Arcade Fire

[addsend]

Well, thought I'd give it a go. Combination of realism and what I'd like, based loosely on their Reflektors setlists.

Reflektor

Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)

Flashbulb Eyes

No Cars Go

Joan of Arc

You Already Know

The Suburbs

We Exist

It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)

Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Normal Person

Keep the Car Running

Suburban War

We Used to Wait

Afterlife

Rebellion (Lies)

Haiti

Here Comes the Night Time

---

Ready to Start

Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)

Wake Up

[FloorFiller]

I'm sorry if this has been gone over, but I lost track of the boards in the time this was announced; why were Arcade Fire announced on their own and nobody else? Do we know? Seems very odd.

they leaked it themselves through a picture on twitter, and so the festival then officially announced them as it was already out there. obviously not pre-planned and a bit naughty on AF's part

[Amy Lawn]

they leaked it themselves through a picture on twitter, and so the festival then officially announced them as it was already out there. obviously not pre-planned and a bit naughty on AF's part

Well they certainly seem to have sent some nobheads' tickets back into the resale pot, judging by Facebook comments, and judging by comments at work I know I can count on at least 3 fewer people in the race. I'd like to shake Win Butler firmly by the hand, the man is clearly committed to NFiR NFC, I will definitely watch his set, even though I'm not mad keen on the Pyramid.

[FloorFiller]

i hadn't thought about the effect it could have on the resale actually. obviously it won't have a MASSIVE impact (and who knows what info could get leaked / rumoured further along the line that changes peoples minds) but as you said, i'm sure there are a fair few (stupid) people who were massively disappointed in the news of them headlining

[GlastoSimon]

If it really has an impact on the re-sale these people in question can't have been before? Surely?

[dentalplan]

The rest of the line up will be out before resale though. Hopefully that's got many more crap acts like Arcade Fire in the top spots to add to the resale pot.

Edited December 22, 2013 by dentalplan

[FloorFiller]

If it really has an impact on the re-sale these people in question can't have been before? Surely?

it may seem insane to us lot on this forum as we all clearly love the festival (and music) but for some people the headliners are the be all and end all (especially those who haven't yet been). and honestly, the headliners for next year could all be appalling and i'd still go, knowing that it'll be amazing either way, but i couldn't have said that before i'd gone the first time i don't think, regardless of people telling me otherwise

[FloorFiller]

The rest of the line up will be out before resale though. Hopefully that's got many more crap acts like Arcade Fire in the top spots to add to the resale pot.

quiet you!

[dentalplan]

quiet you!

I think you misunderstood.

[FloorFiller]

I think you misunderstood.

i very much did haha i'm not the sharpest knife in the draw. but yes, i wholeheartedly agree with you. more of this garbage please!

Edited December 22, 2013 by FloorFiller

[Amy Lawn]

If it really has an impact on the re-sale these people in question can't have been before? Surely?

Yeah, the "who the fuck are Arcade Fire?" crowd are still around in force, it seems. One idiot had the audacity to suggest that they aren't even big enough to headline the Y Not Festival. The debate over whether they can headline a major UK fest was valid in Marchish 2010 when they were announced, slightly less valid in August 2010 when they actually headlined that festival, but by the Grammys in 2011 it was clear that The Suburbs had propelled them to comfortable headline status.

[FloorFiller]

yeah when they were announced for Reading and Leeds, despite absolutely loving them, i was unsure of whether they were big enough (i honestly thought The Suburbs wasn't going to do as well as Neon Bible did. how wrong i was). i remember a lot of people saying they'd only been booked as headliners as the 'real headliners' The Libertines were a wild card and could've backed out at any minute. people who are still saying they're not headliners now are idiots and clearly don't care about music (because even if you don't like them, any music fan must know how huge they currently are)

[Sketchead]

yeah when they were announced for Reading and Leeds, despite absolutely loving them, i was unsure of whether they were big enough (i honestly thought The Suburbs wasn't going to do as well as Neon Bible did. how wrong i was). i remember a lot of people saying they'd only been booked as headliners as the 'real headliners' The Libertines were a wild card and could've backed out at any minute. people who are still saying they're not headliners now are idiots and clearly don't care about music (because even if you don't like them, any music fan must know how huge they currently are)

Not necessarily the case. Arcade Fire weirdly go under the radar with the 'average' person, that's why it's always a surprise to those people when they headline festivals.

[FloorFiller]

Not necessarily the case. Arcade Fire weirdly go under the radar with the 'average' person, that's why it's always a surprise to those people when they headline festivals.

but surely not the type of people who attend festivals? i get that the very average, not particularly big music fan person might not know who they are (my mum doesn't have a fucking clue who they are and was puzzled at the prospect of their 'intimate' / 'secret' gig being in a 3000+ venue, and now them headlining Glastonbury) but surely people who are attending festivals (especially those who have Glastonbury tickets) should know who they are, and that they're festival headliners now, even if they haven't heard a note of their music? (which is often the case as their singles don't chart / get radio play)

[Amy Lawn]

You either know that Arcade Fire are a popular and very well respected act capable of headlining a festival, or you don't know enough about how pop music is currently to be having an opinion on who "should" be headlining Glastonbury. Anybody remonstrating about how Arcade Fire aren't a good enough headliner is just making a fool of themselves, betraying the fact that they're flapping their gums about something they know very little about. AF might not be comparable to Mumford in terms of record sales, but to a current Glastonbury audience, I'd bet they'll draw a similar size crowd, and that's in the current state of things. If both Mumford and Arcade Fire both played following a year when it r***ed (but it wont, NFR NFC) the entire weekend, I reckon AF could pull the bigger crowd.

Edited December 22, 2013 by GETOFFAMYLAWN

[efcfanwirral]

You either know that Arcade Fire are a popular and very well respected act capable of headlining a festival, or you don't know enough about how pop music is currently to be having an opinion on who "should" be headlining Glastonbury. Anybody remonstrating about how Arcade Fire aren't a good enough headliner is just making a fool of themselves, betraying the fact that they're flapping their gums about something they know very little about. AF might not be comparable to Mumford in terms of record sales, but to a current Glastonbury audience, I'd bet they'll draw a similar size crowd, and that's in the current state of things. If both Mumford and Arcade Fire both played following a year when it r***ed (but it wont, NFR NFC) the entire weekend, I reckon AF could pull the bigger crowd.

Honestly the majority haven't a clue who they are. Casual music fans love Mumford because they have singalong tunes and are EVERYWHERE. Only the people who to to things like latitude and have a more 'refined' taste in music are those who you would expect to know them. When you think how many songs the average person can name and then compare that to most festival headline acts I can totally see why people who dot know them might think they aren't big enough to headline.

I also think that many of your 'average' music fan who doesn't understand why arctic monkeys or Mumford can't headline again wouldn't be particularly taken by arcade fire's music even if they had heard of it. I think they are one of those bands who are big despite their music type being far from commercial. I play it for people and the thoughts and feelings I get from it don't translate - they usually think it's overblown nonsense

And in conclusion....if they put Calvin Harris in the other field he'll get a bigger crowd

But after they've been on tv they'll be (actually) huge with normal people. This is their muse or kings of Leon moment

Edited December 22, 2013 by efcfanwirral

[CHRLY]

I do have to admit, I'm at literally the only person that I know who actually likes them, as in listened to them but if they can be announced as a R+L headliner with two albums that weren't number one and one anticipated then they are defo big enough for glasto after 2 number ones. There will be enough people out of the 130,000 or so there to fill the field to a very reasonable level, then the rest will be filled with families etc. and people who go along to check them out. Plus, they will smash it

[zico martin]

just watching the full coachella set on youtube now, shit i cant wait for June! Every song is class and it seems im a bigger fan than i thought. And with reflektor to be added into the mix who can question their headline credentials, its gonna be amazing!

[dentalplan]

I hope Calvin Harris is on the Other Stage. Added bonus of Skrillex or Jake Bugg or something subbing him if Pixies were to sub AF. Not that I'm any sort of music snob or whatever but I want an optimal Pyramid field, you know?

To be honest, of the party that I go with, one of them likes them a bit (not as much as seemingly most people who know them like them) and the rest have never really given them a proper listen - something I find unfathomable as they've a very Pitchfork-esque taste in music. So I dunno what the average music fan thinks of them to be honest.

[DJL]

Most of my friends love them and they ended up seeing all three pyramid headliners this year.

[Zoo Music Girl]

it may seem insane to us lot on this forum as we all clearly love the festival (and music) but for some people the headliners are the be all and end all (especially those who haven't yet been). and honestly, the headliners for next year could all be appalling and i'd still go, knowing that it'll be amazing either way, but i couldn't have said that before i'd gone the first time i don't think, regardless of people telling me otherwise

I agree entirely with this. Before I went for the first time, my friend was always telling me how amazing it was and how I had no idea what I was in for. Having been to Reading, I thought I knew everything about festivals and took it with a pinch of salt.

How wrong I was.

I can totally see how a first-timer might be put off by the headliners, particularly if another festival announces something more up their street in the meantime. And there must be more and more first-timers going every year.

[russycarps]

I got round to downloading the new arcade fire album this weekend.

Nowhere near as good as their other stuff I reckon.

Funeral>neon bible>suburbs>reflektor for me. Steadily declining.

[Zoo Music Girl]

I hear what you're saying but it is a grower. And the songs are way better live so I'd recommend you check em out at Glastonbury for sure.

I think I like it more than The Suburbs now actually.

[russycarps]

I guess I was expecting too much from it. Mostly due to all the hype in this thread, from people LIKE YOU.

[Zoo Music Girl]

What can I say? I'm a hype (wo)man.

Occasionally I may get over-excited and indulge in hyperbole, particularly when under the influence. I make no apology for this!

Anyway, they'll kill that Pyramid headline set and you know it.