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Gavin B. · 07-18-2009, 10:28 AM

Arcade Fire is one of those bands whose albums come nowhere near capturing their power as a live band. Win Butler's shamanic charisma on stage and the powerful visual appeal of the band don't translate in the cool and clinical setting of the recording studio, where production values and technical precision are the highest priorities.

Some of the video shoots of their live performances capture that magic. When I saw them live the band had so much going on visually and musically with each of the band's performers that my brain went into to full tilt sensory overload. Seeing a band with a percussionist that wore a crash helmet was completely out my realm of musical experience. The concert reminded me of old fashioned tent revival where the true believers were seized by the power of the Holy Ghost. A cd can't capture that kind of "you had to have been there" magic of a band.

Each member of Arcade Fire has a keen sense of personal style and the band dresses ironic anti-fashionista manner that you see worn by young people on the streets of Montreal. Arcade Fire is one of the last North American band with a few members who dress in proper sports coats and ties, which is a very European thing. The clean cut image counterpointed by some band members who causually sloppy manner of art school student or Left Bank bohemian intellectuals. A hard core music fan is usually loathe to admit that style plays big role in his or her perception of a band, but smart bands know that their own fashion sensibility is part of the package.

It sounds shallow of me to admit this but I can't tell you how many albums I've purchased because the cover art was compelling or I liked the back cover photo of the band. Even more shallow is the fact I've purchased a few albums because the name of the band was appealing and Arcade Fire certainly is a compelling visual image. Even being geeky and non-photogenic is a style conscious decision by a band.

The big pitfall is when a band gives a fashion stylist a free hand to endow the band with inauthentic makeover, just because a music producer or a manager thinks a "new look" will sell a lot of records. Arcade Fire seems to have retained control of their image, which is quite a challenge in a world where every band manager and music producer wants to be a Svengali-like mentor over every aspect of the band's public image.

Arcade Fire’s provincial French influence extends into their music. A lot of their fiddle arrangements and accordion playing is steeped in the Gallic folkways tradition of musette music which Americans often think of as French café music.

This 2005 performance in France is a pretty good representation of their live shows. You can see why David Byrne loved Arcade Fire enough to perform a few guest shots with them on their 2005 American tour. Arcade Fire was the sort of band that Byrne wanted the Talking Heads be when he went on hiatus in 1988 and never returned.

07-18-2009, 10:28 AM	#121 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	Arcade Fire is one of those bands whose albums come nowhere near capturing their power as a live band. Win Butler's shamanic charisma on stage and the powerful visual appeal of the band don't translate in the cool and clinical setting of the recording studio, where production values and technical precision are the highest priorities. Some of the video shoots of their live performances capture that magic. When I saw them live the band had so much going on visually and musically with each of the band's performers that my brain went into to full tilt sensory overload. Seeing a band with a percussionist that wore a crash helmet was completely out my realm of musical experience. The concert reminded me of old fashioned tent revival where the true believers were seized by the power of the Holy Ghost. A cd can't capture that kind of "you had to have been there" magic of a band. Each member of Arcade Fire has a keen sense of personal style and the band dresses ironic anti-fashionista manner that you see worn by young people on the streets of Montreal. Arcade Fire is one of the last North American band with a few members who dress in proper sports coats and ties, which is a very European thing. The clean cut image counterpointed by some band members who causually sloppy manner of art school student or Left Bank bohemian intellectuals. A hard core music fan is usually loathe to admit that style plays big role in his or her perception of a band, but smart bands know that their own fashion sensibility is part of the package. It sounds shallow of me to admit this but I can't tell you how many albums I've purchased because the cover art was compelling or I liked the back cover photo of the band. Even more shallow is the fact I've purchased a few albums because the name of the band was appealing and Arcade Fire certainly is a compelling visual image. Even being geeky and non-photogenic is a style conscious decision by a band. The big pitfall is when a band gives a fashion stylist a free hand to endow the band with inauthentic makeover, just because a music producer or a manager thinks a "new look" will sell a lot of records. Arcade Fire seems to have retained control of their image, which is quite a challenge in a world where every band manager and music producer wants to be a Svengali-like mentor over every aspect of the band's public image. Arcade Fire’s provincial French influence extends into their music. A lot of their fiddle arrangements and accordion playing is steeped in the Gallic folkways tradition of musette music which Americans often think of as French café music. This 2005 performance in France is a pretty good representation of their live shows. You can see why David Byrne loved Arcade Fire enough to perform a few guest shots with them on their 2005 American tour. Arcade Fire was the sort of band that Byrne wanted the Talking Heads be when he went on hiatus in 1988 and never returned. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt Last edited by Gavin B.; 07-18-2009 at 10:43 AM.