Arcade Fire - Live
[Glasgow SECC]

The last time Canadian collective Arcade Fire hit Glasgow, they almost brought the house down at the Barrowlands. Their unrivalled stage energy and passion seemed to compliment that venue, with its low roof, electric atmosphere and dynamic sound system. It was a relief to see front man Win Butler looking the picture of health, as he appeared on the SECC stage. During that Barrowlands gig, the last time we saw him he dived straight into the crowd before being swamped by literally hundreds of Glaswegians. No-one actually knew if he had made it out alive.

Basically, no venue in Glasgow, and possibly Britain, can rival the Barrowlands experience and as the band stepped onto the stage of the vast SECC, you knew immediately they faced an uphill battle to fill the soulless arena with their wonderful music. But with a ten-piece band featuring a string and horn section, keyboards, two guitars, drums, a hurdy-gurdy, megaphones and motorcycle helmets, the band gave it everything they had.

There was an early, welcome airing of the sublime “No Cars Go”, complete with the euphoric, sing-along chorus towards its end, while the likes of “Intervention” and “Black Mirror” (from “Neon Bible”) went down a storm too. But it is the material from “Funeral” that still strikes the biggest chord, with “Neighborhood (Tunnels)” and “Neighborhood (Power Out)” particularly displaying Arcade Fire’s awesome force.

There is nothing more exciting than seeing this band in full flight and both songs highlighted just why they are rated so highly. It’s difficult to know where to look half the time, Win Butler’s strong presence is rivaled by the chaos that is unfolding around him as band members jump around the stage hitting any instruments they can get their hands on.

Typically, though, Win and co left the best until last, launching into an outstanding version of “Wake Up” for a fitting encore. This track is fast becoming an anthem for our generation.

Perhaps some of the Arcade Fire magic was lost within the walls of the SECC; they are definitely suited to smaller, intimate venues. Whether they are victims of their own success is irrelevant, at this stage you will be hard pushed to find a better live act on the planet. Phenomenal.