Arctic Monkeys * * * *
at the Carling Academy
Review by Jon Perks

It was little short of mass karaoke. Two and a half thousand shoehorned into a hot and humid venue where Alex Turner and the rest of the Monkeys, Sheffield's finest export since stainless steel, romped through a 75-minute set that barely stopped to catch its breath.

That's the beauty of the Arctic Monkeys - not only are the tunes dead catchy and the lyrics sharper than a Sheffield blade but few songs are much over three minutes long.

They're like the number 50 bus – another will be along shortly.

Even when there weren't lyrics to sing back at the babyfaced Turner, the crowd still joined in with the melody, threw beer and generally went wild.

This was the week's hot ticket in town, and everyone inside was determined to have a good time. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, midway through the set, didn't so much kickstart the set – it was already on full throttle – it was simply a turbo boost. New album Favourite Worst Nightmare is packed with more of the same stompers as its Mercury-winning predecessor, but the delicate encore Only Ones Who Know showed these Monkeys are far from one-trick ponies.

They can't come back too soon.