This lot probably don't need an introduction. Great gig!
Supposedly in the eye of the storm there is a calm and as the Arctic Monkeys roll around Britain on the NME Shockwaves Tour, they appear to be the only four people not affected by Monkey-Mania.
Long before the Sheffield youngsters, who have only just released their debut album in the past week, took to the stage, the crowd were at a scarily high level of anticipation and the chants of appreciation echoed around the venue.
Opening their set with two no.1 singles allowed the crowd to go ape and it provided a fantastic spectacle but you wonder what was the thinking behind playing these songs so early. The crowd would have been keyed up to pogo like mad no matter what tracks were played first, so were the band displaying arrogance in getting their hits over and done with or was it a show of defiance, an indication that their songs are all capable of getting the crowd going?
Not that the set list really mattered, for some the night was all about seeing their new heroes and being there in their week of triumph. Make no mistake, this set had an air about it that was different from a normal gig, it was a time when people not at the gig would be wishing they were, when parents actually knew the band that their kids were going to see and for once, were a bit curious as to what that noisy racket was all about.
Lead singer Alex Turner could have sang 8 verses insinuating that the crowd were involved in an intimate relationship with farm yard animals and every word would still have been hollered back at him. Without wanting to make any direct comparison between the bands, when The Beatles said they could play or say anything onstage without the crowd taking any of it, you get the impression that the Arctics had the same sort of pull on the crowd.
But for all the craziness that surrounds them, its always important to bring talk back to the music and for all the hype, the Arctic Monkeys have the songs to justify some of the insanity around them.
They have an impressive wall of sound and the rhythm of their songs just chugs and fires away at such a pace that the band themselves would probably struggle to slow things down. Of course, the true genius lies in their lyrical output and from the albums first lines of "Anticipation has a habit to set you up for disappointment in the evening entertainment" through to references of fake tans, fighting with policemen and all the other weekend shenanigans, the key point of the Arctic Monkeys is that they speak the same language as their fans.
Recent breakthrough acts like Bloc Party or the Kaiser Chiefs have their supporters but they either lack the common touch or there is a fake sheen to their performances, with the Monkeys you get the impression that everything they do is genuine and that's why they've struck a chord with so many so quickly.
So with the band off to play America at the end of this tour and then no doubt coming back to Britain for a years worth of touring and media spotlight, you have to wonder whats going to happen to the Arctics?
Four young lads, transported from their bed-sits and kebab shop brawls to suddenly having the weight and dreams of a generation resting on their shoulders. At the moment it all looks rosy but lets just hope they learn the lessons from Knebworth and Be Here Now. You can only really get so big before it starts to unravel so no matter what, everyone should enjoy these days. History will judge the Arctic Monkey on their true talent and merits but for now, Britain has got another band that is going to capture the attention of the nation.