Arcade Fire - Mega Superthread. All gig/new album discussion.

Sinfonia

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

Banned for use of Star Trek pictures.

Implied facepalm it is

lordgoat

I've often wondered is that pic from supertroopers?

Miguel_Sanchez

lordgoat wrote: »

I've often wondered is that pic from supertroopers?

Yeah special edition deleted scenes with Tommy Lee Jones.

LG - thought it was Brian Cox. Must pay attention

Ok people - back on topic.

johnny_ultimate

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

Ok people - back on topic.

On-topic spin-off of your off-topic observation (for shame!): anyone know if Mr. Pallett is involved with the Suburbs in anyway?

Also, nice to see we're getting the album a day earlier than the US

Wolf Club

Can't say I was overly impressed by the two new singles. They may be growers, but I definitely didn't get the same shiver down my neck like I did when I first heard Tunnels. Time will tell I suppose.

jill_valentine

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

On-topic spin-off of your off-topic observation (for shame!): anyone know if Mr. Pallett is involved with the Suburbs in anyway?

He is indeed, he was recording strings with some Juilliard students for it. I think it might have been Owen who accidentally let slip that the album was being recorded initially -

@owenpallett Can't contain it. I just completed 10 days on the best album I've ever had the pleasure of working on.

After posting 10 days previously:

@owenpallett Arcade Fire have some pretty gorgeous microphones right here. It'd be so easy to slip one into my bag.

jill_valentine

lordgoat wrote: »

De-modded and Jill gets to spank you in a totally non-sexual way. Fetch the Indie-Paddle Jill.

"Gets to"!?!

Blimey, lucky me, eh?

The story goes he used to play This Is The Dream of Win & Régine every night when he was playing support for them as Final Fantasy, and didn't tell them what it was called.

Must have been a pain in the arse actually, he was playing as support for them as his one-man-band thing, and then playing as their string section for the rest of the night. No wonder he's so skinny.

EDIT:

I know somebody else here is going to the show in Sweden - Wildbirds & Peacedrums are doing support, with the help of a 12-piece choir.

EDIT 2: Wolf Club - it might be worth hearing Ready To Start or We Used To Wait if you haven't already.

lordgoat

jill_valentine wrote: »

"Gets to"!?!

Blimey, lucky me, eh?

.

I figured who else is better suited to dole out AF punishment. Top of the list Jill.

Didn't know pallet dropped the ball on twitter.

jill_valentine

I think, to be fair, only weirdos like me were watching him closely enough to know where he was over a given ten days. I think he deleted it afterwards too.

nxbyveromdwjpg

S.M.B. wrote: »

Pre-ordered the album. I'm in the UK so I better get a code to buy tickets next week!!!!

Whats the story with this? I want to go, but as its "secret" will they not give out enough notice for me to get there from Dublin?

Like, basically will we get to at least know when its on, so that I could be in London?

(if needs be i'd use a real UK address when pre-ordering the album)

jill_valentine

It'll be on the 7th of July, if that's any help. Venue is still to be announced. As for the rest:

This offer is only eligible to customers with a UK billing address.

Tickets will be on general sale from Thursday 1st July.

The exclusive pre-sale will begin Monday 28th June and end on Wednesday 30th June.

All registered email addresses by Thursday 24th June will receive an email with an access code that is matched to their email address.

You must register by midnight Thursday 24th June in order to qualify for the pre-sale.

This email will be sent to you on Monday 28th June by a ticket retailer called Ticketmaster who are acting on behalf of Arcade Fire. We will restrict the number of emails sent to the number of tickets available, so the sooner you are registered then the more likely you are to be able to buy tickets.

You will need to have the correct combination of your email address and the access code in order to buy tickets.

Ticket purchase is strictly non-transferable and is limited to 2 tickets per person. You will have 24 hours from the time you receive your email in order to buy your tickets. If you have not bought tickets by this time then the code will expire and we will notify the next person in the queue on a first come-first served basis.

You'll definitely need a UK address for the pre-order - however, it does appear that there will be some conventionally sold tickets available after the pre-sale is over.

S.M.B.

I will be raging if only 25% of the shows tickets are allocated to the pre-sale and the remaining 75% go on sale to the general public.

:mad:

lordgoat

S.M.B. wrote: »

I will be raging if only 25% of the shows tickets are allocated to the pre-sale and the remaining 75% go on sale to the general public.

:mad:

Why? 25% is a massive percentage for a pre sale? Most are between 8-10%

Or do you feel that somehow you are more deserving of tickets than someone else?

S.M.B.

lordgoat wrote: »

Why? 25% is a massive percentage for a pre sale? Most are between 8-10%

Or do you feel that somehow you are more deserving of tickets than someone else?

Well yeah, by pre-ordering the album I do.

If I miss out on a pre-sale code by 5 or so people, then I think it's a little unfair that I'm relying on pot luck when it comes to the day of general sales.

I'm guessing that's what's going to happen though.

AnonoBoy

S.M.B. wrote: »

Well yeah, by pre-ordering the album I do.

If I miss out on a pre-sale code by 5 or so people, then I think it's a little unfair that I'm relying on pot luck when it comes to the day of general sales.

I'm guessing that's what's going to happen though.

That sounds entirely fair to me.

S.M.B.

Maybe I'm being unfair.

I guess it's just the way the show has been marketed so far. It was announced via Universal implying that it's targeted at those in the UK who pre-order the album.

If on the other hand it's just a standard gig on AFs tour with a small section of tickets being allocated to a presale then that's fair enough. I just haven't got that impression.

lordgoat

S.M.B. wrote: »

Maybe I'm being unfair.

I guess it's just the way the show has been marketed so far. It was announced via Universal implying that it's targeted at those in the UK who pre-order the album.

If on the other hand it's just a standard gig on AFs tour with a small section of tickets being allocated to a presale then that's fair enough. I just haven't got that impression.

I presumed it was like the latter part your post. If i got that wrong - apologies. If the album was marketed by the use of the gig then yeah you pretty much should get tickets for it.

But if it's just an added bonus for anyone ordering the album then that's a bit different.

jill_valentine

Yeah, it was only advertised via the Universal site to be fair. It wasn't - or at least it hasn't been yet - promoted as a regular show, it was just picked up by music blogs and such.

S.M.B.

Phew, I don't feel like such a prick now.

I guess I'll just have to wait until next week to see what their actual intentions are.

*fingers crossed*

jill_valentine

Billy Corgan got a bit peeved about it, somewhat understandably.

Thing is, I don't think they actually expect anyone to buy all eight, unlike Billy. I think it's a kind of artsy fartsy old timey photograph "Isn't memory funny?" kind of thing, and I suspect there might be a bit more to it than thus far announced, but if I hear any more I'll get back to you.

LightningBolt

I got tickets to see them over in Madison Square Garden. Cannot bloody wait!

S.M.B.

2 tickets for the Hackney Empire in London! You beauty!!!

£38 each though! :eek:

LadyMayBelle

Gutted. Didn't get the pre sale tickets. 38 quid tho is a bit much for a secret show AFTER paying a tenner for the pre order. I saw the Strokes in Dingwalls in Camden last week for a tenner, and that was a secret gig as well. That's fair.

S.M.B.

Yeah, not sure why tickets are so expensive but I'm sure it'll be worth it. Was expecting to be somewhere around the £27 mark. Maybe there'll be decent support although there could be none at all.

Missed out on tickets for that Strokes gig. Ragin' I was. :mad:

LadyMayBelle

S.M.B. wrote: »

Yeah, not sure why tickets are so expensive but I'm sure it'll be worth it. Was expecting to be somewhere around the £27 mark. Maybe there'll be decent support although there could be none at all.

Missed out on tickets for that Strokes gig. Ragin' I was. :mad:

Twas deadly. Possibly the most sweatiest gig ever. I dunno, 38 quid plus 10 is 48 quid, that's 60 euro......I'm not sure I could afford that much here or in Ireland..

Woden

So the Swedish gig at Dalhalla was last night. 3.5 hours down and then back up this morning. Was lashing rain on arrival to the closest town but fortunately it cleared up shortly after.

Got to the venue which was amazing. Unfortunately I would say it was half to two thirds full. The seats where largely ignored when Win called everyone down at the start. Gig was very good but not as good as when I saw them in the Phoenix Park (Oct 07 I think). It could have been longer also I reckon it was about 70-80mins in total and seemed all to quick before they said last song and then came on for a 3 song encore. Intervention, some new song, Wake up.

5 or 6 songs played also from what I presume is the new album. Highlight of the night being when one of the members jumped into the moat!

Would like to see them again this year if I can find something suitable..

jill_valentine

I'll have some video up soon of Will going in the moat. The other song in the encore was Modern Man.

Win came around to meet some of us afterwards in a rowboat, and later the whole band then rowed out to the pirate ship - if you were there, you'll know what I mean. I gave Win a stylophone when I was talking to him, and we watched the band take turns playing with it on the ship until about 11.30. Tunnels on Stylophone was uh, quite something, but Funkytown was awesome.

The whole post-show Stylophone jam was one of the weirdest things I've ever had to try and explain to a friend via text message, and I still think she thinks I was on mushrooms or something.

Woden

Very nice Jill!

/jealous.

We shuffled of back to the bus and arrived to Rättvik in the hope of finding an open bar but it was all in vain

S.M.B.

jill_valentine = Jenny_Decimal then?

jill_valentine

That's me.

Short video of Will going for a swim mid-set.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD2j28usL84

S.M.B.

Well that was fun, perfect venue, immense sound, new songs sounding quite impressive, old songs spectacular as usual.

Any particular reason why you didn't try pop across for it Jill?

dylbert

I've been keeping one eye on this thread for ages but this is my first post, great work guys.

Any hoo, took the trip to Oxegen yesterday to see Arcade Fire, wow what a gig, full of energy. Played a good few songs from The Suburbs, sounded really good, can't wait to get it.

Was my first time in Oxegen, man that place is gonna be some mess this weekend, glad I was just there for the day. I also felt so old, it's no Picnic, cant see myself going again.

homerun_homer

So is the weather alone to blame for the bad turn out to see them at Oxegen or have many silently stopped caring about the band?

dylbert

Was it a bad turn out? I was right up the front so didn't know how big the crowed was. The rain actually eased off when they where playing. The crowed at Oxegen was very young and I'd say most of them don't know who Arcade Fire are, . Having Jay-Z on before probably didn't help, seemed to be a mas exodus when he finished. They really should have played EP.

homerun_homer

dylbert wrote: »

Was it a bad turn out? I was right up the front so didn't know how big the crowed was. The rain actually eased off when they where playing. The crowed at Oxegen was very young and I'd say most of them don't know who Arcade Fire are, . Having Jay-Z on before probably didn't help, seemed to be a mas exodus when he finished. They really should have played EP.

Everywhere is reporting a very low turn out. Nialler9 says it's the lowest he's ever seen for a headline Oxegen act. Maybe 5,000 in total is the estimate. Goes to show there are many plastic Arcade Fire fans, those who wont stick the wet and cold or run off to Fatboy Slin instead. Don't worry, they'll be back to prevent many fans from getting tickets when they announce a show for the end of the year.

Indeed, they should have played EP. Given it was a highlights of their touring Funeral, I'm amazed they never returned to Stradbally.

dylbert

homerun_homer wrote: »

Goes to show there are many plastic Arcade Fire fans, those who wont stick the wet and cold or run off to Fatboy Slin instead. Don't worry, they'll be back to prevent many fans from getting tickets when they announce a show for the end of the year.

This sucks, they are the only band around at the moment who I would make the trip to Oxegen for, rain, mud, hail or snow, and when they come back to the o2 or wherever, it will be a bitch to get tickets :mad:

H8GHOTI

What a waste of a good band. As has been mentioned already, they should've played EP.
Most of the crowd at Oxegen would've been 14 when Neon Bible was released. They just wouldn't be into them.

Review here, from State.

This sums it up:

There’s one thing that stand out far above everything else: this is a stunning band playing to an audience that just doesn’t care as much as it should.

H8GHOTI

homerun_homer wrote: »

Don't worry, they'll be back to prevent many fans from getting tickets when they announce a show for the end of the year.

What you mean they will prevent people from getting tickets? Just that the demand will outweigh supply?

jill_valentine

S.M.B. wrote: »

Any particular reason why you didn't try pop across for it Jill?

Ah, I didn't want to put up with the hassle of the pre-ordering etc. and I liked the sound of a show in Paris, so I went to see that one instead. It was good, but I feel like I backed the wrong horse from the pictures and reviews.

About Oxegen, they were actually really good, and the (relative-to-Jay-Z) small turnout kind of added to my enjoyment of it, to be honest. I was at the barrier, so I couldn't see where the crowd ended, but it felt like most people there actually wanted to be there, and we didn't have to deal with the yahoos who were in the pit for Stereophonics etc.

dylbert

Keep The Car Running

S.M.B.

jill_valentine wrote: »

Ah, I didn't want to put up with the hassle of the pre-ordering etc. and I liked the sound of a show in Paris, so I went to see that one instead. It was good, but I feel like I backed the wrong horse from the pictures and reviews.

Yeah, it really turned out to be a great gig but with the secrecy behind the venue and the pre-order mess then the Paris show looked like the safer option.

Nice to listen to a great recording of show too!!!

kraggy

jill_valentine wrote: »

I'll have some video up soon of Will going in the moat. The other song in the encore was Modern Man.

Win came around to meet some of us afterwards in a rowboat, and later the whole band then rowed out to the pirate ship - if you were there, you'll know what I mean. I gave Win a stylophone when I was talking to him, and we watched the band take turns playing with it on the ship until about 11.30. Tunnels on Stylophone was uh, quite something, but Funkytown was awesome.

The whole post-show Stylophone jam was one of the weirdest things I've ever had to try and explain to a friend via text message, and I still think she thinks I was on mushrooms or something.

Jill, (and others who were at it), did the band not feel a bit far away at Dalhalla? Looks amazing, but maybe a bit isolated from the stage?

How did ye get there? Flight to Stockholm?

Will keep an eye for it as a venue in future. Looks beautiful.

jill_valentine

kraggy wrote: »

How did ye get there? Flight to Stockholm?

Will keep an eye for it as a venue in future. Looks beautiful.

We got a Ryanair flight to Stockholm (Skavsta), which is actually about an hour away from Stockholm because it's bloody Ryanair. We rented a car between the lot of us and made a trip out of it - a pretty epic one - but there is a train station in the town of Rattvik, so you can get a train there and then get a shuttle bus to the venue itself. Swedish trains are magical wonderful things that aren't full of urine and puke and have little soundproof divider booths and I'd have their freaky train babies if such a thing were possible, so if you aren't looking to make a roadtrip out of things, I think that's probably the best way to go about it. I know Sigur Ros have played there previously, but as near as I can gather, it's not often used for contemporary bands, mainly Opera and - weirdly - some Swedish lady who sings Beatles covers. Oh, Sweden.

Jill, (and others who were at it), did the band not feel a bit far away at Dalhalla? Looks amazing, but maybe a bit isolated from the stage?

Win was talking about that onstage, how they hadn't realised how big it was going to be until they were actually there. But to be honest, they started up, the distance vanished. They found a couple of fun ways to get around it - throwing stuff across and into it, running down the catwalk or teasing as if they were going to, and so on - so in the end, it kind of added an extra element to things rather than detracting.

I mean it's awesome having the band right in your grill the whole time, but it's also very awesome to have bandmembers striding down catwalks and fording water to get to you. And then the rowboat thing happened, which was awesome. Teeny tiny club shows are great and all, but just once in a while, it's nice to go moat. Not "Moate", I mean regular moat.

Never go to Moate.

Worth mentioning too, from a review the show they just played in Quebec.

As part of the Quebec Summer Festival, held across the street from Quebec’s Parliament building at a park made from historic battlefields, the concert gave tens of thousands of fans a chance to “ooh” along with the hooks of the Arcade Fire’s anthemic songs, even after the band left the stage.

But most of all, it was about Haiti.

July 12 marked six months after the earthquake that shattered Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Régine Chassagne, Mr. Butler’s wife and the Arcade Fire’s other lead singer, is the daughter of Haitians who became expatriates during the dictatorship of François Duvalier; the Arcade Fire’s first album, “Funeral,” included a song called “Haiti.”

Ms. Chassagne announced the formation of a nonprofit organization, Kanpe to channel Canadian aid to Haiti’s rural poor – including families displaced from Port-au-Prince – for healthcare and microcredit to end the cycle of poverty.

The concert opened with a Haitian band, Ram, direct from Port-au-Prince, where some members are still sleeping in tents, and Ram joined the Arcade Fire to perform “Haiti.” And Mr. Butler announced that $5 donations from fans who texted 30333 would be matched by the Arcade Fire up to an impressive figure: 1 million (Canadian) dollars.

“Please,” he said. “Take our money.”

foals

there is also a artical written on the band on billboard.com its very intresting

http://www.billboard.com/#/features/arcade-fire-the-billboard-cover-story-1004103845.story
enjoy. I know i did

jill_valentine

As you say, if this works out, they'll be raising 2 million for Haiti - and that's on top of the million dollars or so they've already raised from singles, ticket sales, and the Superbowl ad donation. 3 million quid ain't bad for an indie band.

jill_valentine

jill_valentine wrote: »

Thing is, I don't think they actually expect anyone to buy all eight, unlike Billy. I think it's a kind of artsy fartsy old timey photograph "Isn't memory funny?" kind of thing, and I suspect there might be a bit more to it than thus far announced, but if I hear any more I'll get back to you.

Okedokee, so the covers are only slightly different - you're not supposed to buy all eight like, you just get one at random.



Nifty.

Basq

Ahh.. that's a tad disappointing!

Here was me hoping it'd be 8 original covers..

Photoshop + variable hue + variable saturation = 8 covers of 'The Suburbs'!

homerun_homer

basquille wrote: »

Ahh.. that's a tad disappointing!

Here was me hoping it'd be 8 original covers..

Photoshop + variable hue + variable saturation = 8 covers of 'The Suburbs'!

I like that they are very similar. I don't like it when bands release the one album with widely different artwork depending on which edition you get.

The essence of the artwork is the same even if the colour tint and vista is different. I'd prefer this over each edition having say, a different member of the band (to use the Twilight DVDs as example, haha) for fans to buy based on their favourite member. I find that type of marketing a joke.

qwertplaywert

jill_valentine wrote: »

About Oxegen, they were actually really good, and the (relative-to-Jay-Z) small turnout kind of added to my enjoyment of it, to be honest. I was at the barrier, so I couldn't see where the crowd ended, but it felt like most people there actually wanted to be there, and we didn't have to deal with the yahoos who were in the pit for Stereophonics etc.

+1 . The majority of acts on the main stage attracted non fans, knackers who would stand there booing and shoving and bullying people in the pit. None of that at Arcade Fire, a small turn out of people who looked to be having an absolute ball

jill_valentine

There's an uncharacteristically decent feature in Hot Press with a track-by-track, mods lemme know if this isn't cool.

The Suburbs - Street By Street

The Suburbs
A deceptively simple little number delivered in country swing time, the title tune of AF's third album opens out over the course of five minutes into a mini epic with a killer chorus and wintry guitar overdubs contradicting the hissing-of-summer-lawns atmosphere. "I want a daughter to call my own/ Show her all of this beauty before it's gone" sings Win. Sneakily cinematic.

Ready To Start
Boasting a thumping big beat somewhere between Motown and New Wave, Ready To Start is first cousin to Keep the Car Running, a statement of intent coloured with great washes of synth and guitar treatments, plus Dylan steals like "Businessmen drink my blood".

Modern Man
If previous AF records sounded like they were beamed from another age, this one posits and alternative history of the late 70s/early 80s. Case in point, Modern Man, with it's chipper beat, chirpy keyboards and neo-afro guitar.

Rococo
Ah, the return of the pipe organ., the big plodding beat, the Big O acoustic guitar layers and calls for orchestral back-up. There's also a side-order of Edge-sized guitar breaks and military rat-tat-tat snare rolls as Win files is report on urban planning/regeneration; "They build it up just to burn it back down."

Empty Room
Regine takes the lead on a storming tune kitted out with full bells, whistles and strings. Force of nature stuff, it sounds like Spector producing the E Street Band, with Kevin Shields as musical director.

City With No Children
"I feel like I've been living in/ A city with no children in" Jean-Pierre Juenet and Marc Caro meet The Cars. The muscular riff and handclappy beats make this close enough for power-pop. Today's lesson - "Never trust a millionaire quoting the sermon on the mount".

Half-Light I
Regine steps up again to deliver a vocal that weds The Crystals to Joy Division. Here be sparkling chord changes, a stabbing "Straight To Hell" guitar lick and majestic cellos as the curtain comes down. Dense, but beautiful.

Half Light II (No Celebration)
A powerchord and synth fanfare intro that means business. Big bolero beats, a simple but haunting melody line, Moroder-ish rhythm science and a typically tormented vocal from Mr Butler, delivering lines like "I wanna wash away my sings/ in the presence of my friends."

Suburban War
Rickenbacker arpeggios and Byrds-like chimes provide the backdrop to the story of a young man trying to make sense of where he is by redrawing a map of his history. "In the suburbs, I learned to drive" Win sings, reprising the title tune, "And they told us we'd never survive"

Month of May
"Antichrist Television Blues" as performed by the Ramones, "Month of May" is the most balls-out thing AF have ever recorded. Three minutes of CBGB heebie-jeebies before black key keyboard lines give the whole shebang a darker twist.

Wasted Hours
No Depression licks, weepy strings; another country chugger that'd sound whimsical if not for lines like "Some cities make you lose your head".

Deep Blue
The Lovin' Spoonful meets early U2 with a Lennon-esque vocal, this tune contrasts a clop-along tempo with weird overdubs and thrives on the tension.

We Used To Wait
Clipped beats, a repetitive piano lick and low key, subtle melody that catches you on the third listen. A fine song, if a somewhat idiosyncratic choice of single.

Sprawl I (Flatland)
A big waltz-time ballad in the Crown of Love vein, this one evokes twilight over stucco bungalows, with Jacques Brel strings.

Sprawl II (Mountains beyond Mountains)
Wowsers. A 1983 vintage synth op disco rock mongrel with elfin vocal from Régine.

The Suburbs (Continued)
A brief but lovely orchestral reprise of the title tune, with the final blessing: "If I could have it back/ All the time we wasted/ You know I'd love to waste it again." Amen.

Not to be too much of a squealing fan girl or anything, but I absolutely love that last line about wasting all that time all over again.