Montreal – C’est magnifique!

The U2log.com staff is having so much fun in Canada right now that we can’t bother with filing proper reports. We’ll distract you with these great pics of Arcade Fire and U2 in Montreal instead and hope you’ll forgive our lack of tour updates at the moment. What could we say now that you probably don’t already know? Arcade Fire is fabulous — three-ring circus fabulous. U2 remain rock’s hottest ticket. Canada is cold.

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Arcade Fire, Amsterdam, Paradiso

We already published a review of Arcade Fire’s Funeral in 2004, but after seeing them again live only recently, we felt another few words about this excellent band were well in order.

Amsterdam, Paradiso. A young looking fellow enters the stage with a violin, explaining how he was late, because he had to defend Bloc Party. Owen Pallett is his name, and his solo act is called Final Fantasy, but in general he is probably better known as Arcade Fire’s violin player, or, incidentally, the Hidden Camera’s violin player.

His sound is original, refreshing and new. The violin used in every possible way, sometimes coming awfully close to being abused. I get visions of Warren Ellis, plucking the strings, using the pickups as microphone, alas, the works. All in all, a very enjoyable support act.

Then it’s Arcade Fire’s turn, filling up the stage with no less than seven people. Sparks start flying right away, rhythm joins up, a splash of theatre, a dash of chaos and an unlimited supply of enthusiasm. A crash helmet becomes a drum machine, while strings and straps break, only to end up in the back of the audience, followed by a microphone stand

Most interesting to see is how often the bands changes around their musical duties. One moment this person is playing the drums, the next moment someone entirely different has taken up that task, while the former drummer is suddenly playing the guitar or the bass…

In short, they bring the old church to its knees with an extremely strong gig. Unpretentious, simply doing what they do, being who they are, without falling into the over styled, over hyped indie band scenario. Or? To the casual onlooker, they may seem to be overhyped, with David Bowie calling their album the best of the year 2004, and journalists raving about them. Yet, they are not. The difference with Arcade Fire is that they actually manage to live up to the hype.
In the end, their live set ends up portraying them even better than their already fabulous recorded sound. If you do get a chance to see them, by all means, do.

All pictures (c) ~E/u2log.com