Now I'm overcome / By the light of day / My lips are near but my heart is far away / Now the war is won / How come nothing tastes good?
Antichrist Television Blues
I love this venue. Back in 2005 I came here to see Nick Cave, on my Birthday, and the show was fantastic! It's also good when you can here the band from anywhere; from the toilets, the bar even buying merchandise. The day after that show, we drove all the way from London to the Leeds Festival. And it was at that Leeds Festival where we were first introduced to 'Arcade Fire'.
At that first show in the smaller NME/Radio 1 stage, I was well impressed by the bands energy and passion, and have been a fan ever since. Since then, they have been a favourite highlight of mine from every festival I've seen them at. They were fantastic at both Glastonbury and Leeds this year... But I have never seen them before doing their own show.
Well, now this is rectified. And I wasn't disappointed...
"I went out into the night I went out to pick a fight with anyone. light a candle for the kids, jesus christ don't keep it hid!"
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
For those who have never seen Arcade Fire, they are like a cross between a school choir and a religious cult. They look like the whole set up is some kind of suicide pact. The band has around ten members playing on stage, all filled with energy and banging out their own feelings. Like an anti-Polyphonic Spree crossed with Joy Division.
There are many comparisons made between Arcade Fire and TV evangelism, and it's fun to see they play along with this, with clips of mad evangelists playing on the monitors as they mount the stage. It's the use of church organs and choral singing that get the audience singing along, like some religious congregation.
"They know my name cause I told it to them / But they don't know where and they don't know / When its coming, oh when but its coming / Keep the car running
Keep the Car Running
There are few bands I watch these days that give me goose-bumps, but Arcade Fire are one of them. The hairs on the back of my neck were on edge throughout this show. From the organs of 'Intervention' to the monster guitars of 'Wake Up', this is an musical roller-coaster, with its dramatic ups and its soulful downs. I loved it... And the hall at Alexandra Palace works a treat. As they fire out such fantastic tunes like 'Power Out' and 'Rebellion', even a cover of The Smiths' 'Still Ill', the sound is amazing.
The partnership between married couple Win Butler and Régine Chassagne is fantastic. They control the entire show with strange precision considering how hard it must be to control the number of members in the band. But they all follow their lead, noticing drop outs and changes. When Win decides to add to the opening of a song, they follow suit.
Régine is fantastic to watch. She's not the most beautiful woman, but there is something oddly attractive about the way she dances around stage, warbling like a demented Bjork (although, Bjork
is a "demented Bjork"
). There's also something hot about a woman who knows how to handle a Hurdy-Gurdy.
If you get the chance to see a band at the Alexandra Palace; anyone at all. I'd recommend going seeing them there. The venue is great. If you get the chance to see Arcade Fire; anywhere at all. Go see them. There are very few 'good bands' these days that really seem to be making the effort. Arcade Fire are one of them. People should take note.
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
No cars go
Setlist:
Black Mirror
Keep The Car Running
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Still Ill (The Smiths cover)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
Neon Bible
Age Of Consent (New Order cover)
Ocean Of Noise
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
The Well And The Lighthouse
(Antichrist Television Blues)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
Encore: I'm So Bored With The USA/Intervention
Wake Up
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Arcade Fire - Alexandra Palace 17/11/2007
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