Sophia Michaels
Before releasing The Car, Arctic Monkeys debuted some tracks from their then-upcoming album at a Sept. concert at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre. With the album now out, Alex Turner and company have shared a 45-minute, 11-song video capturing that performance.
The Kings Theatre gig featured the first-ever live run-throughs of The Car songs “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball,” “Body Paint” and “Mr. Schwartz” in addition to fan favorites like “Brianstorm,” “Crying Lightning” and “505.” (Arctic Monkeys previously previewed the concert footage with the video for The Car‘s “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am.”
The Car marks Arctic Monkeys’ first album since their 2018 space-lounge concept album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. With the band set to embark on a tour in support of their new LP, Rolling Stone spoke to Turner about The Car, moving away from the “big rock” sound on their classic AM and the group’s nearly 20-year legacy.
“I’m just trying to get through [our next show at] Kings Theatre at the moment,” Turner said when asked whether the Arctic Monkeys can stay together forever like the Rolling Stones. “I don’t think that’s a plan I’m gonna draw up tonight. The show’s getting stronger. It feels like it’s becoming something else, and I think the inclusion of this new material within that is only gonna hopefully help. It’s hard not to get excited about that. It’s one step at a time. Let’s see where this Car leads us.
