As the Arctic Monkeys kick off a full slate of summer shows on the North American tour in support of their incredible new record, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, the band did something special at recent show in New York City. As reported by Rolling Stone, the group performed a smashing cover of the Strokes classic “Is This It?” with frontman Alex Turner adopting a vibrato-heavy vocal line and the rest of the band nailing the ringing guitar stomp of the original. As one of the most impressive live bands in the indie-rock world, it is no surprise that the Arctic Monkeys would be capable of nailing such a classic song.
Turner has been a huge fan of the Strokes for quite some time, having gone on record to say that they were a big influence on the Arctic Monkeys. The band has actually covered the Strokes on multiple occasions a few years back, but this is the first time they have played “Is This It?” in concert. The Arctic Monkeys are known for doing some impressive covers, as they recently tore through an inspired rendition of the Elvis Costello classic “Lipstick Vogue” earlier this year. The Strokes debut record, Is This It, became a global hit upon its release back in 2001, especially in the UK, where a swath of bands (including the Arctic Monkeys) were all influenced by the garage rock minimalism and sultry vocals of Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino has been garnering a warm reception from fans, and the Arctic Monkeys have already released two visually stunning music videos to accompany the lead singles from the record.
You can watch fan-filmed footage of the Arctic Monkeys performing “Is This It?” in the player below.
Photo credit Marisa Rose Ficara
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