Arcade Fire Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Arcade Fire appeared on Saturday Night Live last night (May 7), performing two tracks from ‘WE’ and seemingly speaking out about abortion rights.Earlier this week, a leaked draft from the US Supreme Court suggested the organisation is preparing to overturn Roe V. Wade – a 1973 ruling that made abortion legal on a federal level.Arcade Fire used their performance on Saturday Night Live to seemingly critique the proposed draft.After a powerful performance of ‘The Lightning I,II’, vocalist Win Butler returned to the mic to say “a woman’s right to choose forever and ever and ever.

Arcade Fire have announced details of a new world tour, set to take place later this year in support of their new album ‘WE’.The band released the record – their sixth so far – earlier today (May 6) and will hit the road in September, following on from one-off dates in New Orleans, New York, Coachella, and London in the run-up to the LP’s release.The tour will kick off in Dublin on August 30, taking the group across the UK and into Europe throughout September. The North American leg of the tour will begin in Washington D.C.

Arcade Fire and Benedict Cumberbatch have appeared together in a humorous new promo clip for this weekend’s Saturday Night Live – you can watch the band constantly interrupt the actor below.Arcade Fire will feature on the long-running comedy series tomorrow (May 7) as the musical guests, where they’ll perform in support of their new album ‘WE’.The band will be joined tomorrow by SNL guest-host Cumberbatch, who is taking on the role this weekend in support of his new film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.A new SNL promo has now been released starring the actor and Arcade Fire, along with castmember Ego Nwodim. In the clip, Cumberbatch attempts to present the segment according to the script, but his efforts are scuppered by Nwodim and the members of Arcade Fire, who all chip in to individually introduce themselves.The clip ends with Cumberbatch walking off in mock-frustration, leaving Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara to introduce himself on his own.

Arcade Fire have opened up to NME about the recent departure of Will Butler from the band.Arcade Fire were founded by multi-instrumentalist Win Butler, Will’s brother, in Montreal in the early 2000s, with Butler joining in 2004 ahead of their debut album ‘Funeral’.After the band returned in March with news of their sixth album ‘WE’, and a video for its first single ‘The Lightning I, II’, Will confirmed on social media that he had left Arcade Fire.In a series of tweets posted on March 19, Will revealed that he had left the band at the end of last year, saying that it was “time for new things” and that the band remain his “friends and family”.“Hi friends— I’ve left Arcade Fire,” he wrote. “I left at the end of last year, after the new record was complete.

Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, titled ‘L.E.S (Liberté Égalité Sagacité)’.The song opens Kwenders’ new album ‘José Louis And The Paradox Of Love’, which arrived last Friday (April 29). A vibrant nine-and-a-half-minute dance track, it features keys from Chassagne and vocals from Butler, as well as production from American DJ, King Britt.Check out the track, a swirling mix of African-inspired beats, electronica and atmospheric synths, below:‘José Louis And The Paradox Of Love’, released via Arts & Crafts, is Kwenders’ third full-length album, and his first since 2017’s ‘MAKANDA At The End Of Space And Beginning of Time’.

NME about the improvements made and what it means for music fans, artists and culture in the city.Before relaunching as a “50,000-square foot state-of-the-art live music venue and broadcasting house”, the venue (located on 1A Camden High Street) initially shut in 2019 for a planned one-year refurbishment. Those plans were scuppered after a fire broke out at the venue in January 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic and “colossal water damage” further holding up progress.This week (Friday April 29) saw Arcade Fire play the first gig back at the newly renovated Camden venue to launch their upcoming album ‘WE‘, before Luciano headlined the first ‘KOKO Electronic’ night the following evening to celebrate the venue’s major £70million renovation.We had @arcadeFire open our theatre last night – a phenomenal, truly moving performance from one of the world’s best live acts.

Arcade Fire returned to London last night (April 29) with a special show at the newly opened KOKO – watch the performance and see the setlist below.The Canadian band made their first UK live appearance since 2018 at the Camden Town venue, which had been closed for three years for a £70million restoration and redevelopment.Fans who didn’t manage to secure a ticket to the intimate gig were able to live-stream it via the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch. Now, the platform has shared a replay of the concert that can be watched on-demand.Arcade Fire kicked off their 20-song set by playing the as-yet-unreleased ‘Age Of Anxiety I’, which will appear on their upcoming sixth studio album, ‘WE’.“Hi London, we really fucking missed you a lot,” frontman Win Butler told the audience at the start of the show.Butler and co.

Arcade Fire are just over a week away from the scheduled release of their sixth studio LP, WE. Announced in March along with the arrival of its first single, "The Lightning I, II," the record will be their first since 2017's Everything Now.

Arcade Fire have released ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’, the latest single to be taken from their forthcoming album ‘WE’.The track was initially teased by the band on April 12, when frontman Win Butler posted a video on Instagram of a vinyl version of the album playing. “Next single is,” he is heard saying before a slow strumming song kicks off with the lyrics “Lookout kid trust your heart / you don’t have to play the part.”‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ has now been shared by the band on their social media, with a caption on Instagram reading: “There’s nothing saccharine about unconditional love in a world that is coming apart at the seams.

Arcade Fire have announced details of ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’, the next single to be taken from their forthcoming album ‘WE’.The track will follow ‘The Lightning I’ and ‘The Lightning II’, both of which arrived in March and are the only tastes of the album to be shared so far.The band first began teasing the release of ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ on April 12, when frontman Win Butler posted a video on Instagram of a vinyl version of the album playing. “Next single is,” he is heard saying before a slow strumming song kicks off with the lyrics “Lookout kid trust your heart / you don’t have to play the part.”Now, Arcade Fire have confirmed that the new single will arrive later this week.

Arcade Fire have spoken about Peter Gabriel and Father John Misty‘s contributions to their upcoming new album, ‘WE’.The Canadian band are due to release their sixth studio effort on May 6 via Columbia Records. It was produced by long-term Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich along with the group’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne.During a recent interview with the Montreal Gazette, it was noted that Gabriel contributed to a dance-orientated album track called ‘Unconditional II (Race and Religion)’ on which Chassagne takes the lead.“[Gabriel] came to the studio and we had a day to work on it,” Butler told the outlet.

Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler has spoken about the experience of writing the band’s new album ‘WE’ during the pandemic.In a new interview with the Montreal Gazette, Butler reflected on the making of their upcoming sixth studio album, during which he and his wife and bandmate Régine Chassagne, who were in New Orleans, were separated from the rest of the band due to lockdown.“They were closing the borders to Canada,” he said. “We had written ‘Age of Anxiety’, ‘End of the Empire’ and a bunch of songs.

Arcade Fire are set to headline the reopening night of London’s KOKO venue later this month.KOKO, which is located on 1A Camden High Street in north London, will reopen this month as a 50,000 square foot “state-of-the-art live music venue and broadcasting house” following a three-year, £70million restoration and redevelopment.The venue will open its doors once again on April 29, with the night featuring a special headline show from Arcade Fire – marking their first UK live performance since April 2018.The band will play in support of their forthcoming new album ‘We’, which is set for release on May 6 and has already been previewed by ‘The Lightning I, II’.A post shared by Arcade Fire (@arcadefire)Tickets for Arcade Fire’s KOKO show will go on sale at 12pm on Thursday (April 21) from here, while pre-sale access to tickets is available with pre-orders of ‘We’ on any format from the official Arcade Fire UK store.Fans around the world will also be able to tune in to the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch on Friday to watch the KOKO gig from home, while they can also enjoy Arcade Fire on their [RE]DISCOVER playlist.KOKO’s reopening weekend will also feature the inaugural KOKO Electronic club night, which will see an extended set from deep house / techno DJ Luciano. Central Cee will then play two sets at the venue on May 1 at 4pm and 8pm.The likes of Lianne La Havas, Chase & Status and Pete Doherty are all set to perform at KOKO next month.

Arcade Fire debuting new song ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ at Coachella 2022 – check it out below.The band played a secret set at the Californian festival on Friday (April 15) ahead of the release of new album ‘WE’, which is due out next month. Over the last few weeks they’ve made their live comebacks with gigs in New York, New Orleans and elsewhere.The hour-long set saw the band open with recent single ‘The Lightning I, II’ before playing hits from their five studio albums to date including ‘Wake Up’, ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ and ‘Everything Now’.Before playing their new song, ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’, which was teased last week, frontman Win Butler dedicated the track to his son.

Arcade Fire have been announced as upcoming musical guests on Saturday Night Live.It will be the fifth time the band have appeared as musical guests on the show and they will next take to the SNL stage on May 7.The episode will be hosted by The Power of The Dog actor Benedict Cumberbatch. It will be his second time hosting the long-running comedy show after his last stint in November 2016.Arcade Fire have previously appeared on the show in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018.Benedict! Arcade Fire! pic.twitter.com/o4bmfrBxaX— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) April 17, 2022Meanwhile, Arcade Fire paused their emotional Coachella 2022 set twice on Friday (April 15) on the first day of the festival.The band was announced as a surprise addition to the lineup on Thursday (April 14) and played at the desert festival’s Mojave tent.Less than a minute into the set, frontman Win Butler stopped their new track ‘The Lightning I’ after seeing a fan in the front of the pit who needed help.

Arcade Fire paused their emotional Coachella 2022 set twice on Friday (April 15).The band was announced as a surprise addition to the lineup on Thursday (April 14) and played at the desert festival’s Mojave tent.Less than a minute into the set, frontman Win Butler stopped their new track ‘The Lightning, I’ after seeing a fan in the front of the pit who needed help. Butler then called for a medic, as the crowd erupted in cheers.Later in the set, he acknowledged the moment and festival safety, telling the packed tent “If you see someone out of their mind on drugs, find a fucking doctor.”The band took another pause during the set, which featured multiple previews from their yet to be released sixth album, ‘WE’.Before playing their new song, ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ Butler dedicated the track to his son.

As announced earlier this week, Arcade Fire played a secret set on the first day of Coachella 2022 yesterday (April 15) – see photos, footage, setlist and more below.Frontman Win Butler teased the band’s appearance on Thursday (April 14) on Twitter, noting that he was spending his birthday at the California event. “Decided to spend my birthday somewhere warm and dry,” he wrote, posting a picture of himself throwing up the peace sign in what could be the backstage area of the festival.Yesterday, the band performed in the Mojave Tent at the California festival, which was headlined by Harry Styles.During the set, the band performed tracks from upcoming new album ‘WE’, due out next month.

Arcade Fire have favored the element of surprise on the release cycle of their sixth studio album, WE. In mid-March, they played a Ukraine benefit concert in their adopted hometown of New Orleans on one night's notice and followed it up the same week with news of their forthcoming record — due out May 6 via Columbia — and the release of "Lightning I, II," their first official single in nearly five years.

Arcade Fire have been announced as surprise guests for this weekend’s Coachella festival.Frontman Win Butler teased the band’s appearance earlier today (April 14) on Twitter, noting that he was spending his birthday at the California event.“Decided to spend my birthday somewhere warm and dry [palm tree emoji] @coachella,” he wrote, posting a picture of himself throwing up the peace sign in what could be the backstage area of the festival.Decided to spend my birthday somewhere warm and dry

Arcade Fire have been announced as the replacement for Foo Fighters at the Osheaga Music And Arts Festival.The three-day event is due to take place in Montréal, Canada between July 29 and August 1, with A$AP Rocky and Dua Lipa headlining the Saturday and Sunday nights respectively. It’ll mark the festival’s 15th anniversary.Foo Fighters had been scheduled to top the bill on the Friday evening, but last month cancelled all of their upcoming gigs in the wake of the tragic death of their drummer Taylor Hawkins.Today (April 14) Osheaga organisers took to social media to confirm that Arcade Fire will now headline instead.

Arcade Fire have teased the next single, from their forthcoming sixth album ‘WE’. Watch the video clip below.In a reel shared on the Canadian band’s Instagram page, Win Butler plays their yet to be released album, ‘WE’ on vinyl.As the record spins, you can hear Butler say “first single was” before playing the album’s lead track ‘Lightning I’.

Arcade Fire performed their special live-streamed gig in New Orleans, Louisiana last Friday (April 1), during which they played three songs from their forthcoming sixth album, ‘WE’.The set, which took place at Woldenberg Park as part of a “block party” event hosted by US telco AT&T, ran for over an hour and a half. The indie-rock trailblazers performed a total of 18 tracks, drawing material from all six of their full-length efforts (as well as 2020’s standalone single ‘Generation A’).Kicking off the set were the first two tracks released as singles from ‘WE’, ‘The Lightning I’ and ‘The Lightning II’, which set a soaring and anthemic tone for the night’s performance.

Arcade Fire‘s four-night run of intimate, surprise New York shows raised more than $100,000 for the PLUS1 Ukraine Relief Fund.The Canadian rock band’s unexpected gigs, which took place last week from March 18 – March 21 at New York City’s 575-capacity Bowery Ballroom, were signalled via flyers and social media posts only a few short hours before taking place.

Arcade Fire are set to perform a special livestream show in New Orleans, Louisiana this Friday (April 1).The Canadian band, who recently returned with the single ‘The Lightning I, II’, will play a live set as part of a “block party” event hosted by the US phone company AT&T.Per an official listing, fans will be able to “experience Arcade Fire from every angle with real-time, multi-camera views” via “the power of AT&T 5G”. Support comes from King Princess and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.Win Butler and co.

Arcade Fire and David Byrne covered Plastic Ono Band‘s protest song ‘Give Peace A Chance’ at the final night of four Ukraine benefit gigs in New York City.The Canadian band were joined by the legendary soloist and former Talking Heads frontman for the rendition of John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band’s 1969 single last night (March 21) at Bowery Ballroom.The performance wrapped Arcade Fire’s stint at the NYC venue that has raised money for the Plus1 Ukraine Relief Fund. Initially, the band announced a last-minute show at the Ballroom on Friday (March 18), saying that attendees could pay what they could afford.But more spontaneous pay-what-you-feel shows followed over the weekend into last night’s gig, at which Byrne made a special appearance as well as actor Mike Myers.A post shared by instatam (@tammietam)Myers made a political speech ahead of the encore, which saw Arcade Fire play ‘Wake Up’ and the unreleased ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ from their forthcoming album ‘WE‘.“You can have the government you want, but once you lose democracy, you are fucked.

Will Butler has announced that he’s quit Arcade Fire after two decades in the band.The band were founded by multi-instrumentalist Butler’s brother Win in Montreal in the early 2000s, with Butler joining in 2004 ahead of their debut album, ‘Funeral’. The band returned this week with news of sixth album, ‘WE’, and a video for first single ‘The Lightning I, II’, in which Butler did not appear.In a new series of tweets posted tonight (March 19), Butler has revealed that he left the band at the end of last year, saying that it is “time for new things” and that the band remain his “friends and family”.Butler wrote: Hi friends— I’ve left Arcade Fire.

Arcade Fire have announced a last minute concert in New York tonight (March 18) to help victims in Ukraine.The band took to Instagram today to confirm they are playing a benefit show at the Bowery Ballroom – watch the announcement clip below.In the post, frontman Win Butler and band member Richard Reed Parry can be seen stapling posters for the show on a message board.“Hey New York, we’re gonna play a show tonight, if you guys wanna come,” says frontman Win Butler. “It’s a benefit gig for Ukraine at the Bowery Ballroom.”A post shared by Arcade Fire (@arcadefire)A caption on the clip also says “pay what u can” but no further information on how to purchase the tickets has been posted.It comes after the band played a benefit concert for Ukraine in New Orleans earlier this week.That show saw Arcade Fire play a number of new tracks including their single ‘The Lightning, I, II’, ‘Age of Anxiety’, and ‘Rabbit Hole’.All proceeds from that “pay-what-you-can” gig went to benefit the Plus1 Ukraine relief fund, which is supporting Ukrainian people through non-profits providing humanitarian aid as Russia’s invasion of the country continues.Meanwhile, the band unveiled details of their new album ‘WE’ yesterday (March 17).Speaking about their sixth studio LP, Butler said creating it was “the longest we’ve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever.”Described as a “concise 40 minute epic” in a statement, it contains seven songs and is “as much about the forces that threaten to pull us away from the people we love, as it is inspired by the urgent need to overcome them”, according to a press release.

Arcade Fire have today (March 17) unveiled details of their new album ‘WE’ and shared new single ‘The Lightning, I, II’ – check it out below.The band’s sixth studio album will arrive on May 6 via Columbia Records and has been produced with long-term Radiohead collaborator, Nigel Godrich along with the band’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne.Speaking about the new album, Butler said creating it was “the longest we’ve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever.”Described as a “concise 40 minute epic” in a statement, it contains seven songs and is “as much about the forces that threaten to pull us away from the people we love, as it is inspired by the urgent need to overcome them”, according to a press release.It added: “‘WE’’s cathartic journey follows a definable arc from darkness into light over the course of seven songs divided into two distinct sides – Side ‘I’ channeling the fear and loneliness of isolation and Side ‘WE’ expressing the joy and power of reconnection.”You can listen to the new track here:See the ‘WE’ tracklisting below:‘I’‘Age Of Anxiety I’‘Age Of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)’‘WE’‘End Of The Empire I-IV’‘The Lightning I, II’‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’‘Unconditional II (Race and Religion)’‘WE’The album’s cover art, which you can see above, is a photograph of a human eye by the artist JR.

Arcade Fire song has emerged on YouTube – watch ‘Rabbit Hole’ below.It’s come from their last-minute Ukraine benefit concert in New Orleans earlier this week (March 14), where the band also performed two other unreleased tracks.Taking place at Toulouse Theatre, all proceeds from the “pay-what-you-can” gig went to benefit the Plus1 Ukraine relief fund, which is supporting Ukrainian people through non-profits providing humanitarian aid as Russia’s invasion of the country continues.The gig was live-streamed via TikTok and Instagram, and snippets from that recording sees the band performing ‘Lightning I, II’, a song they recently revealed would be released this Thursday (March 17).The band also performed a second unreleased track, ‘Age Of Anxiety’. The song borrows elements from ‘Memories Of The Age of Anxiety’, a 45-minute instrumental ambient track they released for a meditation app last year.

Arcade Fire‘s last-minute Ukraine benefit concert in New Orleans last night (March 14), showing the band performing two unreleased tracks.Taking place at Toulouse Theatre, all proceeds from the “pay-what-you-can” gig will benefit the Plus1 Ukraine relief fund, which is supporting Ukrainian people through non-profits providing humanitarian aid as Russia’s invasion of the country continues.The gig was live-streamed via TikTok and Instagram, and snippets from that recording sees the band performing ‘Lightning I, II’, a song they recently revealed would be released this Thursday (March 17).The band also performed a second unreleased track, ‘Age of Anxiety’. The song borrows elements from ‘Memories of the Age of Anxiety’, a 45-minute instrumental ambient track they released for a meditation app last year.