Arcade Fire

Monday, June 28th. The midsummer stupor and deserted streets of Helsinki just a couple of days ago seem to have never happened, as a steady stream of flannel-shirted, bespectacled hipster-types fills Senaatintori. Between the shining whiteness of the monumental Tuomiokirkko and the stage that seems to have appeared out of nowhere in the space of a day, the stone steps are a-buzzing with the lucky folk who have decided to dish out 50 euros for the privilege of seeing Arcade Fire perform outside Helsinki Cathedral.

It's late in the afternoon, and it's hot outside. We get to the square when the line to the fenced-off concert area is still small. Seeing waving friends in the crowd, we secure seats next to them. The view is good, the weather is good, the people are good. It's really quite exciting, seeing as this is the first high-profile, admission fee-charging gig in this particular central Helsinki public space. 

The supporting act, Micachu and the Shapes, start their set right on time. Based on checking these kids out on MySpace, i'm looking forward to seeing them live. Their set gets off to a sticky start; in addition to their music being eccentrically quirky, their stage presence and verbal output is a little awkward. The biggest applause they draw from the audience is when frontman Micachu talks about what a great band Arcade Fire is. Hell, it's a big band to support and a big stage for three to fill. "They're stoned out of their minds", a friend observantly remarks. Be that as it may, the audience gradually warms up to the band, and i find myself quite diggin' this eccentric live act.

But then the main act comes on. The seven piece group fill the stage. The screen lights up. The light show commences. They start off by addressing the audience: "Please stand up." Everyone does. Win's voice fills the square. I'm willing to wager this is closer to religious fervor than what is experienced inside the white walls of the building we've got our backs turned to. 

These guys have three drum sets, they do laps around the stage, play a xylophone with the fierceness of the Phantom of the Opera playing the organ, switch instruments among themselves and say stuff like "Pickled herring. Hate it. But in your country i like it." They also play with an energy the likes of which i haven't seen in a while at a concert this size, while still managing to maintain the intimate feeling of a smaller gig. Their musical talent extends to a broad scope in terms of genre, instruments, lyrics and stage presence. I'm overwhelmed and more than pleasantly surprised to have all my expectations exceeded by the show they put on.

The only thing that caused me grief was that i didn't push into the front row with a couple of my lucky friends. Which really was unfortunate, because when Win jumped into the crowd after the gig, they got to touch him. I had to content myself with touching my friends. Arcade Fire, this nation of architects loves you.