Arctic Monkeys blow roof off tent

Caught Live: Arctic Monkeys



ARCTIC MONKEYS acknowledged their roots before they even arrived on stage inside the huge Don Valley tent by blasting out You Sexy Thing by HOT CHOCOLATE - made famous by the Sheffield-set Full Monty film.

 It was a relief the band didn't come out in only novelty thongs and hats.

After getting stick for starting dates on their last tour two years ago with two slow songs and a NICK CAVE cover, the lads had learned a lesson and tore into the hits straight from the off                                                                                                                            
                                                                             

Frontman ALEX TURNER announced: "Now then, we'll start from the beginning shall we?" before they opened with The View From The Afternoon as 10,000 punters sang along.

Recent single Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair was greeted like a classic and, along with Library Pictures, shows that the group's experiments with grunge have paid off.

The four-piece could do nowt wrong as they ran through what Alex called "some old ones and some new ones". Brianstorm, Crying Lightning, Mardy Bum (sung almost solely by the home crowd), new love song She's Thunderstorms and a riotous I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor were all top notch. And the Arctics' likely next single, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, is arguably the best three minutes of pop the band have ever written.