Arcade Fire try not to ‘wake the rich people up’ during headline set at British Summer Time concert

Arcade Fire headlined Hyde Park’s first British Summer Time 2014 concert last night, almost a week after their headlining set at Glastonbury. Acknowledging the dispute which has followed the British Summer Time concerts, the ever-charismatic frontman Win Butler jokingly exclaimed mid-set “Shh, don't wake the rich people up” - a clear reference to the local residents who kicked up a fuss when the British Summer Time concerts were announced earlier this year. How thoughtful of him to recognise the upper classes’ need for beauty sleep!

That’s not the only controversy which has plagued the concert series, which take place every summer. On 27th June a number of tickets for Arcade Fire, with a value of £66, were sold for £2.50 due to a leaked staff ticket offer, and were in fact accepted for entry. Two-for-one Arcade Fire tickets were also sold on bargain website Living Social. Sounds like a good deal if ever there was one!

With the temperature soaring to 27 degrees, the Canadian indie group, whose Hyde Park gig marks their last scheduled European appearance for 2014, proclaimed ‘It’s easy to fall in love in London on a day like this’. Opening with 'Normal Person’, their set revolved predominantly around songs from their 2013 album ‘Reflektor', including the album title track, 'It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)’ and ‘Afterlife’.

The band’s ‘fake art’ alter-ego The Reflektors appeared  on stage after the main set to dance to ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ by The Rolling Stones alongside a papier-mâché version of The Pope. Arcade Fire then returned to play an encore consisting of 'Here Comes The Night Time', 'Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)' and 'Wake Up’ - truly waking up the city which wanted to sleep. 

Earlier in the evening there were also performances by Future Islands and fellow indie contemporaries Wild Beasts and Jake Bugg.

Metro claimed that this Arcade Fire gig ‘could be the concert of the summer’. However, that’s not to write off the other acts of British Summer Time. The 6-day music event, which runs from 3rd-6th and 12th-13th July, will also feature headline performances by Black Sabbath, The Libertines, McBusted, Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Tom Jones, as well as other big-name support acts.

Original article: Electric Banana