GIG REVIEW: The Arcade Fire
- Posted on February 5, 2007 9:41 AM
- 0 comments
THE ARCADE FIRE - ST. JOHN'S CHURCH - 29/01/07
By Joanne Conlon
Having witnessed this evening's event in St John's Church, Central London, I can safely say that The Arcade Fire are nothing short of inspiration in its purest form; and I literally haven't stopped listening to them since. The church-etiquette of the audience tonight was quickly dissolved as Win ordered us to 'stand the f*** up - this is a rock n' roll show!', before easing into the atmospheric Black Mirror, first track on the forthcoming - and eagerly awaited - Neon Bible.
One might imagine how even the artists themselves could produce a follow up to challenge the mind blowing standards of Funeral, however after the first three songs - the aforementioned, eerie Black Mirror, the excitable pace of Keep the Car Running and the glorious melodies of No Cars Go, the goosebumps on my arms assured me that Neon Bible will be no let down.
The set list continued to stir the hearts of its' devoted listeners with each new song; but there was no mistaking the spine-tingling feeling that struck us all when the intro to Neighbourhood #1(Tunnels) was played. What became clear as the night unfolded was that The Arcade Fire effortlessly succeed in finding a balance between the powerful, enormity of their sound and the delicate beauty with which each melody is delivered, no matter how hard they thrash their instruments.
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was that made this one of the most amazing musical experiences I have encountered. It could have been the spectacular crescendo of My Body is a Cage, or perhaps the utter delirium experienced by all as Rebellion (Lies) caused even those onstage to unleash all inhibitions. It may have been the romantic intimacy of the setting or the endearing shambles of the Power Out encore; but maybe, just maybe, it was the acoustic, al fresco rendition of Wake Up played on our departure in the midst of the crowd, on the moonlit church steps. I knew that as we all sang along together in that moment, the adoration I felt for The Arcade Fire would last a very long time.
Did you see the guys in action at Saint John's Church? What did you think of the gig? Let us know in the comments section.
If you missed them, there's still tickets going. Go on, Jump on The Arcade Fire bandwagon...
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