The well-known English rock band Arctic Monkeys was a hit at the KIA Forum on September 29, 30, and October 1. The hyped Irish indie band Fontaines D.C. opened the show for the Arctic Monkeys.
The fans anticipated this show because the last show here in California was at the Primavera Sound Festival in September of 2022. Before that, their last solo show in California was on October 18, 2018. So safe to say, that fans very much anticipated the upcoming shows because tickets to all 3 dates sold out quickly.
The band has had a successful career that has spanned over two decades. The band has the reputation of being one of the most popular bands of the century. The lead singer, Alex Turner, is one of the most popular frontmen of the 21st century. Since 2002, the band has gained much acclaim and popularity, and seeing them on October 1 proved why they have this excellent performance reputation.
Supporting group Fontaines D.C. has been gaining popularity in recent years with their post-punk music. Their 2022 album Skinty Fa has garnered huge praise and The Guardian rated the album number nine of the 50 best albums of 2022. Calling it “their most introspective and unexpected album yet.” They opened the night on fire as lead singer Grian Chatten hit the stage with commanding force. The band performed in front of a backdrop of the band’s logo on a red curtain with yellow text. The approximately 40-minute set was mostly filled with songs from Skinty Fa with only one song performed from each of the previous two albums.
About half an hour later, the Arctic Monkeys hit the stage, kicking the show off with “Sculptures of Anything Goes” from The Car. Turner, the lead singer, dressed up for the evening with a suit and supporting shades, despite it being night. The audience was definitely not tired because the crowd applauded and screamed after every song, leading up to the time when the band concluded their 18-song set.
The backdrop for the band was two huge screens with a circular screen in the middle. The two-hour show the Arctic Monkeys put on was highly enjoyable and I would highly recommend seeing Alex Turner and the gang wherever their next show may be.
This current tour has been promoting their seventh new album The Car. The album gained mixed but mostly positive reviews with NME stating, “The band’s spectacular seventh album summarises their story so far: sharp songwriting, relentless innovation and unbreakable teamwork.” However, for the past shows, they have just been pulling a handful of tracks from the new LP. During the show, I heard only four songs from their most recent LP.
