Arctic Monkeys live up to hype

By: Caity Cudworth

Posted: 9/13/07

09/13/07 - In an attempt to rally the crowd at Lupo's last Thursday night, some random guy yelled, "I hope you all have your IDs because we're drinking tonight!" Alas, this man was probably disappointed. A good portion of the crowd at the Sept. 6 Arctic Monkeys show didn't even look old enough to drive, let alone legally drink.

But while it might have been the kind of crowd that still needs a hall pass to go to the bathroom, the kids showed up to support the Arctic Monkeys, and by golly, they were going to rock out until curfew.

The Arctic Monkey's lead singer, Alex Turner, actually mumbled something about it being "school night," which was appropriate.

Of course, not everyone was underage; a few older types clad in ironic T-shirts milled around toward the back of the venue. For the most part though, the crowd was a pedophile's dream.

The opening act, Voxtrot, was fairly forgettable. The band slogged its way through an hour-long set that had a lot of jumping and rambling songs about having your heart broken and other assorted calamities. It was a standard but unimpressive indie fare. (Think Modest Mouse minus everything that makes Modest Mouse good.)

The real draw, of course, was the Arctic Monkeys, who, by the way, have the fastest selling debut album in British history. The Monkeys - over-hyped but still slightly under the radar in the United States - put on a high-energy set. The songs thundered from one to the next, keeping the music tight and the set concise.

Turner, wearing pointy boots and a mischievous grin, swaggered around on stage looking vaguely elf-like, but providing a welcome contrast to the bass player, whose stiffness and blank stare suggested he had just barely escaped the morgue.

I think he was stiff and dead on purpose though, because, you know, it makes you look cooler when you just stare ahead all blankly. Smiling is kind of frowned upon by all those super-trendy, hyped-up bands.

Favoring a direct approach, the Arctic Monkeys sped through its set, pausing only briefly to interact with the audience. The lack of communication was OK though, because I couldn't really understand what they were saying anyway, with the thick British accents and screaming girls.

The Arctic Monkeys have a knack for song writing, crafting hooky songs about drunken nights, bar fights, and prostitutes … the little things in life that make the world go round. The lyrics are witty in a Catcher in the Rye sort of way - lots of talk of "fakers" and "posers" (otherwise known as "phonies"), with a few bar-fights, and one-night stands thrown in for good measure. So, you can see why it appeals to the kids.

The band was tightest on "Fluorescent Adolescent," a song which encourages girls to be whores before they're old and have kids and stuff. "You used to get it in your fishnets / now you only get it in your nightdress / abandoned all your naughty nights for niceness / landed in a very common crisis."

"Mardy Bum" was also a crowd-pleaser, an upbeat ska-style song, riddled with jangly guitars. I had assumed that this song was about a hobo, but a little research, uncovered that "Mardy Bum" doesn't really have anything to do with bums. It's actually Brit-speak for someone who complains a lot.

Although, I guess technically the song could still be about a hobo. Hobos are rarely satisfied.

The Arctic Monkeys closed out the show with "View from the Afternoon," a heady, up-tempo tune that unraveled into a blur of thrashing guitars. The band didn't play an encore despite the chorus of high-pitched squeals.

Overall, the performance was good. The music was brisk and punchy and there were enough strobe lights to kill an Epileptic. So, in that regard, I'd say it was a pretty quality show.

The Arctic Monkeys are, it seems, truly an endangered species: An over-hyped band that manages, against all odds, to live up to the same hype that makes it really popular with 14-year-olds.