Just shy from what's said to be the band's 20th Anniversary of their first ever live performance, Arctic Monkeys rolled back in to Wales with a showstopping appearance at the Swansea.com Stadium. 

Stepping it up from their arena shows of the past, the band set about making their first Welsh show in almost a decade one to remember as they picked through their back catalogue of hits and crowd pleasers. Despite being a tour in support of their recent album ‘The Car’ released in October last year, the Sheffield outfit surprised fans with one of their strongest set lists to date offering up something new, something old and something all too spectacular. 

With the proceedings kicked off with Brianstorm, the energy never faltered as they swooned their way through Snap Out Of It and into the crowd hyping Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair. 

There's little interaction between Alex and the sea of sprawling hands and faces, yet not much needed to be said. From his bona fide smile as he emerged on stage, to his confident bravado, he looked genuinely pleased to be back and fully set about enjoying his moment. This is a band certainly not going though the motions for a pay-cheque.

Dipping in to and out of their rich LP history, with the majority coming from AM and Favourite worst Nightmare, fans weren't given much time to catch a breath in-between the nostalgic indie bangers, even with Turner slowing down the pace of delivery with his suave and charming off the beat extrication. 

It's not until the final quarter of the evening that The Car gets it's first outing with the sultry and ever sophisticated Perfect Sense making an appearance, fitting almost seamlessly with the vintage effect filter running over the video screens positioned either side of the stage. 

His mimicked delivery to the album is something to behold and few band's can perform as well as Arctic Monkeys have mastered. A skill refined over the years, evidently so on There'd Better Be a Mirrorball as Turner held its chorus notes perfectly.

Draped over the microphone stand he gives the perfectly curated crowd what they are craving. "Five. Oh. Five" he muttered with numbered hand gestures, received to an almighty cheer as they picked up the pace once more through its elongated guitars and soaring crescendos. 

Returning with a three track encore the evening rounded up as quickly as it began with the band charging through a triple threat of Sculptures of Anything Goes, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor and R U Mine? which saw the biggest reaction of the night as phone screens and cameras lit up the stadium.

All biases aside, name a better live performing band than Arctic Monkeys right now. You'll be hard done by. The only question that remains is, 'where next', as they confidently commandeer the stadium circuit. I guess Glastonbury will have to wait and find out!

Arctic Monkeys played:
Brianstorm
Snap Out of It
Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
Crying Lightning
Teddy Picker
The View From the Afternoon
Cornerstone
Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
Arabella
Four Out of Five
Pretty Visitors
Fluorescent Adolescent
Perfect Sense
Do I Wanna Know?
Mardy Bum
There'd Better Be a Mirrorball
505
Body Paint

Encore:
Sculptures of Anything Goes
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
R U Mine?

f: https://www.facebook.com/ArcticMonkeys