Arctic Monkeys - Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield - 11th June 2011 (Live Review)
Monday, 13 June 2011
Written by Jenny Greenwell
It was only six years ago that the Arctic Monkeys’ first single ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ caused mass musical hysteria. Now, in 2011, the band have come back to where it all began. The two homecoming gigs in Sheffield’s Don Valley bowl were all about coming home winners, reflecting on their last 6 years of phenomenal success. Having last played Sheffield in 2009 to a packed arena, their hometown rolled out the welcome mat in the form of a 10,000 capacity festival tent and a loyal and ecstatic crowd.
Despite having a following that most indie bands can only dream of, it hasn’t been the easiest ride for Arctic Monkeys. 'Humbug' was their difficult, if underrated, third album, which lost them fans who disapproved of the formally cheeky lads showing their more dark and twisted side. They’ve also had a few problems with their live performances, especially front man Alex Turner’s unwillingness to interact with the audience. But Friday’s performance destroyed any doubts, and proved that Arctic Monkeys are still one of the best indie bands around.
The first support of the night was Sheffield band Dead Sons, but as they were on stage just as people were arriving, they were missed by most of the audience. Up and coming four piece The Vaccines managed a good reaction out of the steadily increasing crowd, impressive for a relatively small band that only formed last year. But it was Miles Kane that benefitted most out of the support slot. He’s spent that last six years in a series of vaguely successful bands including the Little Flames and The Rascals, but to most people, he’s known as Alex Turner’s pal and other half of Last Shadow Puppets. But, with a chance to perform in front of a crowd the size of which he would never be able to on his own tour, he proved his worth and showed the crowd he’s not just Alex Turner’s mate but a very talented solo artist.
But the night belonged to Sheffield’s sweethearts. From the off it was as if they had regained their cheekiness and sense of fun that made them so popular in the first place, from the intro music of ‘You Sexy Thing’ by Hot Chocolate, to the attractive dress code of Sheffield City Council T-shirts. It was clear from the beginning that the band was aiming to please, with Alex Turner starting the show by announcing "Now then, let’s start from the beginning shall we?"
From the first bars of opener ‘View From The Afternoon’, it was obvious that the audience was in a riotous mood, and they only got more energetic as the set went on. Despite rumours that they would never be played again, the band took off on a tour of the old favourites; 'Teddy Picker', 'I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor' and 'Fluorescent Adolescent' being notable choices. The reaction to the pared down and intimate rendition of ‘Mardy Bum’ left Turner looking slightly bewildered, who admitted to the crowd "You know the words better than I do anyway."
'Humbug' was represented in the way of Queens of The Stone Age-esque ‘Crying Lightning’, and underrated gem ‘Cornerstone’, both going down well with the crowd. But the songs off the recently released ‘Suck It And See’ were perhaps the triumphs of the night. ‘Library Pictures’ and ‘She’s Thunderstorms’ were highlights, while ‘The Hellcat Spangled Shalala’ proved that the band still have it in them to produce 3 minutes of pop perfection. Turner may no longer be writing about "lads who scrap with pool cues in their hands", but their new songs still managed to reach the audience on a level that many bands struggle to ever achieve.
One of the biggest delights of the evening was to see Alex Turner finally having grown into the front man that he always should have been. Both his on-stage persona and vocals have improved and matured dramatically, much to the delight of the audience. The set list was chosen perfectly for a homecoming gig of this size, mixing popular classics with excellent new material. They didn’t use any gimmicks, ostentatious light shows or distractions; it was just a brilliant and comprehensive showcase of their songs, that reminded the crowd just how important Arctic Monkey’s were, and still are, to British music.
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Despite having a following that most indie bands can only dream of, it hasn’t been the easiest ride for Arctic Monkeys. 'Humbug' was their difficult, if underrated, third album, which lost them fans who disapproved of the formally cheeky lads showing their more dark and twisted side. They’ve also had a few problems with their live performances, especially front man Alex Turner’s unwillingness to interact with the audience. But Friday’s performance destroyed any doubts, and proved that Arctic Monkeys are still one of the best indie bands around. 
