When the Sun Goes Down

I spent a great evening this week, in the company of 45,000 other music fans, witnessing the arrival of the Arctic Monkeys in Southampton, on the UK leg of their 2023 world tour.

They were in great form, performing tracks from across their back catalogue, as well as some from their most recent album, The Car.

It is now around 17 years since they made a big splash on the music scene, with their cleverly written cameos of northern life set over brash and urgent guitars. Alex Turner’s lyrics, were, and have remained, consistently witty and well-crafted.

Like many others present for the show, I have liked their music since those early days, so the decision to open their set with a rousing version of Brianstorm got the evening off to a terrific start.

Anyone listening to their most recent album will know that, these days, their influences seem to be as much Burt Bacharach as The Strokes, with the gentle melodies, crooning vocals, acoustics and string arrangements that fill out The Car. A number of those featured here, namely Body Paint, Perfect Sense and There’d Better Be A Mirrorball. For the latter, the Monkeys’ very own mirrorball descended from the rafters, glistening and illuminating the vast stage as it rotated.

In total, the set lasted 1 hr 45 mins, culminating with an encore of I Wanna Be Yours, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, and R U Mine.

Funniest part of the evening came during a set from the support act, Swedish rockers The Hives (who were terrific). Singer and frontman Pelle Almqvist had said to the audience on a number of occasions how pleased they were to be in Southampton, and then decided to ask some fans in the front row to introduce themselves. Where are you from? he asked the first young man. Portsmouth came the reply.

Anyone who has experience of fierce rivalry between neighbouring cities will understand how a small chorus of boos then emerged from around the mosh pit. I got the impression the significance was rather lost a bit on Pelle, however.

I will definitely be adding the Hives soon to the ADK Playlist, so watch this space.

My favourite tracks in the show were probably a very upbeat and rocky 505, and the extended version of Body Paint, which looks to have become something of an anthem performed live. For that reason I’m adding it to the ADK Playlist, so that when I hear it back now, it will remind me of a great concert.

The Arctic Monkeys are due to headline at the Glastonbury Festival next weekend. I believe it is being televised by the BBC, so it will be a real treat for any music fan. I will take the opportunity to watch it all again.