Arctic Monkeys @ Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London (25/10/2013)
Where do I begin with the Arctic Monkeys?
The last time I saw Alex Turner and co was approximately 18 months ago, back in Australia as part of their Suck It And See tour. It was then, in that glorious moment as Turner whipped his shirt off during the set’s epic finale of ‘505’, surrounded by thousands of screaming girls (and guys) that I thought “Geez, I don’t think it can get any bigger for these guys.”
One Olympics ceremony performance, one album and one Glastonbury headline slot later, I couldn’t have been any wrong in my predication.
With their fifth studio album AM emphatically catapulting them into the musical stratosphere, the lads seem positively unstoppable, making UK chart history as the only independent group with five, yes FIVE, consecutive number one albums.
And now, eight years after ‘I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor’ was embraced globally as a fresh injection into the Brit-pop scene, Turner et al play one of their largest London shows ever, to an eager audience of 20,000 for one of two sold-out evenings at the soon-to-be demolished Earl’s Court, giving the venue one last night of ritz before it’s turned to rubble (see what I did there?).
The lads are greeted on stage with what can only be described as a heroes welcome, the atmosphere electric as they take a leaf out of their Glasto set, opening the evening’s proceedings with the thunderous ‘Do I Wanna Know?’.
For a song that’s only been released in recent months, one could easily label it an instant classic in the Arctic Monkeys catalogue, with the reaction as Turner churned out that opening riff easily being the biggest of the night. The frenetic ‘Brianstorm’ followed up, with Matt Helders in fine form behind the kit. Turner may have all the charm and swagger of a lead singer but there can be no discounting the talent of Helders (who also provides backing vocals), Jamie Cook on guitar and Nick O’Malley on bass/vocals.
‘Dancing Shoes’, ‘Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’ and ‘Teddy Picker’ followed in quick succession and it was at this point in the evening I was beginning to wonder just how much of their latest album they were actually intending to showcase. Alas, not a moment sooner, ‘One For The Road’, the band’s latest offering from ‘AM’ saw a slump in tempo for the middle of the set, with ‘Crying Lightning’, ‘Fireside’ and ‘Reckless Serenade’ eliciting a slight lull in atmosphere. It was during these more musically exposed moments on stage that Turner’s vagueness as a truly captivating frontman. Sure he has the swagger and charisma but always seems to fall short of truly engaging the crowd. It takes more than the bare basic attempts at showmanship to seduce 20,000 people. That being said, Turner has matured as much as the band’s sound, his current rock n roll sashaying is just another phase in the band’s ever-evolving style.
Continuing the trip down memory lane, ‘Old Yellow Bricks’ was a surprising set addition, as was fan-favourite ‘Cornerstone’, a track that, until recently, has rarely made the live show cut. ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’, ‘Arabella’ and ‘No. 1 Party Anthem’ further illustrated the band’s new direction, the funky, simmering sounds and hip-hop-esque beats transforming the mosh pit into a heaving pile of grinding bodies.
Unsurprisingly, it was the indie anthem ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ and Turner’s declaration “this one is for the ladies” that real pandemonium ensues. ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ elicits a similar response but it’s the smooth crooning of ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, complete with confetti cannons, that is chosen to close out the main set for the evening.
I can safely say that I have easily predicted the encore sets of 85% of the bands I’ve seen live. However, with so many hits still up their sleeves, the encore really could’ve gone in dozens of different, yet equally satisfying, directions. Clearly deciding it was time for some major juxtaposition, they started with the toe-tapping, finger-clicking deliciousness of ‘Snap Out Of It’, before heading all the way back to their first album, launching into their now signature semi-acoustic live rendition of ‘Mardy Bum’, which, whilst brilliant, lacks the snap, crackle and pop of the studio recording.
Following up with the tumultuous hit ‘R U Mine?’, the track signaled two things: the end of the evening’s proceedings; and, the sacrifice of the euphonious ‘505’ as a set-closer, a track that has been their signature finale song for so long I have seen the word "tradition" thrown around.
This setlist “shake up” really hits home how much these boys are evolving. That being said, there did seem to be a gaping hole left in the wake of the ostracised ‘505’ (I think it could’ve easily been swapped out with the lacklustre ‘Reckless Serenade’). ‘505’ wasn’t the only victim, but if you have as many hits as the Arctic Monkeys, popular tracks are inevitably going to be eschewed in favour of new material.
It’s hard to beat Arctic Monkeys in terms of musical prowess. Only a handful of bands in history have managed to keep their finger firmly on the pulse of such a fluid music scene with as much success as they have. However, with the band all still in their 20s, they have no excuses for the partial voidness in their stage presence. It’s a critique that’s bought up with them time and time again over the years and seems to be their one consistent downfall in an otherwise stellar career.
Keisha Hanbury
The last time I saw Alex Turner and co was approximately 18 months ago, back in Australia as part of their Suck It And See tour. It was then, in that glorious moment as Turner whipped his shirt off during the set’s epic finale of ‘505’, surrounded by thousands of screaming girls (and guys) that I thought “Geez, I don’t think it can get any bigger for these guys.”
One Olympics ceremony performance, one album and one Glastonbury headline slot later, I couldn’t have been any wrong in my predication.
With their fifth studio album AM emphatically catapulting them into the musical stratosphere, the lads seem positively unstoppable, making UK chart history as the only independent group with five, yes FIVE, consecutive number one albums.
And now, eight years after ‘I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor’ was embraced globally as a fresh injection into the Brit-pop scene, Turner et al play one of their largest London shows ever, to an eager audience of 20,000 for one of two sold-out evenings at the soon-to-be demolished Earl’s Court, giving the venue one last night of ritz before it’s turned to rubble (see what I did there?).
The lads are greeted on stage with what can only be described as a heroes welcome, the atmosphere electric as they take a leaf out of their Glasto set, opening the evening’s proceedings with the thunderous ‘Do I Wanna Know?’.
For a song that’s only been released in recent months, one could easily label it an instant classic in the Arctic Monkeys catalogue, with the reaction as Turner churned out that opening riff easily being the biggest of the night. The frenetic ‘Brianstorm’ followed up, with Matt Helders in fine form behind the kit. Turner may have all the charm and swagger of a lead singer but there can be no discounting the talent of Helders (who also provides backing vocals), Jamie Cook on guitar and Nick O’Malley on bass/vocals.
‘Dancing Shoes’, ‘Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’ and ‘Teddy Picker’ followed in quick succession and it was at this point in the evening I was beginning to wonder just how much of their latest album they were actually intending to showcase. Alas, not a moment sooner, ‘One For The Road’, the band’s latest offering from ‘AM’ saw a slump in tempo for the middle of the set, with ‘Crying Lightning’, ‘Fireside’ and ‘Reckless Serenade’ eliciting a slight lull in atmosphere. It was during these more musically exposed moments on stage that Turner’s vagueness as a truly captivating frontman. Sure he has the swagger and charisma but always seems to fall short of truly engaging the crowd. It takes more than the bare basic attempts at showmanship to seduce 20,000 people. That being said, Turner has matured as much as the band’s sound, his current rock n roll sashaying is just another phase in the band’s ever-evolving style.
Continuing the trip down memory lane, ‘Old Yellow Bricks’ was a surprising set addition, as was fan-favourite ‘Cornerstone’, a track that, until recently, has rarely made the live show cut. ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’, ‘Arabella’ and ‘No. 1 Party Anthem’ further illustrated the band’s new direction, the funky, simmering sounds and hip-hop-esque beats transforming the mosh pit into a heaving pile of grinding bodies.
Unsurprisingly, it was the indie anthem ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ and Turner’s declaration “this one is for the ladies” that real pandemonium ensues. ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ elicits a similar response but it’s the smooth crooning of ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, complete with confetti cannons, that is chosen to close out the main set for the evening.
I can safely say that I have easily predicted the encore sets of 85% of the bands I’ve seen live. However, with so many hits still up their sleeves, the encore really could’ve gone in dozens of different, yet equally satisfying, directions. Clearly deciding it was time for some major juxtaposition, they started with the toe-tapping, finger-clicking deliciousness of ‘Snap Out Of It’, before heading all the way back to their first album, launching into their now signature semi-acoustic live rendition of ‘Mardy Bum’, which, whilst brilliant, lacks the snap, crackle and pop of the studio recording.
Following up with the tumultuous hit ‘R U Mine?’, the track signaled two things: the end of the evening’s proceedings; and, the sacrifice of the euphonious ‘505’ as a set-closer, a track that has been their signature finale song for so long I have seen the word "tradition" thrown around.
This setlist “shake up” really hits home how much these boys are evolving. That being said, there did seem to be a gaping hole left in the wake of the ostracised ‘505’ (I think it could’ve easily been swapped out with the lacklustre ‘Reckless Serenade’). ‘505’ wasn’t the only victim, but if you have as many hits as the Arctic Monkeys, popular tracks are inevitably going to be eschewed in favour of new material.
It’s hard to beat Arctic Monkeys in terms of musical prowess. Only a handful of bands in history have managed to keep their finger firmly on the pulse of such a fluid music scene with as much success as they have. However, with the band all still in their 20s, they have no excuses for the partial voidness in their stage presence. It’s a critique that’s bought up with them time and time again over the years and seems to be their one consistent downfall in an otherwise stellar career.
Keisha Hanbury