Clocking up record sales of the first album (and now the second), the Arctic Monkeys just about have every critic drooling. To the delight of some and the surprise of others, the second album delivers almost, if not equally as great, frantic, guitar rock and roll.

To kick start it all, their first gig in quite some time is drawing frenzied attention from all corners. Touts are doing big business with numerous people clutching signs such as “I will buy one ticket” scrawled across. The Astoria is the perfect venue for tonight’s show, and with people crammed in shoulder to shoulder amidst the sweat and smoke, anticipation isn’t the only thing lingering in the air. With a more established set up including lighting design and a backdrop, some may be worried that the little monkeys have grown up.

But straight into the first single off Favourite Worst Nightmare, ‘Brianstorm’  proves their songs still contain the same grit and frenzy that made them the beloved band of the nation in the first place.

Almost every song from Whatever You Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not receives near deafening cheers with the crowd shouting back every word and loving every minute. Alex Turner can do no wrong. He could have spat and everyone in the place would still go crazy but this is what makes the Arctic Monkeys different from so many other bands; they are entirely worthy of their hype. Not only do they make great records, but they also deliver their gigs in a way that is truly electric and have grown into a fantastic live band.

Spoiling the audience with ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’, ‘Riot Van’. ‘Dancing Shoes’, ‘Mardy Bum’ and ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ keeps everyone more than happy. However, it’s opening bars of “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor’ which pays witness to a roaring stampede from the crowd.

So shoving the hype, record breaking sales and media frenzy aside, the Arctic Monkeys are quite clearly a band that play a fantastic live set and are here to stay. Whether you saw them play in a dingy pub in Camden or only caught on when they were selling tickets in their thousands, every review then and now would surely contain the word “brilliant”.

(4½/5)