Arctic Monkeys burst onto the scene in a hurry in 2006 with the release of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. This incredibly catchy disc became the fastest-selling debut in the history of British music. The UK public absolutely ate up this band, and following the release of their second album, 2007’s Favourite Worst Nightmare, the Arctic Monkeys netted a headlining set at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.
Led by lead singer Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys took the stage to open with their hit single “When The Sun Goes Down”. Turner sings the first two lines, and then begins a surreal moment as the crowd takes over. Thousands of fans take lead vocals and scream, howl, and sing the rest of the first verse behind Turner’s guitar. It’s one of those moments that can give you chills if you’re in the arena for the show or even just watching a video clip.
The rest of the band kicks in, and the crowd goes nuts. Those thousands of singing fans turn into a sea of bouncing heads as the song picks up, and the power of Matt Helders’ drumming is impossible to ignore. For a band that came together basically out of boredom, they have really come into their own as musicians. Not only is Helders’ drumming a standout, but Turner’s guitar playing has really improved, even more now than in this clip. The band’s power and charisma make their songs really translate well from disc to stage.
The usually shy and somewhat timid Turner seems in great spirits as he acknowledges the crowd’s involvement, and the fans’ voices are heard throughout the entire song, never able to be drown out by the band. There was a ton of hype surrounding this performance, and to be there must have been epic. There is a tremendous energy, and I think that comes across in this live version. This video is not one that’s full of a whole lot of bells and whistles, but what you should take away from it is a band in their prime, headlining one of the biggest festivals in the world, and absolutely dominating it.