Five Minutes and Thirteen Dates With Arctic Monkeys

• 4th May 2005

Yet to release a proper single and with all band members still in their teens, Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys (link) already possess the acclaim and following of bands with years more experience. Dressed like Dickensian street urchins, they sing songs of fights outside nightclubs and prostitutes in a way all young people familiar with the brutal, intimidating reality of being brought up in the city can relate to.

With only a few months gigging experience behind them, the band were already gaining considerable local interest before Zane Lowe played the band’s 'Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor' on his Radio 1 show back in November. This blew the doors open for the band nationally as people discovered they had a sound as unforgettable as their name. Songs like ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’ and ‘Scummy’ have already became infernal punk-pop anthems to many before they’ve even been released, fuelling an A&R scramble for arguably the hottest new band in the country.

With debut release ‘Five Minutes with the Arctic Monkeys’ (featuring ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’ and ‘From the Ritz to the Rubble’) due for release mid-tour May 30th on Bang Bang recordings and hotly tipped for the Top 40, this looks like being the unmissable, pivotal tour when the band goes overground.

“They seem to have what it takes. They’ve not been going long, and it’ll be interesting to see where they go from here.” Pete Mella- Sandman Magazine

“notable talent… intensely catchy melodies” Glasswerk.co.uk

May
Thu, 26th: SHEFFIELD, The Boardwalk
Fri, 27th: LEICESTER, Charlotte
Sun, 29th: EDINBURGH, Subway
Mon, 30th: GLASGOW, Barfly
Tue, 31st: NEWCASTLE, Cumberland Arms (150 cap)

June
Thu, 2nd: SOUTHAMPTON, The Joiners Arms
Fri, 3rd: BRISTOL, The Croft
Sat, 4th: CARDIFF, Barfly
Mon, 6th: LONDON, Islington Bar Academy
Tue, 7th: WOLVERHAMPTON, Little Civic
Thu, 9th: MANCHESTER, Jabez Clegg
Fri, 10th: CARLISLE, The Brickyard
Sat, 11th: LEEDS, Faversham