There has not been one show in 2006 as anticipated as this one, by fans and by the media alike. It was evident as we arrived at the Enmore Theatre. Already people were lined out the front. The Grates got the envied national support slot, and already there were a few people to see them. The lead singer Patience has a deceiving name, as she is anything but that, she is full of energy and it’s infectious. They play crowd pleasers off their debut album like ‘Trampoline’, ‘19-20-20’, and ‘Science is Golden’. She jumps around on stage like a hyperactive teenager, it is supposed to be endearing but it takes away from the strength of her songs and the novelty wears off after a few songs. However the addition of the ribbon was nice, and the kids were digging it.

It was a long break between bands, and just when we thought we couldn’t wait any longer the monkeys arrived. They looked younger than they are in real life (all of their odd 20 yrs) and it’s hard to imagine how they are coping with the level of fame they have achieved in such a short time.Alex Turner comes out and says, “Don’t worry I’m going to get a haircut”. Then he says something about Australia being refreshing, much like a citrus drink. If there was any doubt it’s gone, they are here to have fun and play some songs.They open with the ‘Riot Van’ and the crowd starts cheering, it’s a quiet song compared to the other songs on the album but the reaction is palpable. There isn’t really a break and they launch into ‘The View from the Afternoon’, and the crowd goes a bit mental. Alex Turner’s guitar wheels through the song, from fast to slow. Their execution of songs is very tight for a band so young. The rest of the band; Jamie Cook on guitar, Mathew Helders on drums and the new bassist Nick O’Malley (replacing Andy Nicholson) sound like they have been playing together and performing for years, even though it has only been a few months.

There is certainly something in their music, not just the melodies but Turner’s lyricism is quite something else, and it’s also refreshing in its honesty. They speak to other young people, these are nights we have had out, we can relate to these failed romances or being bored in a small town. It is evident that the crowd loves it too. They are singing along to every single word and jumping around like true Yorkshire lads.

From then on the show doesn’t really stop, it’s song after song, the band play everything off their debut Whatever people say about me, that’s what I’m not and also some of their ironically titled EP Who the fuck are the arctic monkeys? Including their new single Leave before the lights come on. They seem surprisingly humbled by the immense reaction of the crowd but nothing does prepare for the awesome reception in the fantastic hit I bet you look good on the dancefloor. You can’t help but want to dance in ‘Dancing Shoes’ with its catchy bass line and that’s what the audience want to do. It is a quieter moment in ‘Fake tales of San Francisco’ and the lovely libertinesque ‘Mardy Bum’, and we are all singing along. ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ gets everyone dancing again and jumping around, it’s infectious and fun. It’s the kind of music that you don’t have to think too much about, just catchy melodies, wicked tempos and witty lyrics.

The band themselves don’t seem jaded by the industry or their sudden rise to fame, they just seem to be feckin excited to be playing their songs to an enraptured audience. And we are fecking excited to be there. The last song is ‘A Certain Romance’ and then they’re off, no encore. There is no need for one. It’s short and sweet, just like the album, and a good night out. As Turner says in ‘View from the Afternoon’: Anticipation has the habit to set you up/For disappointment in evening entertainment but/Tonight there’ll be some love/Tonight there’ll be a rawkus,YEAH!