Ever since Arctic Monkeys released “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” in 2006, the English rock group has established a following for their honest lyrics and distinct yet evolving sound. The quartet finally made their way to the Philippines for their first headline show on March 6 at the Filinvest City Events Grounds as part of their The Car Tour.

After the Wanderland: The Comeback weekend, Filipino music fans went back to the events grounds to see Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O’Malley, and Matt Helders. The atmosphere was electric as the crowd, which queued for hours outside the venue, made their way near the barricades.

Arctic Monkeys had been on almost everyone’s concert bucket list for more than a decade, and it felt surreal when they were finally on stage.
The night started with “Sculptures of Anything Goes” from their 2022 album “The Car.” The crowd could clearly hear Alex’s unique voice as the band opted for a dark and rich song as their opener. Fans were singing along and swaying with the song’s rhythm. Now, that’s my idea of a good time.

Arctic Monkeys continued their set with well-loved releases “Brianstorm,” “Snap Out of It,” “Crying Lightning,” “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair, and “The View From the Afternoon.”
The fans sang along to “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” from the band’s indelible 2013 release “AM.” They followed it up “Four Out of Five.” Alex then introduced the next song as “Arabella in Manila.”
From their “Humbug” album, the rock group then performed “Pretty Visitors” and “Cornerstone.”

When the next song started, the crowd shouted and sang every word as the band played “Do I Wanna Know?”

From their debut album to their most recent release, Arctic Monkeys sang old and new fan favorites: “Do Me a Favour,” “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino,” “Teddy Picker,” “From the Ritz to the Rubble,” “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor,” and “Body Paint.”

They started their encore with “There’d Be a Mirrorball,” with the mirrorball from the stage reflecting the lights and illuminating the crowd. A new arrangement of “505” was next, and the band finished their 21-song set with “R U Mine?” An iconic song to end a much-awaited and phenomenal night. The crowd was treated with a captivating performance that was distinctly Arctic Monkeys.

As Alex said in between songs, “What a night.” And it was. Definitely five stars out of five.

Special thanks to Karpos Multimedia.