ARCTIC MONKEYS + We Are Scientists @ Le Medley

By Idle Matt - Idle Minds - 06/16/2006

Let me say this upfront: I usually write pretty long reviews, but this show just doesn’t merit it. Simply put, it just wasn’t very good.

We Are Scientists opened the show at the Medley with a warmly-received set. Why it was warmly-received, I'm not actually sure. Their radio-friendly dancey alternative music -- darkly danceable? -- must have hit a chord with the sell-out crowd. I found them to be derivative of all the other bands out there these days. Honestly, I think I've hit my breaking point for bands like this that play guitar-based music with a dancey backbeat. Which brings me to the Arctic Monkeys.

Heavily hyped when it came out, I gave the album a chance anyway and I'll be damned, I actually liked it. Might have been the snotty English vocals or the frantic drumming, but it wasn't half-bad. It's not an album that will have much lasting power in my CD player, but it's a fun record. I'd heard that their live show was pretty good, which led me to request this review assignment.

What followed was one of the most uninspired concert sets I've ever seen in my life. Song after song, the band went through the motions of playing a concert, with no stage presence whatsoever and honestly, looking bored on stage. Minimal stage banter, and when lead singer Alex Turner did open his mouth to say something, it was fairly horrible. Sorry, I didn't write down any of his pearls of banter. Just take my word for it.

I was definitely in the minority, because the crowd ate it up. The crowd sang along and in general, seemed to be having a good time. There was a predictable strong response for the hit "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", and even some crowd surfing. I, on the hand, kept checking my watch, and was very happy when the band left the stage with the lights immediately coming on, signaling that there would be no encore.

After the show ended, I rushed over to Le National, and caught the encore for the Eels show. I honestly had more fun in those 10 minutes than I had had the rest of the night -- and I'm not even that big of an Eels fan. They simply seemed to be having fun on stage, and didn't look like they were in it just for the paycheque. The Arctic Monkeys could learn a few thing from them.

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