Watch Arcade Fire’s New David Bowie Tribute Clip
Last month, Arcade Fire and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band paid tribute to David Bowie in New Orleans’ French Quarter and they shared clips of their performances of “Heroes,” “Oh! You Pretty Things” and “Suffragette City.” On Wednesday, Arcade Fire released a new edited video that documents the day’s events.
In New Orleans style, the video honors David Bowie in a celebratory fashion. It opens with scenes from the streets of New Orleans before showing shots from a room where Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Arcade Fire are prepping for their traditional second line parade.
“Why a parade? Because we’re in New Orleans and that’s how we do it here,” Arcade Fire’s Regine Chassagne explains in the clip.
Later in the video, Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Ben Jaffe and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler address a crowd packing a street from a balcony. “We are here today to celebrate the life of David Bowie. There are few artists that could possibly bring together this incredible group of people, you all are amazing,” Jaffe says. “This is the greatest city on Earth. We all know it, that’s why we live here. Thank you all so much.”
“This is about him and this is about all of you and just how we felt about David,” Butler adds. “So thank you guys for coming, God bless David, wherever you’re at.”
The bands then take to the streets, where fans are dressed in colorful costumes, hold signs and dance while they perform “Heroes.”
Arcade Fire shared the clip on their Facebook page, writing, “Thank you to the Preservation Hall and the city of New Orleans. We hope David could hear the noise and feel the deep love.”