An Awesome Show
Following the giggles that Jarvis Cocker provided we're in for quite a different treat with Sunday's headliners Arcade Fire. There's a heavy sense of anticipation in the air as this band easily draw the biggest crowd of the weekend and their show is the perfect finale for the weekend. The video that the band head on stage to talks about being a "God pleaser" rather than a "people pleaser", but this band are nothing more than truly heavenly with a large string section present tonight, as well as Owen from Final Fantasy whose introduction evokes cries of, "Owen, Owen." But there's a sense that if the band had introduced Mickey Mouse, we'd still be screaming, Arcade Fire's music simply lifts your heart so much that you forget yourself and feel joined in unity with the heaving crowd.
'Keep The Car Running' and 'No Cars Go' open the euphoric show with the band warmed up and ready to add crazy flourishes - like the violinist shouting into his instrument - right from the beginning. Rocking out to an accordion might usually be a little crazy, but when it's Arcade Fire you're listening to, it's perfectly acceptable and even recommended. As if our hearts and souls weren't soaring high enough above the Suffolk countryside, they're soon joined by a fleet of beautiful mini hot air balloons with floating flames which see the audience gazing at the skies in awe during the beautiful, 'Black Mirror'. Tunes from 'Funeral' go down equally as well as those from the new album, 'Neon Bible', whose logo is constantly fluttering on screens across the stage during the performance. The trio of 'Neighbourhood' tunes '#1 (Laika), '#2 (Tunnels) and '#3 (Power Out)' all receive massive cheers.
Although they're not known for their chit chat, the band are welcoming and Win Butler jokes that he lost a bet to that he could get hold of a copy of the new Harry Potter book, so instead of telling us the ending he invents his own version, which with Snape as Harry's father, is as entertaining as any. For a band who only arrived from Barcelona at 6am - to find a hotel bar band so bad that they made Win Butler proclaim rock to be dead - they're full of vital energy which spills into the crowd who just can't stop singing the soaring songs.
'Neon Bible's opener 'Intervention' is the first tune for the eagerly awaited encore - the crowd are in suspense hanging on the band's every word and ecstatic to see them return and every moment is worth it with the fantastic finale of 'Wake Up' which sees fireworks explode over the site and tears in the eyes of the crowd, who're simply in awe.