Arctic Monkey business

Band play up to million pound hype

07 Oct 05 - Arctic Monkeys may have only released one single to date but the hype has already carried them to their first major London venue headliner.

One UK newspaper this week has them signing a million pound publishing deal with EMI and a similarly starry contract with Epic in the US.

Their triumphant Astoria gig, switched from the smaller Mean Fiddler due to ticket demand, has confirmed their hot status with what seemed like the entire British music business cramming in to see what all the fuss is about.

"Previous bands who have been massively hyped and enthused about  were never this big this quick"  Craig McLean, The Observer

Just their second ever London show saw the crowd singing along to some songs that have only yet played in the shadowy corners of the internet.

Highlights were I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, Fake Tales Of San Francisco and Mardy Bum - the band hardly phased by bassist Andy Nicholson's sudden nosebleed three songs in.

Craig McLean from the Observer Music Monthly observed:

"They instantly had everyone in the palm of their hands ... considering they haven't even released a proper single yet it was astonishing. Think of the previous bands who have been massively hyped and enthused about ... The Strokes and Oasis - they were never this big this quick".

Meanwhile I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor is widely released as the official first single in two weeks time.

Bill Overton/Mark Sutherland