The Arcade Fire?

2) Did the owner of the phone Win nicked during Reflektor to film the crowd ever get it back?

I'm sure I saw Win chuck the phone back into the crowd, no idea whether the person got it back or not though.

[howlin_pete]

What a lad

[CHRLY]

Yeh he chucked the phone back but I just remember thinking it was a pretty knobish move, fair enough the actual act of taking photos but he kind o forgot about it then just realised he had it and aimlessly chucked it back, hope no one nicked it

[mike46]

Just back from Hyde park (got the £2.50 tickets)...completely different gig. Crowd were your typical awful London crowd, there to be scene and don't know who Arcade Fire are.

Puts it into perspective just how special Glastonbury was for both fans and Arcade Fire themselves.

[Mouseboy11]

Apparently Win said something about it possibly being their last gig?