Arcade Fire Sets Churches Across the UK Ablaze!

I just can't turn away from anything related to the Arcade Fire. Whether they are taking the collective bathroom break, or making a new record, or singing outside of churches - I will never be able to deny this band.

Speaking of the latter in that series, the Arcade Fire is currently on tour of the UK, playing the randomest of venues across the island nation - churches. While this trend is continuing across the seas in Montreal and New York in the coming weeks, let's hope that another trend of this tour manifests itself. After playing sets that probably last an hour or a little more, the band members take to the church steps for the encore.

Uh, yeah. You know, like the outside of churches... and how they all have steps into them? Those steps are the next stage for the band's performances.

Maybe it's an attempt to get to the fans who weren't as close as they could've been at the actual show (you know, with seats and a proper stage, etc.). Maybe it's an attempt to connect to new fans and be as intimate as possible by literally playing in a crowd. Or maybe they are just passionate about what they do and what they represent to their fans. Who knows, but whatever their motives are, I think it's just the coolest thing around.

I mean, the Arcade Fire aren't the world's most important band (yet), but to reach out and be cavaliers with their fans is pretty unreal. I've always heard stories about bands "returning to their roots" by playing dive bars or doing record signings or something - but THIS, this isn't even a retread of their past. This is something that everyone who was a part of it will remember it for quite a while. It's not every day that you have the opportunity to actually stand next to your favorite band (literally!) while they play for you and the few hundred (if that many!) that surround you.

To get a glimpse of what the Arcade Fire are doing across the UK, check out their encore from their gig at the Porchester Hall in London just last night:



And if you can tolerate Regine's wimpers, take a look at this vid from the 29th of January after the Arcade Fire performed at St. John's Church, also in London: