Arcade Fire’s Funeral had a profound impact on indie music and the broader industry upon its release twenty years ago, demonstrating that rock bands could achieve significant critical and commercial traction without major label backing. Considered one of the best and most influential offerings of the ‘00s, much of the album’s acclaim was, and still is, rooted in its use of lush, layered and rapturous instrumentation.

It’s brought to life magnificently in the splitting Malahide sun. Fitting very much with the Funeral theme, the stage looks like a messy living room in a haunted house, with instruments scattered around the place making the massive platform look cramped and intimate. The spooky vibes are accentuated somewhat by the group’s baroque outfits, as well as the big screens depicting the scene in old-timey black and white.

Arcade Fire @ Malahide Castle 7-7-24 by Peter O'Hanlon.

An album which primarily deals with loss, the Montreal outfit are in a giving mood, playing Funeral in its glorious entirety, as the chilling intro to ‘Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)’ sets a rich, tapestried tone for the evening.

The driving, slow-burning nature of the tracks is hypnotising. The Francophone poetry of ‘Une Annee Sans Lumiere' culminates in a particularly rollicking outro, bringing the concert into a more energetic gear.

By the time the massive distorted crush of ‘Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)’ kicks in, it’s clear that singer Win Butler is in top form. His outpouring croons are spine tingling and cathartic, with the frontman taking ample opportunity to stand front and centre with his hollow body guitar raised triumphantly overhead.

At times it feels like the audience is being let in on a jam sesh, with the band swapping instruments regularly. Régine Chassagne alternates between accordion, drumming and vocal duties with apparent ease, while Butler hops from six-string to piano, even taking over on bass to rattle out some low-end lines.

Arcade Fire @ Malahide Castle 7-7-24 by Peter O'Hanlon.

The first portion of the show reaches its emotional zenith with the one-two combo of ‘Crown of Love’ and  ‘Wake Up’, the latter of which incites a quasi-religious experience as concert goers unite to collectively bellow the song’s iconic ‘Oohs.’

Treating the crowd to the rare opportunity of hearing a seminal LP in full isn't enough for Arcade Fire, who split the show in two. After a shortish interval, they rally through another album’s worth of tunes, with the second half of the gig dedicated to some of their biggest, non-Funeral hits. Neon Bible’s ‘My Body is a Cage’ soars over the slowly darkening Dublin sky with its droning organs, as does ‘No Cars Go’, which boasts the sweetest of string-swathed mid-sections.

Arcade Fire @ Malahide Castle 7-7-24 by Peter O'Hanlon.

Butler gives his thanks to the faithful attendees, recounting how generous Irish fans were when the band came seeking donations in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake in 2010. It’s a heartfelt lead in to timeless saloon piano of ‘The Suburbs’, which rips a tidal wave of nostalgia through the audience.

The stacked gig is brought to an end with ‘Everything Now’, punctuated by a transcendental reprise of the ‘Wake Up’ chorus. It's spectacular, atmospheric and unforgettable, words which very much sum up Arcade Fire's debut album, and the irrefutable indie rock influence it had on fellow bands and music lovers alike.

Arcade Fire @ Malahide Castle 7-7-24 by Peter O'Hanlon.