Arcade Fire - Earl's Court, London 06/06/14

Since their emergence with Funeral in 2003, Arcade Fire have skyrocketed in popularity from champions of indie to UK chart-topping, Glastonbury headliners. The guerrilla promotional campaign surrounding the release of their latest full-length Reflektor was an immaculate example of how to rouse support and stoke the excitement amongst existing fans and newcomers alike. Marry this drip-fed mystery with an unmistakable and extravagant new image, and the recipe for commercial success is starting to come together. And we’re yet to even mention the music.

Tonight the six-piece bring their flamboyant live show to, the somewhat forgotten, Earl’s Court. The sterile West London arena has recently been musically neglected in favour of the Capital’s more corporate O2, but it nonetheless provides the sense of occasion and an atmosphere of palpable excitement surrounds the sold out crowd; the eccentric dressing-up making for an almost cult-like feel amongst their followers.

And the band are worshipped as such. Stage set, the show begins with its brilliant, disco-infused title track and immediately the theatricals begin: not only does the sheer size and energy of the band provide instant excitement - they’re backed-up by bongo players, a beefy brass section and a second drum kit - but a shimmering figure, dressed head to toe in mirrors appears from the centre of the crowd, glinting like a human disco ball throughout the opening moments.

Indeed, this exuberance remains a running theme throughout numbers from the latest record: the contrasting crunch and beauty of “It’s Never Over (Hey Orpheus)” is bolstered by Régine Chassagne’s appearance alongside a troupe of skeleton-suited dancers on this centre platform. The effect of husband and wife singing across the sea of fans provides a magical highlight, alongside the impromptu dancefloor that encases a pocket of the crowd during “We Exist”, a guest appearance from Echo And The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch and the inevitable but nonetheless wonderful inclusion of the over-sized heads; this time mimicking the band with a Mexican rendition of “Bittersweet Symphony”, much to Butler’s faux-annoyance.

This circus-esque silliness is an unrivalled and unforgettable element of Arcade Fire’s show, and indeed their entire persona, but it is arguably their older work that still packs the bigger punch. Although, Neon Bible is all but omitted - a snippet of “My Body Is A Cage” serves as a mini reminder of the dark quality of that second record, as even “Keep The Car Running” fails to appear - the band treat us to a greatest hits-esque set list. “Rebellion (Lies)”, “Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)” and “Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)” all sound massive, powering through from Funeral, while singles from The Suburbs allow for the singalong nature of the performance to shine through; “Ready To Start” is a revved-up highlight that instigates enthusiastic bounding around from sections of the crowd.

Wrapping-up the set, the band emphasise their development in a nutshell: “Here Comes The Night Time” forces you to dance, like it or not, as an ocean of coloured streamers explode in a volcano of smoke, before the gloriously anthemic “Wake Up” closes the party. This latter track serves as proof of the position they have got to, as the incredibly ecclectic mix of fans join into one voice throughout and after this epic finale. They’re a world dominating music force with a live show that entirely justifies that acolade; the stadium rock show burns bright with Arcade Fire.

• Photo by Minh Le. See the full gallery here.