Women and Children! LET'S GO!

If my life could be displayed on one of those heart rate monitors that you see on hospital dramas and cartoons it would probably look a little like a heartbeat. The peak and and trough section would be my weekend and the resting bit in between is my Monday to Friday existence. I rarely do anything of note on weekdays. My week brings me little intrinsic, or extrinsic, satisfaction but what it does do is neatly bookend my Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. I enjoy my weekends. Weekends are fun and sometimes, just sometimes, feature events that really make life worth living.

Since last summer my life has been leading up to this weekend and, more specifically, this Saturday when I finally get to see Arcade Fire. It may appear that I'm over-dramatising this event but I don't think so. I've invested a great deal of emotional capital in this band and I expect little less than a near-religious experience. That's a lot to ask but I wouldn't expect it if I didn't feel that Arcade Fire would oblige. They're currently shouldering the kind of praise that would might make Muhammad Ali blush and they're doing so with apparent ease. Last week's NME described them as the best band in the World. The cover of Sunday's Observer magazine will feature the question "Is the Arcade Fire the best band in the World?". Music journos are fond of a bit of hyperbole but they aren't so keen on being made to look silly. These articles would not be appearing if there was any chance of the band letting anyone down.

So. On Saturday I get to see The Best Band in the World and I'm very, very excited.