Arctic Monkeys, I wanna be yours

Carys Cheshire '24

Editor-in-Chief of Content

With their timeless yet ever-changing sound, the Arctic Monkeys have been a popular band amongst many generations for almost 20 years. The band consists of four English members: Alex Turner, the lead vocalist and rhythmic guitarist, Jamie Cook, the lead guitarist and backing vocalist, Matt Helders, the drummer and Nick O’ Malley, the bassist.

This year, Arctic Monkeys has been on their 2023 world tour, ending in North America. I was lucky enough to get two tickets to the very last night of their tour, October 1, 2023, at the Kia Forum. I was gifted these tickets for Christmas 2022, so you can imagine the anticipation I have felt for the past ten months, as the Arctic Monkeys have been one of my favorite bands for years.

Although most merch stand lines were super long, I managed to find one with an impressively short line and bagged an awesome band T before the concert. Then, we made our way through the arena to get to our spots in the pit. 30 minutes of waiting for the openers had me itching for the concert to start. Finally, at 8:30 p.m., the lights went down and the openers, Fontaines D.C., began their set.

The infamous Arctic Monkeys disco ball glimmering above the stage.

Fontaines D.C. is an Irish post-punk band with an indie/alternative sound. They played about five songs in their set, each of which having a different vibe; some made you jump up and down while others had your arms in the air, swaying side to side.

After the Fontaines D.C. finished, the pit was starting to get a tad uncomfortable. Finally, the lights dropped for the second time and the eerie, yet anticipating intro music of “Sculptures of Anything Goes” began to play. When the faint silhouettes of the band began to emerge on stage, the crowd went wild.

The lights rose, and the band began singing an intense, mysterious and powerful song. This quickly transitioned into the upbeat tune of “Brainstorm,” and the energy was incredible as people danced and sang along to the catchy lyrics. The crowded pit no longer felt suffocating, but instead was filled with excitement and a shared love for the band.

The band played some of their biggest hits, including “Snap Out of It,” “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?,” “Arabella,” “Do I Wanna Know?” and more. During one of their most popular songs, “505,” a big disco ball with the words “Arctic Monkeys” wrapped around it, slowly dropped down. As it turned throughout the song, the light shining on the disco ball reflected around the entire arena. It was a truly mesmerizing experience.

After the band thanked the crowd and exited the stage, the chants of “one more song!” began. Arctic Monkeys stepped back onto the stage and didn’t just play one more song, but three. They ended the night with the classic, “R U Mine?,” which was the perfect song to finish with as the whole crowd put their all into screaming along with the band.

By the end of the night, my voice was gone, my feet were aching and my stomach was rumbling, but my spirits were too high to care. I would definitely give the concert a 10/10 and can honestly say that the ten month wait was so worth it.