They hit us. While we were expecting an evening filled with discomfort, due to allegations of sexual misconduct weighing on singer Win Butler, Arcade Fire delivered a terribly effective concert that the 10,500 spectators applauded heartily. Like nothing ever happened.
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We were going to the Bell Center on this Saturday evening in December, a bit like having dinner with an ex: half backwards. The last few months have been, to say the least, very heavy with regard to the news of the Montreal group.
Since the end of August, with the publication of the American media Pitchfork about Win Butler’s actions, almost everything that is said about Arcade Fire is negative. The musicians began their world tour barely three days after the article was published and they performed their concerts in front of often sparse crowds, without addressing the controversy in any way.
To see the group, once a favorite of the metropolis, now “unloved”, how was it going to be on Saturday? Well, pretty good, we have to admit.
Back in the past
Even if the stands were less full than they could have been – there were 14,400 spectators in 2017 – the thousands of people present had obviously ignored the last few months to fully savor the concert.
After a very inspired set by DJ Cosmo Gonik, the eight members of Arcade Fire appeared at the other end of the rink. They walked through the crowd. Win Butler, all smiles, was giving high five to everyone in its path. We cringed a little when we saw this carousel.
They settled on the small central stage and played the first notes of Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels). We immediately found ourselves in 2005, when Arcade Fire was exploding on the Montreal indie scene. “The accursed”, we said to ourselves. They had us.
Still alive
Then the group made their way to the main stage. In front of a huge half-moon screen, which first showed stars and then a gigantic eye, Arcade Fire played Age of Anxiety. But it is to Ready to Start it all really started.
Admittedly, it was not a perfect concert. One could only feel the unease seeing Win sing “ set my body free (free my body) during My Body Is a Cage, alongside his wife Régine Chassagne. Words that had suddenly taken on another meaning in recent months.
And even if we had listened to them a lot this year, the songs from the new album WE didn’t make us hot or cold on Saturday. As if we were now detached from it. On the other hand, it was a completely different story for those of Funeral (Tunnels, Power Out, Rebellion, Haiti, Wake Up) which still stir us. Like what, we do not deny an old love overnight.
Not very talkative, Win told the crowd that he was filled with “gratitude” to be able to finish the tour “at home”. He remained silent on the allegations. Régine served a “thank you” in French well felt.
When the scandal broke this summer, it was believed that Arcade Fire would never recover. On Saturday, we even thought we’d attend the group’s farewell concert in Montreal, or even its funeral. But to see the thousands of spectators dancing all evening, it seems that the fire is not about to go out.