Another Reading Festival, A Very Special Show: How Arcade Fire Stole the Weekend

Another Reading Festival, A very special show: How Arcade Fire Stole the Weekend

By Asher Kenton

Type of Article: Festival Gig Review

When Montreal-based seven-piece art-rock band Arcade Fire were announced as Reading and Leeds Festival headliners back in March, the reaction amongst all but the cult bands biggest fans was one of uncertainty. Many people were actually wondering who they were and the general consensus was that they were not big enough to headline such a large festival. However, in the months that preceded the festival, many more fans listened to their music, learned to appreciate it and by August, they had a number one album and a sell-out arena tour. Although they had a relatively small crowd for headliners on the Saturday night of Reading Festival (due to competition from Pendulum, Bad Religion and Ash on other stages) the 40,000 or so who turned up were rewarded by an epic, spiritual and special Reading Festival show, one that no-one who was there will forget.

Arriving bang on time, Win Butler took a dig at the previous night’s headliners Guns n’ Roses (who had arrived an hour late on stage) by stating, “at least we’re punctual, right?” The band launched straight into “Ready to Start” from their latest album and then into the classic “Keep the Car Running”, to the delight of the crowd. Accompanied by stunning visuals, the chilling yet triumphant “No Cars Go” then summed up much of the night, encapsulating all that is good about the band: vast instrumentation, dark yet optimistic lyrics, beautifully harmonised vocals and ultimately unstoppable melody. So much so that as the song ended and the band went quiet, the thousands in the crowd continued to sing the lead riff together, as frequently happened during the gig in between songs; rarely has a field full of strangers felt drawn together so closely. The stunning set continued with the wildly chaotic noise of “Roccoco” which moved onto a slower rendition of new favourite “The Suburbs”.

The set included an excellent balance of the band’s three albums at typified by their movement from the visceral “Crown of Love” (Neon Bible) into the pulsating “Neighbourhood 1 (tunnels)” (Funeral). At this point, it was time for Règine Chassaigne to take vocal lead of the band in new song “Sprawl 2 (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”. Already a fans’ favourite, the track allowed Règine’s charming and cascading vocal to shine through; the crowd were transfixed by the trance-like and delightfully melodic nature of the song. Règine danced freely around the stage holding the crowd by her little finger and asserting herself as one of the most interesting and engaging female singers of the last decade, somehow exuding charm, grace and sexuality without falling into the trap of many exploited female rock singers. The band then moved into yet another stunning new song, the charmingly reminiscent “We Used to Wait”.

By this point, the audience knew they were soaking up a very special show indeed. However the real high-point had yet to emerge. Win Butler and co. threw themselves into “Neighbourhood 3 (Power Out)” and as this segued into “Rebellion (lies)”, the band built up one of the most incredible musical moments witnessed at Reading Festival. The end section of “Neighbourhood 3 (Power Out)” led into an orgasmic wall of noise as the audience stood and absorbed this aural treat. Gradually the chords from “Rebellion (lies)” were integrated into the wonderful noise, until the sound was stripped back leaving simply the bass guitar and piano playing the intro as this segue allowed the glorious “Rebellion (lies)” to shine through. The vocals then built up again during the verse before the audience helped the band sing the triumphant chorus. A simply spectacular piece of music that really has to be experienced to believed.

The band went offstage but were soon called back for an encore, completing their set with the thundering guitar chug of “Month of May” and finally, their greatest song of all,  the beautiful “Wake Up”. From the first opening of the grungy, stripped back guitar chords, to the eruption of the crowd singing along to the glorious, emphatic and powerful vocal line, into the innovative breakdown section, this song was yet another highlight of a superb set. As this very special show ended and the crowd began to disperse, it was this enchanting melody which inhabited the minds of thousands of Arcade Fire fans and onlookers who were humming it long into the night.

The Arcade Fire live performance itself was a joy to behold. Not many bands include a furious violinist, someone playing a synthesiser, an electric pianist and two drummers pounding away amongst guitar-driven orchestration. Although the male/female vocal harmonies are a treat, the band is not simply about the lead singers either, with every member showing their energy and passion throughout. Win Butler showed his gratitude for the fans, declaring, "It's nice to meet you! Look, we've never had a hit song, so I don't know what the fuck we're doing here, but until someone comes with a hook we're going to stay", before thanking the crowd for letting them share “Nirvana”’s stage, a humble moment from a band that well deserve the plaudits that they are attaining.

Despite Reading Festival gradually becoming more commercial in the last few years, this Arcade Fire performance was truly a booking of a great band over a large band. A big risk, one might say, but one that, for those who chose to see them at least, paid off and then some. For me, despite enjoying a superb weekend of music all-round, Arcade Fire stood head-and-shoulders above even legends such as Guns N’ Roses, The Libertines, Weezer and Blink 182. The atmosphere was stunning, as those for whom this wasn’t their thing were off seeing Pendulum, Ash or Bad Religion. However, for those who chose to witness such a special event, this show will not be forgotten in a hurry, and will no doubt go down in Reading Festival folklore.