Today’s “Hey Canadians” dis of Prime Minister Stephen Harper by Arcade Fire was particularly bitter, coming after Harper sent out a statement congratulating the Montreal band on their Grammy win for Album of the Year back in February.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my sincere congratulations to Neil Young, Michael Bublé and Arcade Fire, for their wins at the 2011 Grammy Awards ceremony,” his statement said.
Of course, it’s unlikely Harper wrote or even read this statement from his press office, and unlikelier still that Harper counts himself a fan of the band many outside of Canada had never heard of until the Grammy win.
Not so, Heritage Minister James Moore, who tweeted this greeting for the Grammy: “A thought: I’m a big U2 fan, but perhaps U2 should be opening for Arcade Fire on July 30th in Moncton instead of the other way around.”
None of this is as embarrassing as the imbroglio involving British Prime Minister David Cameron and The Smiths. When Cameron allowed during an interview that he was a fan, The Smith’s former guitar player Johnny Marr issued a statement forbidding Cameron from linking the band. Singer Morrissey followed with a “ditto,” suggesting that Cameron might have done what the alt rock world has dreamed about for years — reunited The Smiths.
It all prompted a delicious exchange in the British House of Commons, which Cameron handled beautifully, per below:
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