Quebecois art-rock maestros Arcade Fire have hit out at bands such as U2, Oasis and The Rolling Stones.
Speaking to NME, vocalist Win Butler explained that he isn't impressed with the way such bands compete for 'biggest band in the world' status. He also argued that that such bands virtually force their fans into liking them through aggressive marketing campaigns."It's not like we shun success," he said. "But at the same time we don't want to shove it down people's throats. In the UK there's this kind of rock star competition."
Singling out three of the biggest names in rock, Butler continued, "I don't know if U2 started it, or The Stones or Oasis but a lot of bands think in terms of: 'I'm going to be the biggest band in the world. Fuck all those bands who've got no ambition'. I think that's a total crock of shit.
"There's nothing less interesting to me than the idea of marketing the fuck out of something so people are forced to like it. Some bands are just manipulating people to buy music. That's how 90 per cent of the record industry works! It's basically the same as selling a fucking toaster or a cruise package."
Arcade Fire's much-anticipated new album, 'Neon Bible', is released in March. The band have recently completed a five-date run at New York's Judson Memorial Church. They're about to embark on a large-scale tour of Europe and North America.
