If this had been politics, not music, the unsuspecting listener might have been going into Carnegie Hall expecting a gathering of progressive Democrats, only to discover a convention of Young Republicans.
As in the years before, it was the biggest of all celebrations held on the 11th of November, with police reportedly expecting a gathering of 100,000 people.
The last thing you expect from a gathering of this kind -- a summa of contemporary art over the past two years -- is flirtatiousness.
Conference was a cockpit of strong views, as you might expect from a gathering that included Conor Cruise O'Brien, John Cole, Colin Legum, Neal Ascherson, Mary Holland, Tony Howard and Katharine Whitehorn.
(Clean and quick is admirable if you are talking suturing a wound or waxing a floor, but a bit much to expect in a gathering of thousands of politicians).
As you might expect from a gathering that has a knack for attracting a particular kind of mature, bookish yet radical culture warrior, there's as much talking as musical action.
Elsewhere at the convention, which is expected to log a capacity crowd of about 125,000 by the time it ends on Sunday, the giant exhibition hall teemed with the sort of spectacles you would expect at a gathering devoted to fantasy, in all of its many forms.
I had expected a traditional gathering of women you know, lots of chatter and reconnecting.
Expecting a small gathering in a quiet city like Copenhagen, I was convinced that the audience would not welcome an examination of the actual degree of freedom of expression in Europe.
Diplo played there last year and later announced he wanted to "do something" with the sound in the future, so expect a flock of sheep gathering the moment that happens.
