Are The Arcade Fire Jerks? (Round 2)

If you are reading this, you probably know that:
a) two years ago Wayne Coyne told Rolling Stone (and then numerous others interviewers – since they kept asking) about encountering the Arcade Fire posse backstage, “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 shit. Whenever I’ve been around them, I’ve found that they not only treated their crew like shit, they treated the audience like shit. They treated everybody in their vicinity like shit.”

b) then Win Butler shot back: “Wow, I can’t believe I am actually writing to defend my band’s “real” personality. I wish I could not respond to something like this, but the reality is is that people will be asking me questions about it for the next five years. I also fear that people will base their opinion of our band on the media quotes of a guy who doesn’t even know us….”

c) Even though it wasn’t the first time claims like this had been made about the Arcade Fire (not even the first time from a Flaming Lip – drummer Kliph Scurlock had previously made a similar though gentler-worded claim about the Arcade Fire on the Lips’ message board), the name recognition of “Wayne Coyne” made it a sensational story to be blown way out of proportion by countless media outlets as some sort of “indie rock feud”…
…plus it was a fun excuse to do silly things with photoshop, like put Butler’s face over Obama’s (above left)…

Now the issue is being picked up again – not by Coyne though – and it’s already much more of a “feud” than Coyne was ever up for:

“Arcade Fire’s Good-naturedness Once Again Called Into Question”, New York (magazine): “Vincent Moon — one of Vulture’s Fourteen Music Video Directors to Watch — has now belatedly bolstered Coyne’s original accusations.”

Vincent Moon to eyeweekly: “They’re not good people, that’s it. And I don’t mean the whole band—I mean the leaders of the band and their management…The way they deal with their business is really disgusting for me. The way they deal with things is awful. Their management are awful, awful people, and I know what I’m talking about. I have some really terrible stories with them.”

Scott Rodger responded to Moon at Consequence of Sound:

“Dear Vincent,
I’m one of the so called “not good people”. Can we get the camera equipment you stole from the band returned yet? Perhaps if your drug habit could be contained you may actually be able to complete a film. We should have taken advice from our other friends who worked with you who advised us not to. But we thought it would be great. Unfortunately we were wrong. Your move to “art films”, that wouldn’t by any chance be circumstantial as no one is prepared to hire or commission you any more?
Telling the truth. It’s not that hard Vincent.
Now can we get our equipment back?
thanks
Scott”

Today, Efterklang’s Rasmus Stolberg came to Moon’s defense on Spinner, “We love Vincent Moon and we love working with him.  The only drug we have seen him using is Nutella – he simply loves Nutella… I can easily imagine why some people might find him difficult to work with. He has a very strong character and an uncompromising vision of how he wants to make his art and also how he wants to share this art with the world (which is for free)… Every project has been incredible and we always come out on the other side with new inspiration and a feeling that we have found something new in our music. He is sweet and intelligent, and we believe he is a genius on the same level as the many brilliant musicians he has portrayed over the years.”

This just in – Charlie Brown has responded to the feud:

“Good grief…”