Sorry, I can't hear your accordion

Went to see Arcade Fire last night at the Big Top in the Phoeno. Was well stoked at the idea, seeing as I was one of the gobshites who went to Electric Picnic 2005 (widely touted as one of the finest live performances this country has ever seen) and didn't actually see them. That tends to happen to me a lot - I went to this years EP and missed Primal Scream, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and various other bands on my wishlist. I suppose there's something about rain and fields that makes best laid plans go out the tent window.

You can't fault Arcade Fire for my lack of post-show enthusiasm as they ripped up the stage, giving it socks from the off. The issue was the dirty big rubber tent that looked like something Fossett's would use if they were based out of Vegas and not poxy Mallow. I understand that trying to make a 10-piece band sound good under a bouncy castle's roof has it's difficulties, but thats what you pay €50 a ticket for isn't it? Also this was the second night that Arcade Fire played in the converted hot-air balloon - surely some lessons were learned from the previous nights guinea pigs? No, not fucking likely. I could have wrapped an argyle sweater around my head and it wouldn't have been any more muffled. I felt like a Barbara Streisand fan circa July 2007. Irked - time to ring Joe.

A side heckle is definitely the inability to purchase anythingthat wasn't Becks, "red wine", "white wine", or Abra. Yeah Abra doing outside catering, classic. Can just imagine the corporate bashes they cater for...