Arcade Fire @ Hyde Park, London, 3rd July 2014

“It’s easy to fall in love with London on a day like this” Win Butler told the crowd as Arcade Fire played the last show of their tour to a sun-drenched Hyde Park.

The setlist had been altered slightly since their Glastonbury headline performance last week and the show opened with one of the band’s heavier tracks, Normal Person. This followed a stage invasion introduction by their Bobble-headed alter egos, The Reflektors.

Crown of Love was an addition to the set, which Butler dedicated to everyone who bought their debut album, Funeral. “Let’s go to church,” Butler told the crowd over the cathedral organ chord which started Intervention. A verse from Antichrist Television Blues, which is rarely played live; provided an outro to the track.


RĂ©gine Chassagne stood engulfed by smoke on a podium deep in the crowd for It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus), singing towards the rest of the band on the main stage. An extended introduction for Sprawl II was played as Chassagne made her way back to take on lead vocals.

Despite this marking the end of a long stretch of touring, all twelve musicians put maximum energy into the performance. Will Butler appeared to be possessed between every exaggerated hit of the keyboards, touring member Owen Pallett ran from one side of the stage to the other to switch instruments, and there was no down-time for the saxophonists as they danced in between parts.

The sound level of the gig however let the performance down. Hyde Park has been criticised in the past for shows not being loud enough, as local residents have complained about the noise, although this improved half way through the set. “Sssh, the rich people are trying to sleep”, Butler joked in Here Comes The Night Time as synth bass pulses shook the ground and confetti was fired into the air.

Final song, Wake Up, was as euphoric as ever as the crowd continued to chant the chorus on the way out of the park. Arcade Fire were clearly in high spirits and in the mood to celebrate with the crowd. What better way to spend the hottest summer evening of the year so far?

Setlist:

Normal Person
Rebellion (Lies)
Joan of Arc
Rococo
The Suburbs
The Suburbs (Continued)
Ready to Start
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Crown of Love
We Exist
Intervention with Antichrist Television Blues outro
No Cars Go
Reflektor
Afterlife
It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Here Comes the Night Time

Written by - Tom Skinner 

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