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Review from Montreal’s La Presse (self.arcadefire)

submitted by kakarikovillager

This article in French reviews the December 3rd show in Montreal, the last of the tour.

Some highlights:

  • they talk about the dilemma of going to the show given the allegations, how fans were torn between going or not going
  • talks about an in comfortable feeling that everyone had, after their triumphant show at Osheaga, to be back home with everything that happened
  • mentioned many empty seats ( which there was some empty seats, but the vast majority were taken)
  • the article concludes by asking if the group will be able to exist after the end of this tour, which I never réaliser was a possibility?

For those that were at the show, did you feel anything off? For me, I saw people dancing, shouting lyrics and having a great time. The silence of the few people that didn’t show up didn’t really have an impact.

Edit : article from The Gazette of Montreal

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[–]lampshade732 32 points33 points  (2 children)

I wasn't at the Montreal show so can't comment on it specifically. But I think it is multiple attempts to destroy this band at this point and make this stick to them. It's clear they've performed phenomenally throughout this tour and that turnout was fairly good.

Does all this make me think less of Win? Yes. Does that impact how I enjoyed the show I went to and listening to their music now? No. I thought it might but the music and performance was incredible. And Arcade Fire is not just Win.

I understand there were power differentials at play with the sexual interactions he had that made them dicey. But these were all legal, consenting adults. Let's remember that. I'm with the others on this forum that some of the reactions to this minimize the experiences of individuals that experience horrific sexual violence. I do not think Win is a violent, sexual predator. And if he was I could not go to the shows or enjoy the music. But that doesn't mean I condone his actions either.

[–]Methzilla 3 points4 points  (1 child)

A status differential and a power differential are not the same thing.

[–]lampshade732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. Differential would certainly be a better way to describe it - thanks!

[–]squigledbad 18 points19 points  (1 child)

Nah man the energy last night was insane. It got pretty full by the time it started too. Everyone around me was losing their minds the whole time and got super into the show. People are gonna hate no matter what, I had a great time

[–]WickedBad 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Accurate review of me. Gen admin or bust.

[–]Monkeypud 19 points20 points  (1 child)

After seeing them twice in Toronto the whole “will the band exist after the tour ends?” talking point seems like something the press is just trying to will into existence.

Win stated many times during the shows how amazing and supportive the band has been and the fact they sang “This is the Dream of Win and Regine” certainly implies their marriage is not on the rocks.

Maybe he’s just delusional and speaking falsely on their behalf, but nothing about this tour makes it look like a band about to fall apart. That said, if the business side of things take a massive hit (no record deal, hard to book venues), or more allegations emerge, maybe things change.

[–]Traditional-Lab3939 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes, it certainly does "imply" it, doesn't it?

[–]djcooki75Age of Anxiety I 35 points36 points  (11 children)

Nothing was off, everybody was singing and having fun. People were singing the beginning of rabbit hole, it was really cool to hear. There was no big differences between old and new songs in the public's response. The journalist came to the show with the intent of criticising it

[–]djcooki75Age of Anxiety I 13 points14 points  (0 children)

This is not the end, for sure

[–]Glittering-Owl22 12 points13 points  (6 children)

Or even more likely, they did not attend at all.

[–]djcooki75Age of Anxiety I 9 points10 points  (5 children)

There was a journalist sitting behind me, taking notes. Im pretty shure that he came with the intent of not liking the show

[–]Glittering-Owl22 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Oh, ok. It's just that this happens a lot: you see an excellent show, read the review the next day and get the feeling people are talking about a completely different show. Not just with AF, too.

[–]ArcadeFireLosAngelesReflektor 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Cancelling him 😭🤣👀

[–]ArcadeFireLosAngelesReflektor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And Just to be clear… not cancelling WIN but this lame ass journalist 😂👀

[–]GreenPlasticWaterCanCity with No Children 5 points6 points  (1 child)

Like all the " journalists " during this tour.

[–]ArcadeFireLosAngelesReflektor 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Exactly losers!!!!

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points  (2 children)

The journalist came to the show with the intent of criticising it

How do you know that?

[–]djcooki75Age of Anxiety I 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Because of the way the article is written

[–][deleted] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Or maybe that person just had a different experience than yours.

[–]DarknessofWhite 22 points23 points  (1 child)

Strategic and calculated campaign to destroy this band from the day the story was released. WE showed up anyway and it was magical.

[–]ArcadeFireLosAngelesReflektor 10 points11 points  (0 children)

YESSSSSS!!! 💕💕💕

[–]rfamico 11 points12 points  (0 children)

If you have to lie to make your point, is it really worth it?

[–]beardedjack 10 points11 points  (2 children)

I can name 100 musicians that have been caught, admitted to, or even bragged about being sleazy with their fans. Non of which have had the vitriol of this magnitude that Win Butler has received. Why is that?

[–]mjlittle37 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Because people expect it out of Motely Crue or Aerosmith or bands of that ilk. AF fans are generally more liberal-leaning and are cut from the same cloth as people that drove the metoo movement and the we believe survivors movement. I'm not being critical or cynical I just think that's why this has been difficult for so many fans.

[–]One-Sea-6153 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point. Being a 60 year old and having seen ACDC 3x AND been backstage, I'm like, "ya Win comes across as such a gentle, humble soul, but he's a ROCK STAR - what's the issue? This isn't new." Your comments make sense now. Sounds like Sharon Osbourne had a talk with Régine...I feel horrible for her but not the groupies. Yes. Groupies. But I do see your point.

[–]ArcadeFireLosAngelesReflektor 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This WE TOUR was epic.. focusing on the band returning next year (and they will and WE will all be there smiling and dancing alongside with them)… cannot wait! 💃🏻😭💕👀😍🙏

[–]magomra 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This has been mostly a media driven panic. The band just proved they're musically as strong as ever and not going anywhere. They'll be back on the road next year and WE will be there.

[–]tylerpistol 18 points19 points  (2 children)

The media is really milking the allegations for clicks and creating a moral panic where there isn’t much of one. Rogers Arena was really full and the energy was amazing the whole night. A friend I talked to was thinking of not going and then went anyhow. He said the atmosphere and magic of the night actually helped him heal and process. The band and people’s love of the music is so much bigger than the allegations. They’ve got tour dates booked next and they are definitely not calling it quits my time soon.

[–]funnyfrog11 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I think people claiming the allegations are false and for clicks/moral panic really need to think about the logistics of what they're claiming. I can't see any publication benefitting in the long run from tarnishing a famous band. Calling out SA is not a "hit piece," it's reporting, yeah it hurts for fans (myself included) but imagine being one of these women.

I think in all my years reading entertainment news, I read ONE story like this where a reporter had fundamentally misunderstood a Colbert-style character and implied an incorrect narrative about a person being a racist, right-winger. But like SA allegations, we can't the very rare false ones make us see every story as a cry for attention. Gain some empathy.

[–]tylerpistol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Where the moral panic and click bait comes in is when the Canadian media tries to imply there’s a huge outcry and demand for refunds, but with no numbers or statistics to back it up. They also don’t bother interviewing those who are choosing to support the band or who decided to attend a concert anyhow. Also, speculating that the band is done is not actual news, it’s opinion.

I think ultimately throwing this story out to the media is counterproductive. Win needs counselling and support, which I’m sure he is getting. The women need it as well. If they feel they need financial compensation or support from the band, they need to work with lawyers to sort that out.

[–]terminese 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The media loves controversy, they want to push the narrative that the band is falling apart.

[–]deBASHmodeSing the chorus again (wait fot it) 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Montreal was insane - this article wants to sew seeds of doubt, but if AF wants to continue, there will be an audience for it. Ultimately, the band will chart its own course.

[–]Downtown_Home_6592 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I was there, it was packed, the energy in the crowd was fantastic, elation. It’s stark in contrast to the article description … it’s so bizarre. Makes me trust what I read less and less

[–]WesternSoul 5 points6 points  (8 children)

The show was great but the upper levels were definitely pretty empty. I don't know what the future of the band is but I suspect they will take a bit of time off and come back eventually, probably in a smaller more intimate type of tour. This might be their last big "arena" tour, for better or for worse.

[–]CuddleCorn 14 points15 points  (7 children)

Yea but like... Are any of their indie rock contemporaries from the mid 00s selling out upper bowl arenas anymore? Especially since pandemic times? I feel like unless you're a Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande or Ed Sheeran or Drake or maybe some of the old forever stars like U2 it's a little ambitious these days.

Even on the Everything Now tour there was a feeling of maybe these venues are a little too large for the band these days.

[–]WesternSoul 7 points8 points  (3 children)

The Killers, Arctic monkeys, paramore... But that's not really the point. It's not a snub at AF that they can't pack an arena. They don't need to. They're kinda like the smashing pumpkins. Great bands with a large discography, lots of talent and a great live show, but not popular enough to fill arenas. And that's fine. There's nothing wrong with playing halls. It's more intimate and often the sound is much better so it's a better experience for fans.

[–]CuddleCorn 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Killers yea. They were instantly way bigger though even back in like 05. Paramore i can't really speak to knowing how they've been doing

For Vancouver at least, Arctic Monkeys did the stadium a step smaller from the one Arcade Fire did. But i was mostly thinking along the lines of like Franz Ferdinand, The National, Modest Mouse, who are all definitely not doing venues with the same audience scope unless they're doing a festival.

[–]WesternSoul 2 points3 points  (1 child)

The National is a good comparison. I think they're a similar level band but they play venues better fitted to their fanbase. AF could definitely do well doing the same type of tours that the National do (smaller tours with more limited dates, mixed venues including halls and some outdoor shows in fields and amphitheatres, etc.).

[–]rfamico 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think they’re still a step above the national. The national have never been a headlining band.

[–]writerintheory1382 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I think Tame Impala might fit the category, they’re still Selling out arenas. Time line is a bit later than what you’re thinking of though.

[–]onlyarcadefireCold Wind 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah but give them a few more years. The shine will probably wear off a bit. It's rare to see so-called indie bands have a long-lasting stature and appeal beyond their initial fan base. If they don't capture the teen audience now they will never gain a massive pop star level fame capable of sustaining large arena shows year after year. I think most fans of those types of bands prefer it that way and as long as they are willing to tour longer or do mini "residencies" like LCD Soundsystem they'll keep going.

[–]linguinibubblesSprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I remember reading articles about Lorde not selling as many tickets as expected on the Melodrama tour and that was without any scandals (that I know of) so I agree that sometimes it's just unrealistic to expect fully sold out shows. At Rogers Arena in Vancouver, it was hardly desolate/implying the end of the band's career

[–]Sarcofaygo 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The closing question about the future of the band is valid tbh

Whether or not you believe the allegations it's objectively true that they loom large like a dark cloud

[–]TheLionQueen2020 1 point2 points  (5 children)

I love AF, and I wanted to see them live, but after these allegations, I won't see them live. I don't think I'll ever stop listening to their music on Spotify though. I also feel torn.

[–]shadowslancing 3 points4 points  (2 children)

I’m sorry you’re getting downvoted so much :( it’s your own decision, and you’re not telling anyone else what to do. I get how you feel, and especially as a young woman who was a huge fan of them, I’m tired of people downplaying the hurt. It’s normal to feel torn!

[–]TheLionQueen2020 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Absolutely. I am a SA survivor. But I grew up listening to AF since Funeral. It's such an unfortunate situation.

[–]SluttyDelight 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am likewise a victim of sexual assault. We had bought tickets to the tour just before the allegations came out and I had to wrestle with figuring out what to do with all of this given the impossibility of getting a refund, kinda wanting to support the band beyond Win, the alleged stuff around other bands I've been a fan of that I haven't given as much thought to, etc etc etc. It's a very difficult situation to gauge even when similar abuse happened to you.

As it turns out, we were 10s into the opener at yesterday's show when I figured out I couldn't support the band and enjoy myself, and I walked out at the end of the song. So apparently that's beyond my line. Given how complex it was to get to that conclusion I can't blame anyone for going and enjoying an awesome live act.

[–]Raftger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also sorry you’re getting downvoted. I feel similarly.

I saw them this tour because I bought tickets before the allegations came out and wasn’t able to sell them. I still enjoyed the show, but it was definitely different, and I felt more complicated emotions than when I’d seen them previously. As of now, I wouldn’t buy tickets to another show, buy merch or any physical albums, but I’ll still listen to the albums I already own and stream their music. My thoughts might change in the future, but that’s where I’m at right now. It fucking sucks, and there’s so little room for nuance in conversations online about this. Seems like most (vocal) people have either chosen to totally boycott or go on like everything is the same as it was before the allegations came out.

[–]Chet2017 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had Boston tickets and didn’t go to the show. No one wanted the tickets, even at face value. After Beck bowed out there was zero interest

[–]funnyfrog11 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Personally, it was a bit of both for me. I was actually going to sell my ticket/ask for a refund, but of course no one was able to do that. I was also torn about going.

They're still one of the best live bands/shows around, the setlist was almost completely only high-energy material, they had amazing transitions between songs (Want to say it was Rabbit Hole into Reflektor), I lost myself in a good handful of songs, and the overall mix of dancing, lighting and stage design was top notch.

But admittedly the energy just felt a little weird for me personally. I believe the allegations so I just can't see Win in the same light anymore, so as a result I'd be riding the high of the set and then feel conflicted at other times. I really don't understand the amount of people that treat SA stories like this as "hit pieces" or ways to grab attention.

It definitely wasn't AS PACKED as it would be by any means, particularly for their hometown show, but I was surprised the seated sections were actually full. And while I'm sure there were many like me who were rallying for some songs and feeling torn during others, it did seem like most people didn't care.

I think this will be the last tour I catch for a bit though, I can't see them the same way after this.

[–]Winterheadphones 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very well said. I had the same rollercoaster throughout the night.

I’ve been listening to AF since Funeral and have seen them live many times, and this felt…different. I think it’s because I always held the band in high regard because they seemed bent on making the world a better place. I still believe they do but there’s a certain cognitive dissonance.

People make mistakes. And time is typically a good healer, but, time will tell whether the band and their fans (who struggle with it) can overcome this hurdle.

[–]One-Sea-6153 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Killers packed Climate Pledge in Seattle in August. AF was half full (two days B4 Thanksgiving)...and the band noted it, noted the seated upper rows, but still delivered and were totally engaged with the audience, walking thru it, etc. Win did make a "sort of admission" b4 Unconditional "For all the parents out there who might have fucked up; and that's EVERYONE then, because no one is fucking perfect!" At the end they thanked Seattle fans profusely, I might have been reading too much into it because it almost seemed like a swan song to me... They said they could have never gotten where they were without the fans and music of the Emerald City and he lowered his head. This was the night before the alleged 5th "complaining witness" (hey, I'm a criminal defense attorney, deal with it ✌️) was public so no doubt they knew right then B4 performing that another allegation was coming. Still, they did great!! ❤️❤️ I'm 60. I've seen a lot. I've seen a lot of concerts all over and this was one of the best. It's not like he's been accused of being with "Sweet, sweet Connie" who was the notorious 14 year old groupie of the 70s. I'm not going to cancel the band, in my mind, over some young women who think that they can be his side chick over Régine. 😂 Time to scrap the "holier than tho" talk of their beginnings tho. I mean you can care about the world with tons of volunteerism and cheat on your wife at the same time, but it's not a good look. IMHO. Still best band, best concert I've seen in 10 years. ✌️