Arcade Fire
Hyde Park, London
30/06/2011

Self-appointed Canadian indie figurehead Efrim Manuel Menuck, of overblown post-rockers Godspeed You! Black Emperor, recently embarked on a pointless rant comparing Arcade Fire to U2. The irony of such a man throwing out suggestions of pomposity is surely only lost on Efrim himself. The foundation for such a jibe no doubt lies in our headliners tonight’s world-conquering success, and occasions like this underline how enormous Arcade Fire have quietly become.

It’s a day-long event, Wireless-style, and the action kicks off with part-time Arcade Fireman Owen Pallett’s set of endearingly understated violin pop, followed by unremarkable indie band du jour The Vaccines. As we move into the evening it’s the turn of Beirut. With a new album to plug and a heaving captive audience of fiddle fans it’s a great shop window opportunity, and it’s one that’s maximised. It’s a perfect performance, emphasising the unique talents of the mainman and further illustrating his status as one of the brightest songwriting talents around.

Next up it’s Mumford & Sons, offering a stark contrast to the honesty of the previous artist with an hour of unfulfilling flatpack folk, anthemic yet utterly empty. That they’re almost as big an pull as the headliners is distressing enough, but what’s most unpalatable is the virtual match in their respective fanbases. They certainly warmed the crowd up, though, and come Arcade Fire’s turn the mood is beautifully poised. They launch into their set with ‘Ready To Start’, one of several instant classics from last year’s third album ‘The Suburbs’, and they never look back – following that with ‘Wake Up’, then ‘No Cars Go’, and before long ‘Rebellion (Lies)’, ‘We Used To Wait’ and another hour’s worth that are all deceptively and instantly familiar.

Though apparently overwhelmed by the scale of the show, they’re effortlessly brilliant, totally engaging and a joy to behold. It’s lazy to bandy around adjectives like ‘triumphant’, and whether they consider themselves the saviours of indie is open to speculation, but if they do you’d have to say they’ve a strong case. Arcade Fire are certainly a once in a generation band – one that’s oblivious to passing musical fads, and that have done it all their own way, yet still reached the peak. They’re a band to be cherished on every level.

Andy Slocombe