Arcade Fire

[Morse Code]

Oh my word, still buzzing. What a set list!

(from someone who isn't a setlist geek! )

[MEGABOWL]

From my 'vantage point' in front of the telly they were absolutely top drawer

[cassiel1972]

Last night was the 4th time I'd seen Arcade Fire (The first was back before they released Neon Bible), and it was up there with their very, very best. Everything worked for them. The rain stayed away. The big gestures - turning the lights onto the crowd, the fireworks and confetti cannon - pulled the whole crowd in and the small stuff - Win borrowing someone's phone during 'Flashbulb Eyes' to take pictures, Regine's joyful smile while she did her twirls during 'The Sprawl II' - were carried effectively by the screens. The sound (at least where we were was amazing - pin-point sharp, detailed and immensely powerful. And they brought the songs - the sequence from 'Power Out', through 'Rebellion (Lies)' into 'Ready to Start' was a tour-de-force. The Reflektor material surpassed its recorded versions in pretty much every case and the older material delivered as it always, always does. 'Wake Up' will be the defining, "We're you there for?" moment of this Glastonbury - in some respects, Elbow's sub-headline set marked a passing of the mantle, from a bad who, not long ago were headliners-in-waiting, to a band who took their opportunity with both hands and all their hearts and made it very, very special. If I were James Hetfield last night, I'd be a worried man.

[wbarenno]

They smashed it last night!amazing amazing amazing

I never realised win butler was such a good frontman,very young bonoish with his antics down the front

Great show!

[efcfanwirral]

Breaking my forum silence to say....best thing I've ever seen. Crowd were awesome just in front g the sound desk which made it, I wasn't sure it would be as good as that.

Like has already been said, little things like getting the crowd singing wake up on their own at the end, also do they normally drop out and leave it to the crowd in the middle bit? All wonderful stuff.

[Comfy Bean]

From my 'vantage point' in front of the telly they were absolutely top drawer

Agreed. Fortunately I have a better vantage point in Dublin tonight

Wonder if they will go with much the same set list.

[Paul ™]

Can't wait. I'll be watching from side of stage or in the pit

[siblin]

I've struggled to get into them but I caught the set from the front after being kettled in the pot after elbow.

Some corking songs - 'we exist' was epic.

I happened to be in fancy dress which seemed to fit too!

[Paul ™]

Superb last night in Dublin, even better when you are side of stage or in the pit

[Toilet Duck]

Hmmm…I absolutely adore Arcade Fire, but was pretty underwhelmed on Friday…They sounded great, but it's contrived. Exactly the same setlist that they have been practising ad nauseum (basically Primavera with the extra songs removed due to the reduction in stage times across the site, so no Laika or Rococo). Win needs to stop pandering to Regine and get rid of Haiti, it's weak, and she was dreadful on Friday during Sprawl II (which also needs to go)…completely out of tune (and she usually sounds better when you are there, but she really was bad this time). Far better setlist in Dublin last night (b*stards play Crown of Love when I'm not there!…and in my home town and all, feels like they did it deliberately )…anyway, I just expected them to mix it up a bit but they didn't, they phoned it in (technically very well, I might add, but it was sterile). Coldplay decided to do Arcade Fire by numbers on Viva la Vida, because the crowds at Arcade Fire gigs sang the house down, but the crowd were barely involved on Friday (futile attempts to keep the crowd singing Wake Up as they left were laughable compared to when I saw them in 2005 and they came on to the ringing chorus of Wake Up before they had even played a note…sh*t, James Hetfield had the entire crowd singing Unforgiven the next night))...anyway, I was just disappointed, and it's not a "they were brilliant when they first started" type thing, The next best gig (after 2005) I've ever seen them play was on the Suburbs tour, so I know they have it in them...

[WS_Jack_III]

I really enjoyed myself, it was fab. Loved the glasto mash up for the bobble heads.

[dirty_dog]

They where stunning as always, just watched it back on iplayer and came across just as stunning.

Wonder where they sit on the list of all time headliners?

[sjseabass]

Hmmm…I absolutely adore Arcade Fire, but was pretty underwhelmed on Friday…

Not just me then. Agree with everything you said tbh. Plus where I was in the crowd pretty much all I could hear was bass . Never looked forward to a gig so much in my life so kinda gutted it fell flat for me. Ah well.

[DJL]

I think it was perfect. Short of an appearance from bowie or jarvis (the lack of which we can't really be disapointed about) it wasn't far off an ideal realistic) setlist for me. Keep the car running!

[fowls]

Really strong set. Would have liked a few risky album track choices, but for a play-it-safe-and-stick-with-the-big-hitters setlist it was flawless. I was in a great part of the crowd too - up front right with about 20 people going ballistic for the band whilst other people looked at us weird. With the new album being so dancey it was great to have space up front to dance about.

And who got Win's microphone?!?! Infinitely jealous.

Edited June 30, 2014 by fowls

[Squonk]

Absolutely loved it, they did not work in 2007 but they nailed it this time

[kingcrawler]

Brilliant set as always from them, setlist was great as well.

[zero000]

Thought they absolutely nailed it on Friday. The best time I've ever seen them.

[tazbang]

I was only moderately familiar with Arcade Fire before Friday. I thought they were excellent!

[Midnight Man]

I thought they were excellent - not a big fan since the first album as I always think they sound a bit pseudy, but they were incredible live - never let the pace flag and the contrasting manners of Win and Regine worked beautifully. Definitely a highlight for me.

[Lubic]

Never in a million years did I think id be saying this after hyping it up so much, but it was my biggest disappointment of the weekend

Got sandwiched at the front near the barrier while trying to move across when elbow finished. Had a decent view but the sound was atrocious. All I could hear was bass! Atmosphere was decent when the drunk teens around me weren't chatting to each other and taking selfies. Great setlist, and the encore was fantastic!

I learned my lesson and stood just behind the 2nd barrier for the excellent Kasabian. Spot on - really wish I'd done the same for AF.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Lubic87

[Morse Code]

Just thinking back now and I'm not a huge fan of Reflektor but thought all the tracks off it worked so well on Friday, especially Flashbulb Eyes. I know there's a few 'non fans' of that track on here so what did you think?

[Yesiamaduck]

It was okay.

[Morse Code]

I learned my lesson and stood just behind the 2nd barrier for the excellent Kasabian. Spot on - really wish I'd done the same for AF.

Exactly where I was for Arcade Fire. My wife is 5ft 2' but had a perfect view of the stage and bizarrely the sound seemed much better just a little behind the second barrier than in front. (We were several rows from the front for Lily Allen and the bass was unbelievable - I wasn't sure if this was specific to her but it seems not)

[Amy Lawn]

I stood about 4 deep and dead centre, loved every second. Just edging out Massive Attack for my band of the weekend, and possibly the best performance I've seen at Glastonbury. I'm going to relive the set on iPlayer after a nap.