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| photo: clashmusic.com |
Last night, I was lucky enough to get the chance to see the Arctic Monkeys for the second time. Victoria station was full to the brim with overenthusiastic fans haggling ticket touts and grabbing their traditional pre-gig McDonald's. The biggest band of our generation were in our city for the first time since November 2011 and that was blatant, given the distinctive chill of excitement that hit every attendee as soon as they walked through the arena doors. This band have graced us with five albums of pure brilliance and here they were tonight, to serenade us with their newest pursuit, AM, along with the whole host of undeniable classics they have under their belts.
The support came from young talent, The Strypes, who delivered a short but sweet set of bluesy rock jams in the hope of getting the crowd moving. There is no doubt that this band are impressive for their tender ages, however, I am not sure they were up to the job of supporting the biggest band of our time. Nevertheless, they managed to maintain a head bobbing crowd which is always a good sign, even if not one droplet of sweat was shed throughout their entire set.
The pre-set music of everything from Biggie to The Beatles lowered in volume, before grinding to a tension building halt.The lights were faded to black. The roaring chants of 'Alex! Alex! Alex!' began, whilst the unanimous swarms of young girls started tearing up at the pure sight of suit-clad suave Alex Turner, in the flesh, making his way onto the brashly lit stage. There is no doubt about it, this band have established themselves over the years as one of the most influential bands in music history, but this was something else. It felt as if the stones had just walked on stage in '65.
Helders starts us of with the boastful drums of 'Do I Wanna Know?' a song that has been stuck in our heads since the start of the summer, followed by that infectious riff we all know and love. The arms of the crowd to and fro in unison as Alex Turner, in an Elvis Presley stance, asks that burning question (does he want to know?) The swarm of goggle-eyed fan girls cling onto his every word and yet again the Arctic Monkeys have proved themselves.
The set list continued to excite us, raking in early anthems like 'Brianstorm,' 'Dancing Shoes,' and 'Teddy Picker,' along with classics from Suck It and See and Humbug such as 'Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair' and 'Crying Lightening.' It is difficult to explain the extent to which the crowd were truly revelling in the moment and this was not altered when they played the third track on AM, 'One For The Road.'
Covered in sweat (and piss) we kept on dancing as our favourite band threw tune after tune at us, 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' was a particular highlight, as well as 'Arabella' and of course the 2005 hit 'I Bet You Look Good on The Dancefloor.'Turner's vocal was well and truly faultless as well as pristine guitar and bass from Cook and O'Malley, and of course energetic drums from Mr Matthew James III, as Turner likes to address him. This band have grown so much over the years, from their 2005 success to now. The huge force that they have become just goes to show how they will be remembered in years to come. Even seeing them play live in 2011 for their Suck It And See tour seems like worlds apart from the rock stars they are now.
The flawless set list was topped off when they played 'No.1 Party Anthem' and 'I Wanna Be Yours,' two of their most admirable tracks from AM. 'I Wanna Be Yours,' Arctic Monkeys' adaptation of John Cooper Clarke's classic poem of the same title,culminating in clouds of glitter and smoke, suffocating the crowd. This truly was a spectacular moment to witness, one that will be impossible to indulge in again.
They vacated the stage, leaving us emotional wrecks with nothing more to chant but "we want more!" before returning, more boastful than ever. The dynamic guitars of 'Snap Out Of It' kicked in, causing the crowd to endeavour in even more Alex Turner inspired snake hips. "I wanna grab both your shoulders and shake baby," the crowd shouted at the top of their lungs, before simmering down for a beautifully done acoustic version of 'Mardy Bum.' Arms waved from side to side in reflective appreciation, as it became apparent that this night was coming to a close. And all of a sudden, that famous 'R U Mine?' riff kicks in.The perfect conclusion to a perfect set, from an almost perfect band.
If there is anything I have learnt from last night, it is; 1. Alex Turner is THE hottest man on the planet. 2. The Arctic Monkeys' back catalogue is absolutely insane. only they could miss two of their biggest tracks ('When The Sun Goes Down' and '505') from their set and still have an absolute monster of a set list and 3. If you aren't the biggest fan of AM, wait till you hear some of the tracks live and it will be totally different story. They have definitely converted me!
