Cultural short memory syndrome: Arcade Fire
We know some critics can have short memories but this seems a bit of a turn around by Alex Petridis. Or maybe as the Guardian were sponsoring the event, everything including the poor organisation at this year Glasto had to be shown as rosy, that or Alex is a bit of suck up to whom ever he's interviewing.
Here's what he said into today's arts section
Certainly, their performance at Glastonbury, anticipated by many as the event's highlight, fell noticeably short of expectation: while no disaster, they didn't quite set the sodden environs of Worthy Farm alight in the way that their forebears Radiohead did a decade before.
Here's what he said just 4 months ago:
Review: Arcade Fire
Alexis Petridis
Saturday June 23, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
Stage: Other
Time: Friday, 9:20pm
Highlight: It was a set liberally laden with anthemic moments, but Wake Up remains the most anthemic.
Mark out of ten: 9
Where they'll be on the bill next year: If their trajectory continues at the current rate, it's not inconceivable that they'll be headlining.
3 comments:
I'm not a big fan of Alex P (he was once dismissive about my beloved Cake: "sounds a bit like the Police").
But hey, let's be charitable here. One's allowed to change one's mind. Who hasn't raved about something fresh in their mind, only to have the memory fade into something less remarkable.
A gig can be magnificent in the here-and-now, without leaving a lasting impression. Or it can leave an indelible memory you'll never forget. Both are good in different ways. Like a confection versus a cordon bleu meal.
You are probably right, I am wary of media organisations reviewing events they are sponsoring. Also the whole Radiohead at glasto thing has been blow out of proportion. I was at the festival at the time and afterwards I don't remember people who saw them going on about as if it was the second coming. Having said that I spent the evening wasting my time waiting for Bobby Gillespie to pull himself out off Kate Moss and on to the stage.
can you email me
rob@wordmagazine.co.uk
thanks!
Post a Comment