Guest
Paradiso, Amsterdam The show at the small theatre in Brussels had the full orchestra nicely placed at the back in front of a lighted backdrop with the group name, changing in colour. Paradiso is a pop temple with a small stage and an intimate setting: drummer James Ford crammed up in between the kitchen sink, a violin player on the lap of John Ashton, the trombonist backstage, the conductor at the bar… Ok, possibly slightly exaggerating here. In Brussels the night before they were in suits, in Amsterdam Alex Turner was in a leather jacket and a shirt. Both very different nights with a different atmosphere, both some of the very best performances I’ve ever seen. The setlist consisted of about as much songs Arctic Monkeys play in 2018: the whole debut album, 2 original B-sides and 4 covers. Support act was Ipso Facto, with on drums Victoria Smith, who 10 years later would become Miles Kane’s drummer. Pre-barrier times. Front row is never the very best spot, but at the time it meant looking up one’s nostril
