Arcade Fire honour David Bowie and Lorde gets emotional with … – NME.com

If you give us your fucking heart, well give you ours, declares Arcade Fires Win Butler to the thousands of devotees with arms outstretched into the Belgian sunset. Its only the opening day of Rock Werchter 2017, and Butlers promise perfectly captures the spirit of the occasion an unbridled display of passion from music fans who just want to lose their minds, regardless of whats on stage.

Is it loud enough? snarls Savages Jehnny Beth earlier on, Christening the main stage, I know its early, but its about to get a little louder. Back on stage together for the first time in seven months, the band actively lead punk away from nihilism and towards an energetic celebration of life, unity, and defiance. Beth spends just as much time walking over the crowd as she does stalking the stage like a predator, her every move an inflammatory invitation for the crowd to lose their shit.

That same mood lingers as the crowd swells for the Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill supergroup Prophets Of Rage with punk power and politics out on parade to make Belgium rage again. Theres no thrill comparable to the primal reaction of hearing Testify, Sleep Now In The Fire and Killing In The Name played by the three metal pioneers themselves, but the vocals of Chuck D and B-Real with the backing of DJ Lord make the aggression much more streetwise and allows for a wider allowance of diversity. Throwing in covers of Fight The Power, Jump Around and How I Could Just Kill A Man destroys the boundaries of genre, and creates a reaction nothing short of feral.

Savages at Rock Werchter 2017

Were from a country very, very far from away from here, a visibly humbled Lorde tells the packed out Barn stage. It would take me a day to get home right now.

Introducing the tender Liability, she opens up: This is a song about being alone and learning how to be alone for the first time, because its something you have to learn. Its one thing to go Im going to go to a restaurant by myself. Youre sitting there, youve looked at everything you could possibly look at on your phone, and you think shit, have I missed something? For me, I was always scared to be alone because I felt like I was kind of a loser and when I was by myself I was way more aware of that.

I think everyone knows how it feels to walk into a room and be scared that youre too much for everyone, or that everyones just going to leave, she starts to stifle tears. But I want you to know, its going to be OK.

Its a rare privilege to see one on the finest performers of the planet in such a setting. Stripped of the huge perspex box set-up that dominated the stage at Coachella and Glastonbury, Lorde stands before us with a much more direct and intimate performance. Shes a stones throw away, dancing like nobodys watching, treating the audience like friends. Theres a warmth saved for the invertedanthemics of Tennis Court, Team and a deafening sing-along of Royals, while theres nothing quite like the sheer abandon that overtakes you for Supercut and Green Light. Everything feels heightened in here, but ultimately human.Theres no persona, no gimmicks, its just us and Ella. She could make anywhere feel like home.

Lorde at Rock Werchter 2017

Theres a rush to the main stage where the crowd stretches on into the horizon awaiting Arcade Fire. The disco instrumental of Everything Now whirrs up and Werchter is at once lost to dance for an unrelenting 90 minutes. Anthem follows anthem as Win Butler and co create a carnival with 16 songs. The choral call to arms of their early material with Rebellion (Lies) and Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) inspires the same religious fervour as it did back in 2004, but the full journey of the setlist shows a band highly evolved and at the peak of their powers.

Sing this one for David Bowie, says Butler of their late friend and collaborator, introducing The Suburbs. David, we miss you so fucking so much. Lets pray that somewhere, a child is born with David Bowies soul.Save your prayers, as it is Arcade Fire who have picked up his torch and are charging with it into the distant future. While Reflektor, Here Comes The Night Time and Afterlife from the previous record saw the band move from antiquity into the space, the adventurous dance-driven new tracks Creature Comfort and Signs Of Life are among the best received this evening an acknowledgement of that chameleon-like swagger into new terrain that they inherited from the Thin White Duke.

Closed with a seismic sing-along of Wake Up before Butler awards his tambourine to a young girl in the crowd who spent the entire show on her fathers shoulders, Arcade Fire couldnt possibly have given much more.Kings Of Leon ended the night with a set loaded with the arena friendly warmth of their latter days, but sadly lacking in the danger that first made you fall in love with them. Theyre a band built for festivals and can do little wrong, but it was the magic of Arcade Fire that will remain the enduring memory of the day. They just had it every member performing as if it was the last night on Earth, and the audience giving the love back in spades. To see them in 2017, is to watch Arcade Fire reaching a career high. That is how you win hearts, and they have ours.

Arcade Fire at Rock Werchter 2017

Everything Now Rebellion (Lies) Here Comes the Night Time Signs of Life No Cars Go The Suburbs The Suburbs (Continued) Ready to Start Month of May Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) Reflektor Afterlife Creature Comfort Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) Wake Up

Excerpt from:

Arcade Fire honour David Bowie and Lorde gets emotional with ... - NME.com