So there I was in 2005 at the Reading Festival for the umpteenth time. Wandering around in the early afternoon, bored already, I wandered into the Carling tent to check out this new-ish Sheffield group called The Arctic Monkeys. Not expecting anything much what I actually got was something completely brilliant, very different to the magnificent Libertines and all that other post post punk rival revival stuff but kind of the same. The big difference was that whereas flouncy old Pete Doherty gave us his modern take on Dickensian Britain, Alex Turner delivered his tales of the scum-ridden streets as they were in the 21st Century not the 19th. My new favourite best band, I was sold, hook, line and sinker. Shit, I even bought the T shirt.
Mooching about a couple of hours later, a bunch of everyday teenagers shouted out ‘Nice T shirt’ as I passed by. Fuck me it was those cheeky Monkey’s chaps again as normal as you like. After a quick chat it was obvious they were just happy to be there and clearly had absolutely no idea what would happen to them over the coming months. So they were probably as surprised as I was when they started to hit the big time. Naturally, as you would expect, there have been many twists and turns over the past seven or eight years and while it’s hard for me even now to reconcile those regular Sheffield lads with the longhairs who made ‘Humbug’ or Alex Turners ‘ironic’ Elvis-isms at Glastonbury, they still piss over most of the competition as far as I’m concerned.
Dan Green
July 2013
1. Fake Tales Of San Francisco / Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys / May 2005
2. From The Ritz To The Rubble / Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys / May 2005
3. The View From The Afternoon / Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not / January 2006
4. Mardy Bum / Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not / January 2006
5. A Certain Romance / Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not / January 2006
6. Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? / Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? / April 2006
7. Put Your Dukes Up John / Single B Side / August 2006
8. This House Is A Circus / Favourite Worst Nightmare / April 2007
9. Old Yellow Bricks / Favourite Worst Nightmare / April 2007
10. 505 / Favourite Worst Nightmare / April 2007
11. Matador / 7'' Single / June 2007
12. Teddy Picker / Single A Side / December 2007
13. Diamonds Are Forever / Domino Records Presents - All The Rage / February 2008
14. Red Right Hand / Single B Side / August 2009
15. My Propeller / Humbug / August 2009
16. Cornerstone / Humbug / August 2009
17. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair / Single A Side / May 2011
18. Black Treacle / Suck It And See / June 2011
19. Brick By Brick / Suck It And See / June 2011
20. The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala / Suck It And See / June 2011
21. Electricity / Single B Side / April 2012
22. R U Mine? / AM / September 2013
