Caught Live: Arcade Fire @ Hackney Empire, London

When news broke that Arcade Fire were set to play a ‘secret’ London show as a warm-up for their sprint across this summer’s festival circuit, blogs and message boards duly lit up with speculation as to where the band should perform. Several venues were suggested, with many fans basically saying anywhere but The Alexandra Palace – the drab North London theatre having been seen as a contributing factor to the Canadians’ relatively subdued 2007 shows in the capital.

Funnily enough, no one seemed to mention The Hackney Empire this time around. An old-school East London music hall that in recent years has been unforgivably relegated to the pantomime circuit, it can nevertheless lay claim (following renovations in 2004) to being one of London’s handsomest venues. As its regal name might suggest, it’s a space fit for a king – and tonight it’s playing host to a band many see as bona fide indie rock royalty.

The oohs and aahs can be heard from high up in the gallery as the band saunters onstage, frontman Win Butler beckoning those in the nosebleeds to stand and join them, and the place immediately erupts in pure joy. Bravely opening with a new song, the aptly-titled ‘Ready To Start’, the band clearly aren’t afraid to take some risks this evening.

But it soon becomes clear that tonight’s show is more than just a mic check for imminent third album The Suburbs, and it’s the songs from the band’s universally adored debut Funeral that really set the place alight. 'Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)' is the first of many older numbers to send the breathlessly expectant room into a frenzy. This is no mere box-ticking run through old numbers, however; Arcade Fire aren’t really a going-through-the-motions sort of band after all. They deliver tonight’s set with such vigour and energy that you’d be forgiven for thinking these songs were new, and not already seven years old.

For a band whose music is so replete with religious overtones, it’s little surprise that Arcade Fire live shows tend to centre around the unifying power of music as religion. Tonight people all around me embrace perfect strangers, tears of joy flow down the aisles, and jaws uniformly hit the ground time and time again.

Returning to the new material, Win, Regine and co. bring the main set to a close with the observationally-punky ‘Month Of May’, before departing the stage as the sweat-drenched crowd begin screaming for more. As they return and ease into the encore with the rarely-played – but clearly cherished – ‘Crown Of Love’, it’s lump-in-the-throat time for myself and the majority in attendance, an emotional choir of disciples easily drowning out the band. Butler is visibly taken aback by the response, and the smiles on the faces of him and his bandmates are worth the entry fee alone. 'Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)' and ‘Keep The Car Running’ keep the faithful throngs enchanted before a stunning ‘Wake Up’ sees every arm and voice raised as high as they’ll go, ending tonight’s performance with one of those spine-tinglingly memorable moments of pure connection between band and audience.

As the lights come up and I begin to walk down the six thousand steps out of The Empire, it feels as though my feet have barely touched the ground, my elation from the entire evening seemingly picking me up and carrying me home. Floating towards the exit, ears ringing and voice fading, I can’t be the only one in the crowd who thinks for a moment about genuflecting on the way out. What an evening.