Live Photos: Arctic Monkeys perform at Emirates Stadium, London
Last October, Arctic Monkeys returned triumphant with their long-awaited seventh studio album, The Car. Following 2018’s slower, brooding lunar escape, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, fans weren’t quite sure where the Sheffield lads would be off to next. Upon arrival, it was clear Arctic Monkeys had no intentions of returning to their raw indie-rock roots, but they did return to the terra firma conceptually.
Naturally, this latest Arctic Monkeys record had fans and critics divided, but in objective, musical terms, the album was difficult to fault. Over the past few weeks, Alex Turner and his merry men have embarked on a run of UK tour dates that began in Bristol on May 29th and will conclude on June 25th with a show in Glasgow. The band is also scheduled to headline Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage later this week.
First, though, we caught up with the boys at London’s Emirates Stadium. Before the main course, two delectable dishes in the form of The Hives and The Mysterines were served to whet the appetite, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Then the maestros arrived. Entering the stage garbed like a late-career Nick Cave and with just as much presence, Turner began the set on an energetic note with ‘Brianstorm’, the lead single from 2007’s Favourite Worst Nightmare.
Immediately apparent was the fact that Arctic Monkeys are well aware of their eclecticism and use it to their strength in the live setting. As the evening wore on, they blitzed their way through a truly crowd-pleasing set, brimming with most of the major hits, old and new. ‘Do I Wanna Know?’, ‘Mardy Bum’ and ‘There’d Better Be a Mirrorball’ mark three distinct chapters of the band’s career but slipped seamlessly from one to the other with an anthemic incandescence that was reflected by the throbbing congregation.
As usual, the set was rounded off with a belting performance of ‘R U Mine?’ from 2013’s blockbusting sensation AM. As the band took their gracious leave, the audience carried the performance’s energy late into the night with several AM-era chants echoing through the London Underground. See our exclusive shots from the concert below.
As music lovers prepare to descend on Worthy Farm for Glastonbury Festival 2023, Arctic Monkeys fans have been shocked by the announcement that the band’s June 20th show in Dublin has been cancelled. The band cited a case of laryngitis as the reason for cancellation. “Alex is suffering from acute laryngitis and, following medical advice, has been ordered to rest,” a public statement issued on June 19th read.
At present, fingers are crossed for Turner’s swift recovery ahead of the band’s visit to the Somerset festival on Friday, June 23rd.
