Photo by ALEX BISIGNARO
In 2006, a young group of Brits exploded out of England’s underground music scene with the bratty petulance and raw crunch of a proper British punk band, and the style and showmanship of a proper British rock n’ roll band. This band was of course the Arctic Monkeys who have managed to pump out five solid albums in only seven years. While their debut album, Whatever People Say About Me is Exactly What I’m Not, remains their most critically acclaimed, the band’s other four albums, including the just-released AM, are nothing to sneeze at, which is something that was well-proven at The Mann Center last night with a career-spanning set list that mixed in deep cuts, with new tracks and old hits. All due praise goes to the exemplary frontman skills of Alex Turner that kept the audience on its feet throughout the night. Last night I was reminded what a great song “Old Yellow Bricks” is. And while the new material was all well and good, the real show was whenever a classic came out. An arse-kicking version of “I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor” whipped up the crowd — mellowed out by two acoustic numbers — into a roaring mob. I remember thinking: never mind the bollocks, this is Arctic Monkeys. — ALEX BISIGNARO