Review: Arctic Monkeys ****

at Royal Albert Hall

ROCK bands might historically have been expected to smash their instruments at the end of a show. But it seems Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys are more likely to hand theirs over to be auctioned for charity.

So it should come as no surprise that a band with a conscience should be playing a charity gig at the Royal Albert Hall for The Teenage Cancer Trust.

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The Royal Albert Hall is a spectacular venue and the Arctic Monkeys provided a performance to match those special surroundings.

After a couple of support acts the band stepped on stage to a crowd which erupted with deafening enthusiasm.

As they smashed through their 90-minute set with songs from all three of their albums, few of the audience were able to resist joining in with Alex Turner's singing.

The songs Brainstorm, Crying Lightening and This House is a Circus were among the audience favourites, but the highlight of the night had to be the opening chords of their first hit I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor reverberating through the hall, putting most people on their feet and singing with an even greater surge of energy.

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At the end of the show the band were back on stage to punch out an energetic rendition of Fluorescent Adolescent as an encore, before continuing the action with the dance floor indie of 505.

They finished with drummer Matt Helders launching his drumsticks into the audience.

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