Arctic Monkeys will be returning to New Zealand next May with shows in Auckland at Vector Arena and Wellington at TSB Bank Arena.
Arctic Monkeys first burst onto the music scene in 2006 with their Award-winning debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. The album became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history.
In the years since their debut, the band have received two Grammy Award nominations, five Brit Awards, headlined the iconic Glastonbury Festival twice and taken to the world stage in front of billions as part of the London Olympic Games opening ceremony. Originally one of the ‘best new bands to watch’, Arctic Monkeys have well and truly cemented themselves now as one of the most important British bands of their time.
Recorded in the band’s adopted home of Los Angeles, AM is twelve tracks of near perfection including ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ (watch here) and ‘One For The Road’ (watch here), the album features stomping riffs, Turner’s most mature songwriting yet and guest appearances from Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Elvis Costello’s drummer Pete Thomas and ex-Coral man Bill Ryder Jones On the charts, AM was the band’s fifth consecutive UK #1 debut, making them the first artist signed to an independent label to achieve this.
Closer to home, the album shot straight to the #1 spot on both the ARIA Album Chart and New Zealand’s Official Album Chart. As well as success on the charts, AM was also heralded by critics across the globe as Arctic Monkeys’ best album to date and was nominated for the 2013 Mercury Music Prize just two days after its release:
‘Arctic Monkeys’ fifth record is absolutely and unarguably the most incredible album of their career. It might also be the greatest record of the last decade.’ – NME, 10/10
‘AM does not so much revive Britpop as it does revive rock music.’ – The Vine
‘The Monkeys keep on evolving.’ – Rolling Stone, 4*
The AM Tour has already hit the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Europe this year, impressing sold-out crowds with a set list filled with both tracks from their latest release and musical highlights from along the way:
‘They’re untouchable right now; they’re in their own league.’ – Chronicle Live
‘The band is at the top of their game and it was an unforgettable experience.’ – Nouse
‘By adding west coast hip-hop to vintage hard rock, Arctic Monkeys are more impressive than ever.’ – The Guardian
Tickets to the New Zealand leg of the AM Tour go on sale from 10am AEDT on Wednesday 11 December through Ticketmaster.
If the demand for their latest album is anything to go by, these tickets won’t last long. Be quick to see Arctic Monkeys; one of the greatest live bands to emerge in recent years.
