Arctic Monkeys - Sheffield Plug - 22/10/05
5/5
By: Rob Webb
I'm actually quite relieved when Alex Turner's guitar cuts out during 'When The Sun Goes Down' because it's the first indication that the four teenagers on-stage are humans, not gods, after all. Any confusion to this end is understandable, because from the very moment they pick up their instruments tonight's crowd affords Arctic Monkeys the kind of fervour usually reserved for bands who've already reached legendary status.
An hour earlier, before they've even considered taking the stage, chants of 'Sheffield' swirl around The Plug. There isn't so much an air of expectation as a feeling of pride and devotion. The local boys have done more than good, and in just over 24 hours they will top the charts with only their second single, 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.'
That doesn't stop them playing it first, followed immediately by previous release 'Fake Tales Of San Francisco.' For most ordinary bands, throwing away your only two singles so early on would be suicide or arrogance or both, but for the 'Monkeys it doesn't matter what order they play their set in because the crowd know the words to pretty much all of it; if anyone ever doubted the power of the internet, Arctic Monkeys' success proves once and for all that it's an invaluable tool for up-and-coming artists.
Fellow Yorkshiremen Milburn are firmly in that bracket, and their support slot serves to warm up an already capacity crowd. Bass player and singer Joe Carnall has clearly taken a few tips from the aforementioned Mr Turner because he's a more confident performer than the last time we saw them. If their new stuff was as good as oldies 'Lipstick Lickin' and 'Cheshire Cat Smile', they'd stand a chance of keeping up with their old friends.
The sonic blueprint, for the uninitiated, is a combination of driving ska-funk rhythms, Britpoppy guitars and a lyrical nous that looks set to cast Monkeys' songwriter Alex Turner as the voice of a disenchanted generation. Whether his principal beef is with the Burberry lovers or 'super cool bands with their trilbys and glasses of white wine' remains to be seen, but with songs like the new(ish) 'Vampires Is A Bit Strong But...' it's clear he has a lot left in the tank. Musically, too, 'Vampires' showcases a different side to the band, disintegrating as it does into an extended samba-tinged instrumental before morphing into the more familiar 'Dancing Shoes.'
Ending with the tried and tested combination of 'When The Sun Does Down' and 'A Certain Romance', Turner thanks those who've supported the band from the beginning before bidding us a temporary farewell. Japan and America beckon, and this is to be the band's last UK show of the year. 'They're sending us round t'world,' he says, in his distinctive South Yorkshire patois. If Arctic Monkeys can turn in performances of this calibre on their travels then worldwide recognition is but a mere formality and my opening assertion might just be proved wrong after all.
Artists in this article: Arctic Monkeys
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