Arcade Fire rock Ireland

Hot Press was in attendance both days at the Olympia, which Regine Chassagne told Hot Press in an exclusive interview was "so nice - you couldn't find a nicer venue".

The setlist, for 5 March at least, was:

'Keep The Car Running'
'Black Mirror'
'No Cars Go'
'Haiti'
'Black Wave/Bad Vibrations'
'My Body Is A Cage'
'The Well & The Lighthouse'
'Ocean Of Noise'
'Neighborhood # 1 (Tunnels)'
'Crown Of Love'
'Neighborhood # 3 (Power Out)'
'Rebellion (Lies)'
'Intervention'
'Wake Up'
'(Antichrist Television Blues)'
'Neon Bible'

Although the first night was marred by a limited soundcheck ("everyone got off the plane and played, basically", said Richard Reed Parry), which ran into technical issues that delayed the start, the second night began promptly at 9pm and lasted nearly two hours, playing:
'No Cars Go'
'Haiti'
'Black Mirror'
'Keep The Car Running'
'(Antichrist Television Blues)'
'Black Wave/Bad Vibrations'
'My Body Is A Cage'
'The Well & The Lighthouse'
'Windowsill'
'Neighborhood # 1 (Tunnels)'
'Neighborhood # 3 (Power Out)'
'Rebellion (Lies)'
'Intervention'
'Wake Up'
'Neighborhood #2 (Laika)'

With Choice Award winner Neil Hannon and U2's The Edge and Larry Mullen among the spectators, Win Butler used to the stage not only to lambast George Bush, but also give praise to Ireland, a sentiment echoed by his bandmates.
"I have a real crush on Ireland," Regine told Hot Press.
Richard continues: "It's really exciting to start here, because the Electric Picnic show was everybody's favourite show of all of Europe by far, so it was deliberate: 'Let's release the album and start in Ireland, that would be so awesome.'"
For a full review of their gig, see the issue of Hot Press that comes out on March 22.
View the photo gallery from the night!
Pics: Graham Keogh