Arctic Monkeys

I remember listening to the Arctic Monkeys for the first time, but at that time I didn’t realize it was them. Their first song I’ve ever heard was “Dancing shoes” remixed for some dance CD. The song was enriched with some Cuban flavours specific for salsa. And I have to admit – at once it became my favourite track of this very interesting album. After a year or so I heard the original. It may not have been better than the remixed one, but the energy coming from the guitars with leading bass was incredible. I love reading about bands I listen to and I’ve found out that the vocalist of the band, Alex Turner, is the author of the majority of lyrics of their songs. I came across the opinion that he’s “modern Lennon”. I love The Beatles, so I was shocked and outraged, cause it was no accident in naming John Lennon as NME’s (one of the most important British music magazines) Ultimate Icon. But I started looking at Monkey’s lyrics and I understood. Someone who writes something like “Piledriver Waltz” is the only person who can substitute for the dead genius of Lennon. “Your waitress was miserable/ And so was your food/ If you’re gonna try and walk on water/ Make sure you wear your comfortable shoes”? Isn’t it a masterpiece John Lennon used to write? Ironic like “Happiness is a Warm Gun”, surprising like “Help”. It’s obvious that Alex Turner had a wonderful start with having his parents teaching him music and German, because reading and listening were exactly these components teenager needs to develop his inborn talent. After that he met mates who shared his passion and created the band. Then they hit the charts with their singles and, finally, their first album. They conquered England and the world not much later. Isn’t that a story of the best band ever as The Beatles are called? Well, Turner and his friends are allegedly working on their 5th record, so we have to wait and see, if their ambition and talent will be sufficient to catch up with the Fab Four. But if it’s true that “Whatever people say THEY ARE, that’s what THEY’RE NOT”, I can see bright future ahead of them.

So punk rock. The Arctic Monkeys are so punk rock. I saw them at Outside Lands, outdoors, during the day. It was amazing. I crowd surfed. No big deal. Doesn't hurt that they're pretty attractive. If you saw their set during the Olympic ceremonies, you know. The accents are great. Even though their albums have been a little hit or miss, they put on a great show. Just the best of every era. No filler. And no obligation to break up a bunch of rowdy songs with anything "calm." There was not one song you could stand still for, or even take a breath for. All punk. All the time. Exactly how live music should be.