Arctic Monkeys at Ageas Bowl, Southampton: A rousing rollercoaster ride of stunning sing-a-long songs | Review

But as they watched enthralled in the city’s pubs and clubs they found out how late their stake was – for this so-called new band was being watched by a legion of fans who could already belt out word after word of every song played.

Roll forward more than 20 years and things have not changed as the Arctic Monkeys performed a rousing rollercoaster of stunning sing-along songs to an adoring Ageas Bowl crowd in Southampton. Alex Turner has been crafting his poetical take on everyday life across those three decades and the crowd showed their devotion to his lyrics by joining in at every opportunity.

From Matt Helders’ frenetic first drum beats which opened the set on Brianstorm until the last refrains of R U Mine? completed the encore, this was a show packed with classic numbers from across seven albums in a set which nobody wanted to end.

It was a show crafted solely around the superb musicianship of Turner, Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bass player Nick O’Malley. There were no fireworks. No confetti cannons. No flame throwers. No long interludes dedicated to cajoling crowd participation (that honour goes to The Hives and lead singer Pelle Almqvist who performed a storming set as the second support act). And there was no need. Apart from a few ‘alright’ and ‘thank you, Southampton’s, Turner and co let the music do the talking.

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There’d Better Be a Mirrorball and there certainly was when one descended from the heavens to sparkle in the night sky but there was no other technical wizardry. The back of the stage contained a large circular TV screen which provided a porthole for close ups of the band as they performed but even the special effects used on this was more like something which would have dazzled watchers of Top of the Pops in the 1970s. This throwback added a vintage charm to the show (as did touring keyboard player Tyler Parkford who reminded me of a less-menacing Ron Mael of pop duo Sparks).

Whether belting out the frantic first hits like The View From The Afternoon and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor to crooning through latest numbers like Perfect Sense and Body Paint, the band seamlessly turned the pace up and down without missing a beat. But for all their energy and skill it is undoubtedly Turner who steals the show.

The man is mesmeric as you find yourself drawn to every pose, every gesture. This man can even captivate with a pause in a song. And he looked every part the red devil as the lights bathed him during Pretty Visitors.

It’s a long way from The Grapes in Sheffield to a sold-out Ageas Bowl in Southampton but these Monkeys know how to entertain. And their fans know how to join in. Four Out Of Five might be unheard of, but this was a night of five out of five sing-along star quality