Arctic Monkeys

[The Martini Police]

Matt42 in wild, nonsensical, speculation shocker once again.

[thewayiam]

3 hours ago, kingcrawler said:

I don’t really get this point. If their heart wasn’t in it, surely they’d just release a safe, generic album that appeases their more vocal critics? Instead they keep changing their sound and trying new things. There are bands out there who do seem to release an album every few years for the sake of it but I don’t see how that’s the case for Arctic Monkeys at all. It would be a lot easier for them to just tour anyway or release Favourite Worst Nightmare part two, rather than continue to do what they want even if that means alienating some of their older fanbase. Admittedly they’re so big now that even a slight dip in popularity will keep them at the top, but it’s a lot braver to release this as a single than a generic guitar led song.

I wouldn't call it brave but they will just do what they want. Both of the new songs are absolute tripe that's very clear. A guy I spoke to at my new job went to Leeds for Arctics on Sunday and said they were shit. Alex had no enthusiasm and he's massively trying to carry the American approach.

[Stokesy10]

17 minutes ago, thewayiam said:

I wouldn't call it brave but they will just do what they want. Both of the new songs are absolute tripe that's very clear. A guy I spoke to at my new job went to Leeds for Arctics on Sunday and said they were shit. Alex had no enthusiasm and he's massively trying to carry the American approach.

Whilst on the other hand I spoke to a large group from work this morning who went to Leeds and said Arctic's set was incredible and that want to go and see them at their own gigs next year.

This lack of enthusiasm thing I keep reading is really weird. Aside from maybe saying "ladies and gentlemen" a lot less and the occasional quip with the crowd, over the 15 years I've been watching them live, his enthusiasm is barely any different. He (and the other band members) looked perfectly happy and up for it on the Reading iPlayer coverage. The crowd were absolutely loving it and it was good to see and hear such a young audience belting back the words to tracks from the last album. Do people want him to do some forward roles and jumps in the air when striking the final notes of his guitar like Busted? 

I tend to judge his performances on his voice, of which I've been to the odd couple where it's been a bit poor. It certainly wasn't at Reading. In fact it was bang on. That's very clear.

I also think the new track is pretty good and I'm intrigued to hear the album which, like TBH&C will undoubtedly have a portion of extremely good tunes.

 

Edited August 30, 2022 by Stokesy10

[Stokesy10]

21 hours ago, FloorFiller said:

Watched the Reading footage on iPlayer and yeah… they’re just fine. I’m by no means the biggest Arctics fan so I’d struggle to properly suggest alternatives that they should be playing, but it really does seem like they’ve just been playing more or less the same setlist for almost a decade now, and some of the older songs that they do play and have been setlist mainstays for forever they don’t even play particularly well (looking at you, Do Me a Favour).

Would like to think they’ll proper shake things up when the new album comes out and bring back some lesser played old stuff, but I think they’re just gonna end up sticking with the same basic setlist once again with a few new’uns chucked in to replace some of the more interesting stuff they’re currently playing (That’s Where You’re Wrong, Potion Approaching etc). 

Also you could almost hear the audible groan when they opened the encore with One Point Perspective. Crowd of people hoping for When the Sun Comes Down and they’re given that instead 😅

You couldn't. Sorry. 

[thewayiam]

24 minutes ago, Stokesy10 said:

Whilst on the other hand I spoke to a large group from work this morning who went to Leeds and said Arctic's set was incredible and that want to go and see them at their own gigs next year.

This lack of enthusiasm thing I keep reading is really weird. Aside from maybe saying "ladies and gentlemen" a lot less and the occasional quip with the crowd, over the 15 years I've been watching them live, his enthusiasm is barely any different. He (and the other band members) looked perfectly happy and up for it on the Reading iPlayer coverage. The crowd were absolutely loving it and it was good to see and hear such a young audience belting back the words to tracks from the last album. Do people want him to do some forward roles and jumps in the air when striking the final notes of his guitar like Busted? 

I tend to judge his performances on his voice, of which I've been to the odd couple where it's been a bit poor. It certainly wasn't at Reading. In fact it was bang on. That's very clear.

I also think the new track is pretty good and I'm intrigued to hear the album which, like TBH&C will undoubtedly have a portion of extremely good tunes.

 

Can only go by what I was told, plus the video footage of him singing every song like it's from TBH&C. We'll just disagree. They are slow, dull and shite for me.

[504329lt]

Last time I saw Arctic Monkeys (before Sunday just gone) was Reading in 2009.  On that occasion, The Prodigy who were on before them blew them away.

On Sunday, at Leeds, Bring Me The Horizon absolutely blew them away.  Have to say that BMTH's set was one of the best, if not the best festival set I have ever seen.

Perhaps the problem with AMs at festivals is that better live acts are subs...

[gfa]

8 hours ago, JoeyT said:

You aren't selling out stadiums based on that new song or TBH&C.

The sound in venues of those sizes just doesn't suit.

If the rest of the new album is of a similar sound to that it's a thumbs down from me.

Of course those who enjoy this dreary sound will point towards sold out stadiums as a vindication of both the last album and new one when in reality it's nostalgia of the band when they were actually good selling tickets!

nail on the head

---

maybe the unenthusiastic thing is because he wants to be one of the strokes 😉 

[squirrelarmy]

6 hours ago, gooner1990 said:

I'm 6ft2 and could see the stage and screen, but my gf (who loves AM and that was the whole reason we went) is 5ft3 and couldn't see f all, she couldn't even see the massive 100 ft screens because there were fucking girls on their bfs shoulders all around us

Didn’t you offer your shoulders for her?

There was a pretty short girl stood next to me who couldn’t see a thing either so sat her on my shoulders for a song. 
 

It’s part of the festival/field gig experience. If you’re needing a perfect unspoiled view there will be some seats in their upcoming stadium store. 
 

Enjoy the music and the vibe. 

[gooner1990]

28 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

Didn’t you offer your shoulders for her?

There was a pretty short girl stood next to me who couldn’t see a thing either so sat her on my shoulders for a song. 
 

It’s part of the festival/field gig experience. If you’re needing a perfect unspoiled view there will be some seats in their upcoming stadium store. 
 

Enjoy the music and the vibe. 

Absolutely not...one my shoulder is fucked from a car accident years ago so I wouldn't be able to do that anyway but girls on peoples shoulders is annoying as then the people behind you then moan they can't see and so forth.

[charlierc]

2 hours ago, 504329lt said:

Last time I saw Arctic Monkeys (before Sunday just gone) was Reading in 2009.  On that occasion, The Prodigy who were on before them blew them away.

On Sunday, at Leeds, Bring Me The Horizon absolutely blew them away.  Have to say that BMTH's set was one of the best, if not the best festival set I have ever seen.

Perhaps the problem with AMs at festivals is that better live acts are subs...

Would it have therefore helped in 2014 when Jake Bugg was the sub who, while a perfectly OK act, isn't quite that level live?

Edited August 30, 2022 by charlierc

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, scatteredscreens said:

Let's also be real, AM coming out with an album reminiscent of their old albums would be embarrassing. Like others have stated, these guys are in their 30s, minted and have travelled the world. I don't think they're gonna be singing about a chippy tea from Attercliffe anymore.

Even hearing them come out with an album that's the same as AM would feel odd now, judging by how much they've decided they're content to move on now, nevermind the fact they've absolutely moved on from the first 2 albums. I don't really see why people still hold on they might do it again when it's been clear for a while they want to do other things.

I mean, I doubt the rest of the band are exactly being sidelined by Alex and a supposed pursuit of the perfect album that would've fit in during the late 60s/early 70s as some speculated earlier this thread (hell it's noted Jamie Cook was the person on board with turning the TBHC demos from solo project to full AM LP).

New song was pleasant enough tbf. I did spot a theory suggesting the lyrics is Alex saying to the fans sorry but we're not the band we were during 1st album/AM anymore, which does scan tbf, even if it also works as a breakup song.

[thewayiam]

4 hours ago, gfa said:

nail on the head

---

maybe the unenthusiastic thing is because he wants to be one of the strokes 😉 

Also agreed. They are selling tickets based on the better earlier stuff. That's like saying The Killers are selling stadium dates based on newer material, they definitely aren't in the main.

[EighteenSixty7]

It’s a gorgeous mix of TBHC and TLSP. We know the 2nd track is the one their playing live, which is a bit more funkier and fuller. Maybe TBBAM is a definitive end to the previous sound. 

[Green Croc]

14 hours ago, thewayiam said:

Also agreed. They are selling tickets based on the better earlier stuff. That's like saying The Killers are selling stadium dates based on newer material, they definitely aren't in the main.

Aren't most huge bands like that?

Look at the biggest bands in the world like Coldplay, The Killers, Foo Fighters, Greenday, RHCP etc, the majority of people are going to their gigs for their whole catalogue of hits not to hear the new stuff. Not sure why AM are getting so heavily criticised here purely because people prefer their older sound

[majormajormajor]

19 hours ago, thewayiam said:

Can only go by what I was told, plus the video footage of him singing every song like it's from TBH&C. We'll just disagree. They are slow, dull and shite for me.

So don't watch them, listen to them, or think about them. Why are you wasting your time posting in a thread about them if you don't like them? Trolling in a Glastonbury forum seems like a very odd way to spend your time.

Edited August 31, 2022 by majormajormajor

[priest17]

Was anyone at the Albert hall for the gig from their recent love album? How did it go down? I think they sound great there and the setlist is top, weird they've moved so far from it when the new album won't be too different from the last one.

[stuartbert two hats]

I admire a band that uses its position to redefine what their music can be.  I was listening to the Stage Left Podcast the other day where the drummer from Embrace was bemoaning a song they did with kazoos that "sounded nothing like Embrace".  What an utterly depressing way to approach an artistic endeavour. 

I suspect that bands like Coldplay and Muse (not sure about the others) are actually attracting new fans with their different, poppier sound. Not sure about The Killers, Foos, Green Day, RHCP, since I'm not aware that they're tried to evolve their sound much.  

Imagine if The Beatles or all the members of The Beach Boys - or indeed Blur (a modern reference there!) had rejected songs because they "didn't sound like x".  What a dull, grey world we'd live in.  Like going to an Embrace gig.

[GField1399]

15 hours ago, thewayiam said:

Also agreed. They are selling tickets based on the better earlier stuff. That's like saying The Killers are selling stadium dates based on newer material, they definitely aren't in the main.

Yeah this is nonsense, obviously you need an element of huge songs to draw huge crowds, but people don't want to listen to the same 20 songs every tour. New music keeps things fresh.

Loads of people love the development the Killers have taken in the last 3/4 years. Sure on it's own that wouldn't sell out a stadium tour, but that's not how it works.

[JoeyT]

I admire artistic endeavor however it's not always going to be to everyone's tastes. In this instance, in my opinion, the music they've produced on the last album and the song released on Monday is inferior to anything released previously.

I don't think those who say this should be accused of trolling as seems to have happened above.

After all it's a forum, I didn't see a sign on this thread saying positive views only!

 

 

[nikkic]

1 hour ago, Green Croc said:

Aren't most huge bands like that?

Look at the biggest bands in the world like Coldplay, The Killers, Foo Fighters, Greenday, RHCP etc, the majority of people are going to their gigs for their whole catalogue of hits not to hear the new stuff. Not sure why AM are getting so heavily criticised here purely because people prefer their older sound

Exactly. Macca didn’t pack out The Pyramid because people were hyped to listen to III.

[Justcalledtosay]

20 hours ago, Stokesy10 said:

Whilst on the other hand I spoke to a large group from work this morning who went to Leeds and said Arctic's set was incredible and that want to go and see them at their own gigs next year.

This lack of enthusiasm thing I keep reading is really weird. Aside from maybe saying "ladies and gentlemen" a lot less and the occasional quip with the crowd, over the 15 years I've been watching them live, his enthusiasm is barely any different. He (and the other band members) looked perfectly happy and up for it on the Reading iPlayer coverage. The crowd were absolutely loving it and it was good to see and hear such a young audience belting back the words to tracks from the last album. Do people want him to do some forward roles and jumps in the air when striking the final notes of his guitar like Busted? 

I tend to judge his performances on his voice, of which I've been to the odd couple where it's been a bit poor. It certainly wasn't at Reading. In fact it was bang on. That's very clear.

I also think the new track is pretty good and I'm intrigued to hear the album which, like TBH&C will undoubtedly have a portion of extremely good tunes.

 

Saw them in Hull in 2006 and his enthusiasm between songs back then was at best, muted. 

[tarw]

On 8/30/2022 at 12:11 PM, scatteredscreens said:

Let's also be real, AM coming out with an album reminiscent of their old albums would be embarrassing. Like others have stated, these guys are in their 30s, minted and have travelled the world. I don't think they're gonna be singing about a chippy tea from Attercliffe anymore.

Not sure how that needs to be the case. If you look at Springsteen. He’s never worked construction or any blue collar job. He can still sing about it

[jannybruck]

Nearly 2.5 million views on that youtube video within a day or so. Astonishing figures for a band on their seventh album to be pulling.

[fraybentos1]

9 minutes ago, tarw said:

Not sure how that needs to be the case. If you look at Springsteen. He’s never worked construction or any blue collar job. He can still sing about it

Each Monkeys album you could almost say Turner is playing a character. The first album, he is maybe just himself but since then there has been a distinct character he is playing. Look at the AM tour into TBHC and even his Last Shadow Puppets stuff. He just isn't that guy anymore. You can't seriously expect him to sing about any of the stuff about being a teenager in Sheffield and going to clubs again surely. He made an album about a hotel on the moon, he's well above that now.

[Hugh Jass II]

1 hour ago, priest17 said:

Was anyone at the Albert hall for the gig from their recent love album? How did it go down? I think they sound great there and the setlist is top, weird they've moved so far from it when the new album won't be too different from the last one.

I was there that night and enjoyed it.

What's frustrating about this band is that they actually are decent live when they can be arsed.