ARCTIC MONKEYS // BELLAHOUSTON PARK, GLASGOW
Despite only having Laryngitis days before, Arctic Monkeys return to Scotland to end their first ever UK Outdoor and Stadium Tour at Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park in phenomenal style.
★★★★★ (5/5)
ARCTIC MONKEYS PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S BELLAHOUSTON PARK
PHOTOCREDIT: CALUM BUCHAN
How long does it take to recover from Acute Laryngitis? If your name is Alex Turner, then apparently it’s a few days, with a Glastonbury headline slot jammed in the middle of it, just for good measure. Scottish fans of The Arctic Monkeys had a nervous wait to discover whether the Sheffield superstars could perform after the band had cancelled a show in Ireland earlier in the week. By 9:15pm, those fears had finally vanished when Alex Turner, Matt Helders, Jamie Cook, and Nick O’Malley emerged on stage in Glasgow to a thunderous reception.
A career that has spanned over 20 years and 7 studio albums has seen the band rise from beneath the boardwalk to heights of global fame. A key factor in this rise has been the bands' ever changing musical style and look. From the early days of hoodies and baggy jeans, to the pin-striped suits and slicked back hair of AM, to the band's current style of 70s meets cool dad, you’d be forgiven for thinking these were different bands altogether. Indie, moody desert rock, RnB beats to space age elevator music, Arctic Monkeys have done it all.
With their most recent album “The Car” being a further departure from their rock roots, it may seem odd that the band are now at the height of their popularity, resulting in a first stadium (and large outdoor venue) tour for the band. Taking a sound similar to 2018s “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” but bringing it firmly back down to earth with a cinematic twist, “The Car” was an album that further cemented Alex Turner and the rest of the band as musical chameleon’s capable of almost anything.
Following the band's headline slot at Glastonbury, just two days prior to taking the stage in Glasgow, there seemed to have been a consensus online that the band had strayed too far from their original mould. Not playing enough of the old songs, playing everything at half speed, Alex Turner singing in an American accent, no crowd interaction. These were just some responses that could have been read online. Anyone who carried these opinions with them to Bellahouston Park on Sunday night, perhaps worried that everyone online was right, had these worries completely blown out of the water, with a performance that expertly displayed why the Arctic Monkeys are still going strong after all these years.
Opening with the ferocious “Brianstorm” set the tone for the night. The crowd loved every minute of the song. Singing along to every lyric and riff, the crowd seemed to jump up and down in unison as the air slowly filled with pint cups along with their contents. “Snap Out of It” proved that songs from “AM” were as catchy and beloved as they were a decade ago when the album was released. “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” served as the only appearance from the bands 4th album “Suck it and See”, however it proved to be a good choice as the crowd sang along with the surreal lyrics about doing things you probably shouldn’t. “Go into business with a grizzly bear” seemed to be the crowd's favourite thing they shouldn’t do.
“Crying Lightning” and “Teddy Picker” rounded out the opening 5 song run that delighted the crowd. Any lingering fears that fans may have had about the levels of energy that the band would bring to Glasgow were quickly washed away. This opening run of songs also outlined just how special Matt Helders is to the band. His drumming is intrinsically intertwined with Turner's lyrics and it’s hard to imagine how the band would sound with someone else behind the drum kit. The biggest surprise on the nights setlist was “From the Ritz to the Rubble”. This song had only been brought out a few times so far on this tour, however the energy the band were getting back from the crowd, made for the perfect atmosphere to pull out an older classic from the days of “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”.
Some of the band's songs received some interesting new arrangements, more in line with their recent output. “Cornerstone” received in upgrade in the form of some Oasis-esque guitars, whilst “Four Out of Five” has had its opening section reworked in a way that can only be described as extra jazzy. The only slight negative that could be taken from these new arrangements is that by adding plodding drums to the intro of “505” it loses some impact from its drop during the climax. This is, of course, subjective and will not reflect everyone’s opinions on the changes.
Both Jamie Cook and Nick O’Malley are as good as they ever have been. Both are fantastic at what they do and know how to do just enough to support Turner’s vocals without overshadowing them. The most apparent thing about the performance was that the band was as tight as ever, with no one putting a foot wrong for the whole evening. The Arctic Monkeys have really benefited from expanding their on stage line up with the likes of Tom Rowley (Of fellow Sheffield band, Millburn) and Tyler Parkford (Vocals/Keyboard for LA based band Mini Mansions, also appeared as a touring musician with Turners side project The Last Shadow Puppets). This has allowed the band to display a wider range of sounds when performing live than they could with just the original 4.
“AM” is further showcased with the tracks “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High” and “Arabella” however it is the monster hit “Do I Wanna Know” that has best stood the test of time. One of the greatest rock and roll tracks to be released since the turn of the millennium, and a track that sounds better live the older it gets. “Perfect Sense” and “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball” sound exquisite, however because of the pace that had been set earlier in the set, the crowd did seem rather subdued for the songs from “The Car”. For most in attendance, the highlights of the night came in the form of “Mardy Bum” and “Fluorescent Adolescent”. Two of the band's most popular songs that seemed to be gathering dust on the shelf after not appearing live in a decade until this tour. Every single word was sung so loudly by the crowd it was hard to hear Turner's vocals at all. The undeniably massive sounding “Body Paint” then brought the main set to an end. Accompanied by a killer extended outro, this song is the most accessible of the bands newer songs, and the only song that could dethrone “505” as the usual main set closer.
The dark and atmospheric “Sculptures of Anything Goes” kicked off the encore perfectly as a slow buildup to what was to come next. “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” followed by “R U MINE?” had everyone in attendance, buzzing with pure energy and joy in a way that few bands would be capable of. This performance was a million miles away from the claims that had been made online 48 hours prior. The only real complaints that could be made about the show was that both “Suck it and See” and “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” felt underrepresented in the setlist. However, a band with this many albums will always find it difficult to please everyone with the songs they choose to play, and going for more songs from “AM” and the first two albums will definitely have pleased most people in attendance.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes Glasgow” was something that Turner said during the set. Was this in direct reference to Glastonbury just a few days before? Only Alex Turner knows, however, it is undeniable that when the crowd is more into a performance, it is infectious, and is reflected in the overall quality of the show. One look at their Glastonbury set will show the difference in crowd participation between a festival where people will buy tickets regardless of the acts playing, and when selling out massive venues up and down the country off of the back of the music you have released. Turner’s antics on stage have also come under some criticism recently, however, what is clear to see from this tour is that this is Turner at his most free. He is simultaneously effortlessly cool, whilst maintaining a strange sense of humour. “Release the rest of the birds” whilst a flock of seagulls flew overhead during “Pretty Visitors” was probably not on your Alex Turner bingo card.
The last date on “The Car” tour couldn’t have gone down any better than this. A fantastic setlist, a devoted crowd, outstanding musicianship, and the Glasgow sunshine were a perfect mix of ingredients for a triumphant return to Scotland for the first time in 5 years. It’s the best advert for not basing your opinions on what you read on social media.
"Yeah, that rock’n’roll, it seems like it’s fading away now sometimes, but it will never die. And there’s nothing you can do about it.
Every time The Arctic Monkeys return to the public eye, it seems more and more that Turner’s speech at the 2014 Brit Awards may not have been as much of a bizarre ramble as once thought.
