An Easy Five Stars out of Five: Arctic Monkeys Rock Manila

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The English band led by the sleek-styled Alex Turner gave Filipino fans a memory to savor.

Most people dread Mondays. But for fans of Arctic Monkeys, March 6 was a Monday well worth looking forward to. After all, the band — one of the most important rock acts in the last two decades — had finally made their Philippine debut.

Presented by Karpos Multimedia and held at the Filinvest City Event Grounds, the show saw Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O’Malley, and Matt Helders perform 21 tracks from all of their seven studio albums.

Excited fans were welcomed by a minimally designed stage, whose only features were the lights programmed to dazzle in sync with the performances, some curtains, and a mirrorball hanging above.

The shiny sphere was both a nod to a track in their latest album “The Car” and the vintage-tinted aesthetic of the band. The big screens also showed a stream of the concert that looked straight out of the ‘80s.

The best you’ll ever have is just a few minutes away 🪩 Manila, r u ready for @ArcticMonkeys?#ArcticMonkeysManila pic.twitter.com/V7ZcFlcNTA

— KARPOS (@karposmm) March 6, 2023

Never mind the hours and hours of waiting and standing — as soon as the seasoned artists came up on stage at around 8:45 p.m., the crowd went wild. And boy did the English rockers deliver.

The droning intro of “Sculptures of Anything Goes,” taken from their newest outing, signaled the start of something spectacular. The succeeding rip-roaring “Brianstorm” took the energy that the Filipino fans exuded to a soaring notch.

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The hand gestures and unmistakable rockstar stance of Turner were a sight to behold. But it was his wistful, sometimes-Dylan-esque croon that really made their music — featuring Turner’s casually cool and frequently tongue-in-cheek lyricism — such a great musical pleasure to indulge in.

The crowd made sure to express their love for it through an incessant sing-along.

The jam-packed concert was filled with many memorable highlights where that crowd dynamic was integral — from the emphatic Snap. Out. Of. It! and the briskly Why’d you only call me when you’re high? to the addictingly-fun-to-sing bridge of “Crying Lightning” (Your pastimes/ Consisted of the strange/ And twisted and deranged…) and the iconic intro of “Do I Wanna Know,” which the audience gamely vocalized.

we were just dreamin’ of bumpin’ into @ArcticMonkeys 💭 this one’s for our favorite Tumblr era!#ArcticMonkeysManila pic.twitter.com/rh79Uj8Nkc

— KARPOS (@karposmm) March 6, 2023

Setlist-wise, the concert was a fine celebration of their discography. The band performed the most tracks from “AM,” which included crowd-favorites such as “Arabella” and the concert-closer “R U Mine?”

“The View From the Afternoon,” “From the Ritz to the Rubble,” and “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” were hit throwbacks from their debut album. Coming from their sophomore effort were “Do Me a Favour,” “Teddy Picker,” and a new arrangement of the sultry “505.”

“Four Out of Five,” off the concept album “Tranquility Hotel and Casino,” also got a new treatment. Turner and company tastefully performed the titular track and was received with much fondness.

The act rendered “Humbug” tracks “Pretty Visitors” and “Cornerstone” in succession, while they chose the irreverent “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” to represent their “Suck It and See” record. “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” and “Body Paint,” both from “The Car,” gave the night an atmospheric mood, providing a welcome relief from the high-energy songs.

we’re getting emotional ✨ @ArcticMonkeys returns to the stage for an encore!#ArcticMonkeysManila pic.twitter.com/dgjdKk9Itj

— KARPOS (@karposmm) March 6, 2023

Like the ocean of phones that sprang since the opening number, the feverish affection of the crowd didn’t ebb until well after the gig ended. In fact, just the opening riffs and percussive beats of all the tracks performed were enough to send fans into exhilarated cheering — and that cheering was enough to be deserving of Turner’s “What a crowd” compliment.

Arctic Monkeys’ inaugural Manila show flew by so fast that it felt too surreal. Nonetheless, that particular Monday night gave thousands of fans a memory to savor. And even without a performance of their mega-hit “Mardy Bum,” a song that the crowd occasionally requested, the concert was still an easy five stars out of five.

Setlist

1. Sculptures of Anything Goes
2. Brianstorm
3. Snap Out of It  
4. Crying Lightning  
5. Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair  
6. The View From the Afternoon  
7. Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?  
8. Four Out of Five (New arrangement)  
9. Arabella  
10. Pretty Visitors  
11. Cornerstone  
12. Do I Wanna Know?  
13. Do Me a Favour  
14. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino  
15. Teddy Picker  
16. From the Ritz to the Rubble  
17. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor  
18. Body Paint  

Encore:

19. There’d Better Be a Mirrorball  
20. 505 (New arrangement)  
21. R U Mine?

Arctic Monkeys Live in Manila is presented by Karpos Multimedia.

Written by Emmy Borromeo

Editing by Pauline Bolaños

Photos from Geriene Penullar