Standing at the front of the queue for Arcade Fire’s Dublin concert on Tuesday night, the start of the band’s European tour, Rón Maguire was stranded somewhere between agony and ecstasy.
“I’ve been listening to them my whole life,” said the 20-year-old coed, who wore a homemade Arcade Fire T-shirt. “But this news, my goodness Louise, I was exhausted. There’s a lot of musicians who do terrible things, but Win?”
Earlier this week, singer Win Butler was accused by four people of sexual misconduct. He has denied the allegations, but it left some fans with tickets to the first night of their European tour – and their first show since the allegations surfaced on Saturday – with a dilemma: to go or not?
Radio stations in Canada and the US have started removing the band’s songs from playlists. Commentators on social media have urged fans to boycott upcoming concerts in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and elsewhere. Some fans in Dublin said on Twitter they had decided not to attend.
Many were surprised that the tour took place at all. Asked for comment, a publicist from Arcade Fire said only that the band would continue touring promoting their new album We.
JD Carey (left) and Rón Maguire queue up for Arcade Fire’s concert at the 3Arena in Dublin. Photo: Rory Carroll/The GuardianAt the 3Arena, the show’s opening act, Canadian singer Feist, did not mention the allegations during her performance. She displayed a poster at her merchandise stand promising to donate proceeds from her sales to Women’s Aid, an Irish charity that helps victims of domestic violence. Her publicist did not respond to a request for comment.
Maguire’s solution to the dilemma was to have details of the allegations against Butler until after the show. “I’d rather not know that now. I think once I’ll be in the zone. I’ll read about it when I get home. I’ll get upset.”
Maguire’s companion JD Carey, 18, came in solidarity with her friend but felt uncomfortable. “It’s terrible for the victims to see that the fans are still supporting the band.”
In the arena, Shan Conley, 19, echoed the mood. “I wouldn’t have bought the ticket if the news had come out before then. I wouldn’t want to add to his credit if he did something like that.”
Her companion, Steve Dowling, 20, had no doubts about attending. “Until he’s proven guilty, it’s just accusations.”
An investigation by the US music magazine Pitchfork found that four people between the ages of 18 and 23 accused Butler of inappropriate behavior. The three women and one gender impersonator have accused the singer of exploiting his fame and fandom, including sending unsolicited sexual messages, in incidents between 2015 and 2020 when Butler was between the ages of 34 and 39.
Win Butler performs in Dublin. Photo: Debbie Hickey/Getty ImagesButler said relations were amicable: “It’s deeply revisionist and frankly just plain wrong for anyone to suggest otherwise.”
The controversy shocked many, as Arcade Fire became an indie musical aristocracy – they played Barack Obama’s inauguration – based on anthemic songs and a sane, politically progressive image. Butler’s longtime partner Régine Chassagne performs with the band and defended him to Pitchfork by saying she was “sure” he had never touched a woman without consent.
Butler caused a stir just before the show in Dublin as he strode through the arena and greeted surprised, delighted fans. A woman who had heard about the allegations via Twitter minutes earlier posed beaming for selfies with the Grammy winner. She will read about the allegations after the show, she said.
When asked by the Guardian if he would address the controversy from the stage, Butler paused, shrugged, offered a handshake and walked away.
To a deafening cheer from a nearly sold-out arena, Butler took the stage and thanked the audience “from the bottom of his heart” for attending. The closest he came to an allusion to the allegations.
Minimizing the banter, he kicked off with the band’s classic hit, Wake Up, and delivered a high-energy set with Chassagne and the rest of the band, mixing old hits and new songs.
The band left the stage to a clip of Ben E. King’s Stand By Me, another possible nod to the situation.
The enthusiastic response from the crowd — and the lack of obvious heckling — suggested those fans, at least, were staying true to the belief.
“He’s a rock star, it’s local, it’s the lifestyle,” said Dessie Hamill, 60, who left her home in Northern Ireland that morning to secure a seat at the front of the stage. “Women chase him every day of the week. They are one of the biggest bands in the world.”
Others were unaware of the allegations and shrugged when they were told. “No offense to the male species, but a man is a man,” said a woman in her 30s. “I’m only here for the music.”
Others admitted unease but said they separated the art from the artist. “I’m not making any apologies, but various artists have behaved questionably in the past and you still listen to music,” said Silvia D’Angelo, 31, from Italy.
Another female fan, aged 29, echoed the sentiment. “People still listen to Michael Jackson.” She declined to give her name, citing reactions from younger “awakened” colleagues.
Pat O’Leary, 50, said the allegations surprised him. “Arcade Fire would have a certain stamp of approval when it comes to doing the right thing.” He had bought a t-shirt with the proceeds going to Haiti. Allegations of sexual misconduct have tainted other creative figures like Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, O’Leary said. “Would it stop me from watching Chinatown? No.”