Rain began to pour down at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre as Arctic Monkeys played “Body Paint” from their last LP, “The Car” (2022). Standing next to a group of teenage girls, I realized that everything the band has been missing over the previous few years is still hiding underneath lead singer Alex Turner’s new Elvis-like persona.
The group sped up “Body Paint,” a slower song off of the band’s jazz-infused rock album from last year at their Sept. 11 Atlanta show, and included lengthy improvised guitar and Matt Helders’ signature drum solo. This aspect of their live performances which has been missing on their previous two albums, “The Car”and “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” (2018). The rendition of “Body Paint” made it clear to me that no matter how far Arctic Monkeys have strayed away from rock anthems, they could create something similar to their most critically acclaimed album “AM” (2013) once again if they wanted.
This is not to say that the band did not put on a good show. They aimed to please by opening with their biggest hit, “Do I Wanna Know?” (2013) and played the majority of their other hits, including an encore consisting of “Suck It and See” (2011), “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” (2006)and “R U Mine?” (2013).
The one surprise of the night came when Turnerbusted out an acoustic guitar to play a rare non-hit song off of “AM,” the moody “Fireside” (2013). This trackallowed Arctic Monkeys to show off a slowed-down rock version of their earlier years while still keeping the audience engaged with a catchy chorus.
Shockingly, as songs from “The Car” were played the screaming sold-out crowd, continued singing along to songs that are nowhere near as popular as earlier albums and hardly resemble the band’s fast-tempo roots established on their debut “Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not” (2006). In fact, the songs played from “The Car”were the most impressive part of the night, as they were the most unique from what was played on the album, a quality that is essential to any live concert.
While the Arctic Monkeys seem to be in a transitional phase, going from a young, fast and loud band with heavy drums and heavier guitar solos to a more mature sound, they reminded everyone that they still have what made them famous coming out of Sheffield in the early 2000s. Even as the sky unleashed pouring rain, the band played “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” with the same fast and unabashed energy they had in their teenage years.
The unexpected turns of live music is what makes it an entertaining and unique experience. Unfortunately, Arctic Monkeys seemed like they were not exploring anything new, playing their big hits the same way as they are on their original albums. The band effectively delighted with their greatest hits but did not surprise. As they played hit after hit, I was stuck wishing they would play something unexpected, but I knew it was unlikely as night after night, the Arctic Monkeys’ setlist has seen little change since their tour began in April.
Overall, the Arctic Monkeys put on a very good show with many moments of greatness, including “Body Paint,” “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor,”“Knee Socks” (2013) and “Arabella” (2013). The concert aimed to please everyone, and it succeeded. The show was undeniably fantastic, yet it still left me craving a foray into a more experimental territory.
