So here I am, one year in New York and pleasantly surprised with the number of good bands that make it to these shores. Sheffield’s The Arctic Monkeys are no exception.  The band, recently taking the UK by storm after their smash "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" and sell out tour, made their way across the pond with the same rumblings of fanaticism that surrounded the band in the UK a year ago.  Both New York gigs sold out in hours with the second date being moved to the much larger Bowery Ballroom.  So how pleased am I that the gig I went to was kept at the Mercury Lounge?  A 250ish capacity, nasty sweat hole of a venue where you’re pretty much on stage with the band.  Fkin exstatic!!  This is the best way to see live music.

So Alex Turner and his merry teenagers stroll on stage around 10pm and the place is packed, although I have to say there’s alot more ‘índustry’ types than actual hard core fans.  Something that always annoys me over here. They seem to have lost the capacity to enjoy themselves, let go, cheer, get down, dance, bounce(delete as appropriate).  And most annoyingly there’s always some arse, usually standing behing me, who just cannot SHUT UP! and stop shout-talking to her friend throughout every song about the fkin prada bag she saw on sale at Macys.  Ok I’ll stop now.

Anyway, back to what matters.  Just how good are a bunch of ‘kids’ with little live experience under their belts.  Better than I expected is my answer.  Very tight, very loud and with a set list that includes what have become almost cult classics, even the girl behind me stopped talking, briefly.  Matt Helders drumming is rather hypnotic and just supports the rest of the band with such battering ease and perfection.

What really stands out is Alex Turner’s song writing ability, obvious in the rather large back catalogue of tunes available for download and just reinforced in Sheffield steel here tonight.  They hammer through classics like ‘Fake tales of San Francisco’ and ‘Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts’ and the soon to be tune of the year, for me anyway, ‘From The Ritz To The Rubble’.  Turner just has the shear genious of being able to write about what many of us growing up in those similar environments experienced on a regular basis.  We only thought the thoughts, he turns them into the story that gives us the soundtrack to our youth.

The night ends with a personal favourite; ‘A Certain Romance’, and I’ll say it again, Classic!  Five years from now we should all look at this year as a classic year because of the emergence of The Arctic Monkeys. Bring on the album in January. 

10/10

Andrew Moore