Public feuds between bands often capture as much attention as their melodies and lyrics. Such conflicts, while sometimes appearing as mere sensationalism, can stem from a complex mix of artistic differences, personal clashes, and the pressures of the music industry. One such dispute is among the two renowned bands, the Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire.
It all began in 2009 during an interview with the Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne conducted by Rolling Stone. The singer said the following about Arcade Fire:
“I’m a fan of them on one level, but on another level, I get really tired of their pompousness. We’ve played some shows with them, and they really treat people like sh*t. Whenever I’ve been around them, I’ve found that they not only treated their crew like sh*t, they treated the audience like sh*t. They treated everybody in their vicinity like sh*t.”
Coyne’s Further Critique Of Arcade Fire
He continued, comparing the Arcade Fire members to the other notable names he had been around:
“Who does Arcade Fire think they are? I’ve been around groups. I’ve been around the Edge from U2, and he’s the f*cking sweetest guy ever. I was around Justin Timberlake when he was young and he was just a normal, nice, kind person. Anyone can be polite and kind and people who have the privilege and money and attention should understand that. If they don’t, then f*ck them.”
Butler’s Response To Wayne’s Comments
AF’s lead singer Win Butler quickly replied with a lengthy statement on his band’s website. He said he was surprised by the attack and mentioned that he is a fan of Coyne and his band. He also noted that they only performed together once, at a festival in Las Vegas a few years ago. Butler went on to say:
“I can’t imagine a reason why we would have been pompous towards the Flaming Lips, a band we have always loved, on that particular night, all those years ago. Unless I was way more jet-lagged than I remember, I hope I was less of a ‘prick’ than telling Rolling Stone that a bunch of people I don’t know at all are really a**holes.”
Coyne’s Clarification And Regret
It appears that Wayne didn’t intend to offend Win and his band initially. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly he joined a few months later after the feud, Coyne expressed regret over the incident, saying he wished it ‘never happened.’ The vocalist continued:
“I didn’t necessarily mean it about the people in the Arcade Fire. I meant it about the guys that were running their stages at a couple of festivals. I wish whatever had been said wouldn’t have been taken as such a defiant statement from the Flaming Lips because it wasn’t… I really feel bad about it. I like enough of their music. The idea that I’m somehow against them… I’m not!”
Since Wayne’s apology, there hasn’t been any notable development in the relationship between the Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire. The incident, though regrettable, seems to have reached a quiet standstill with no further escalations or reconciliations.
