Anticipation has a habit to set you up, for disappointment in evening entertainment but, this time the Arctic Monkeys were wrong. After eight months of waiting, I finally got the chance to see the biggest band of 2006, and I was far from disappointed. Taking the train to Wolverhampton we were in high spirits, dreaming of what the set list would consist of and how their almost poetic lyrics would sound live. Arriving at the venue before doors opened, we had to wait in the drizzling rain for over an hour before we could enter. But the spirit was by no means dampened and the queue reverberated with its own renditions of the classic hits.听 The first support band up was The Reverend And The Makers who were surprisingly awesome for such a small band, providing an unfamiliar mixture of contrasting voices and sounds. All the members of the band could sing and they all provided their different layers to the songs. They also really knew how to get the crowd working and when they left the crowd was hungry for a bit of monkey. Next up were The Little Flames who really didn't do it for me. Individually they were all very talented musicians but put together, it just didn't work. The lead singer, Eva Peterson, sounded like she would be more at home singing country and western and this factor unfortunately ruined their set for me. As they left, the crowd politely clapped them, but they really didn't get us going at all.
 | | The Arctic Monkeys |
The atmosphere in the arena had dropped down a few notches since The Reverend And The Makers, but when the lights went down for the third time, the atmosphere was reignited. As the Arctic Monkeys arrived on stage, they received a huge cheer from the crowd. Lead singer, Alex Turner came out with his hood (now typically) up and a spring in his step. He paused for a few seconds and then broke into a rendition of Riot Van which faded into The View From The Afternoon. Their set was faultless, providing endless entertainment throughout with their witty lyrics and musical talent. The crowd reacted madly to I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor which culminated in hundreds of people being dragged out and over the barrier. My favourite song in the set was From The Ritz to The Rubble which sounded even better than it does on the album, (yes, it is possible). The gig ended without an encore, which was a first for me, but then it didn't matter because, by the end of the gig, the Arctic Monkeys in my eyes couldn't have done anything wrong. Overall, a fantastic gig from a band that I am looking forward to hearing more and more of in the future. | 
