Terry Gilliam had played down his role as director of Arcade Fire's live webcast from New York's Madison Square Garden tonight (August 5).

The gig is set to be broadcast on YouTube as part of a new concert series dubbed Unstaged.

The Monty Python star was revealed as director last month, but has now claimed that he is just the band's “really old groupie”.

Gilliam, who has been a fan of Arcade Fire since their 2004 debut 'Funeral', said: “I hate the fact that this word 'directing' is being slammed all over the place.

“I'm not directing. I'm just hanging out with them. I'm just a really old groupie.”

Gilliam has been preparing for the concert since last weekend, when the band headlined the Osheaga festival in Montreal.

He told MTV News he was relaxed about the gig, and that his job involved telling Aracde Fire's crew to ensure “what they capture is true to what the band is doing”.

Gilliam has previously directed 12 Monkeys and most recently The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus.

(by Jason Gregory)