Rock legends Arctic Monkeys celebrated the 10th anniversary of their album AM this past weekend with two sold-out shows at NYC’s Forest Hills Stadium.
We caught the first night where a rainstorm had cleared off just in time for Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. to take the stage. Having already risen to fame in the UK after winning the 2023 BRIT Award for International Group of The Year, the Dublin five-piece transported the crowd to their home city with tracks “Boys in the Better Land” and “Roman Holiday.”
Vocalist Grian Chatten played the tambourine throughout their set after the band opened with “A Lucid Dream” and “Televised Mind” from their 2020 album A Hero’s Death. The band all played in harmony as the band continued with a set largely consisting of tracks from their third album and most recent release Skinty Fia. Tracks included “Nabokov” and “Big Shot” before the band closed with “Jackie Down the Line” and “I Love You.”
English rock band Arctic Monkeys took the stage to massive cheers as frontman Alex Turner walked on stage, lit by a single spotlight. The band opened with “Sculptures of Anything Goes” from their latest release The Car while Alex crooned under simple lighting and a curtain backdrop. A large circle screen behind the band lit up to feature live video of guitarist Jamie Cook, bassist Nick O’Malley, and drummer Matt Helders while Alex launched into the lyrics of “Brainstorm.” The band’s set consisted of 18 songs, spanning their massive seven-album discography except for 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino of which the band played zero songs.
Fans were not disappointed in the setlist as they played fan-favorites “Snap Out of It,” “Arabella,” and “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” from 2013’s AM followed by “Knee Socks” and closer “R U Mine?” later in their set. “Teddy Picker,” and “Fluorescent Adolescent” were played from 2007’s Favourite Worst Nightmare along with “505” and “Do Me a Favour” from the same album.
A dance party began during tracks from the bands debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not with “The View from the Afternoon” and “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” while “Crying Lightning,” and “Cornerstone” from Humbug gave fans time to rest their feet and sway. One of the most beautiful parts of the evening came at the end of “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball” when a giant mirror ball (or disco ball if you prefer) with the word “Monkeys” came down from the top of the stage, reflecting beams of light as it spun.
After their set ended the audience erupted in cheers for an encore and seated fans began stomping on the risers, creating a deafening noise the band could not ignore. They once again took the stage and closed out the electric evening with “Suck It and See,” “Do I Wanna Know?” and “Body Paint.”
Photos by Ann Storlie (@ast_lie) and Website
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