Winter in the Neighbourhood

We had a few days of snow last week. It culminated on Wednesday night after the Arcade Fire concert, flakes falling, fresh white powder underfoot, each street light reminiscent of the lamp-post. A day or two later, it was either dirty sludge or hard-packed ice, quite devoid of its original romance. This is an image of London Fields, situated close to my home.

Arcade Fire were great. It was my first time seeing them - not really sure how it's taken so long for that to happen - and the show was at the O2, not really the place for a first viewing. Still, it was magic to look around and see that enormous, sold-out venue filled with such ardent fans. Impossible to get very close to the stage, it was more about appreciating the crowd with a great soundtrack.

When they played We Used To Wait in the encore, I was transfixed. Have you seen the video (must be viewed in Chrome)? The finale was Wake Up, but it was hard for me to wake up from the headspace of the wilderness downtown. I love the subject matter Arcade Fire dwell on. It takes me back to those endless, empty days. Small town, big freedom.

Setlist, photos, and video on Songkick here.

I had the good fortune to catch Janelle Monáe at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on Sunday, and Tightrope hasn't really left my head since. Highly recommended.