Arctic Monkeys Gig Review | Manchester General GMex Centre - December 12 2007
The day finally arrived, when all that effort that was shed in trying to secure tickets to see the Arctic Monkeys live came to fruition. Not my effort actually, but my girlfriend’s who got up early one morning a few months back so as to be first in the online queue.
We arrived in the middle of The Horrors set, who were the second support. This meant we missed The Rascals, who are mates of the Arctics, and by getting a support slot, are clearly getting a leg up in the cut-throat music industry. From what I have heard about The Rascals on this leg of the tour, they are very much from the same school as the Arctic Monkeys themselves, not too surprising seeing as the two main men, namely Miles Kane and Alex Turner, are best mates.
The Horrors seemed to go down okay tonight, and I didn’t see any of the missile throwing antics which have apparently blighted earlier shows.
This is the first time I’d been to this venue, and having seen bands at every other major venue in Manchester, and a good few in London too (and Nottingham and Leeds) I’m not too enamoured by it.
The GMex Centre, or Manchester Central, as it’s now known, is impressive to look at from the outside, and huge on the inside, but as a concert venue it’s lacking. The acoustics are actually really good, with the sound travelling well round every section of the venue, but you can still tell it’s an old train station. Getting to the toilets was an absolute mission, and once there, I had to contend with standing in a puddle of water/wee.
All of this was forgotten however, as soon as the Arctic Monkeys took to the stage. This band clearly know their roots as they eschew fantastic light shows, and props in favour of just playing the brilliant tunes they are famous for, and some new ones too.
It was a long old set, probably lasting 90 minutes or more, but not once did the energy of the band subside. There were some quieter moments from the crowd, mainly when the brand new songs that no-one knew were aired, but as soon as a familiar riff began, the crowd picked up again immediately.
The first album is clearly still the crowd pleasing favourite, as it was the songs off of there that got the most response from the huge crowd packed in to the venue. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, Dancing Shoes, and When The Sun Goes Down were sung in full back to the band, and the atmosphere at those moments were electric.
The gig was fantastic, my only reservation being the error of leaving out Mardy Bum and A Certain Romance from the set. They are two of my favourite songs, and obvious crowd pleasers, so it struck me as strange that they were missed off. It meant that as the band finished the final song of the encore, walked off stage, and the lights came up, I, and a few other people around me were left feeling slightly disappointed.
Overall, an excellent gig, and one that makes me want to see them again. A different venue would be nice next time though.
Tags: Alex-Turner, Arctic Monkeys, December, GMex, manchester, Manchester-Central, Miles-Kane, Support, The-Horrors, The-Rascals, UKRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Arctic Monkeys, Gigs, Indie, Live, Reviews, Tours
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