Arctic Monkeys...Record it and they will come

[KiwiCoromandel]

The Arctic Monkeys' net-propelled success shows record companies are no longer needed.......

ALEX TURNER, a spotty-faced lad in a hoodie with a thick Yorkshire accent, doesn't look like the coolest man on Earth. However, the 20-year-old lead singer of Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys has seen his band rise in a year from obscurity to having a No.1 single and album and provoking hysterical scenes outside oversubscribed venues. They've been dubbed the leaders of an internet-based music community that could turn the conventional industry to dust and been compared favourably to the Sex Pistols and Oasis. A lot of this is the usual hype, but beneath it is a truly heartening story.

The Arctic Monkeys' tale couldn't be more conventional. Turner and guitarist Jamie Cook, friends since they were children, formed the band with drummer Matt Helders and bassist Andy Nicholson in 2002 while still at school. Their decision to hand out free copies of their demos at gigs started the chain reaction that has shot them to success.

Impressed recipients swapped tracks on the internet, forming a community of fervent fans before the record industry even knew the Arctic Monkeys existed. By June last year, they had signed to Domino, home of Franz Ferdinand. By October, their first London headlining show had sold out the 2000-capacity venue, shortly before their first full release, I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor, stormed straight to No. 1. The record industry, completely outflanked, was left gasping for breath. Ever since, people have been asking how it happened, and why.

more here........

http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/record-it...3166508649.html

image: AFP......"It can't get any more successful. It can only get bigger"... Arctic Monkeys (from left) Matt Helders, Jamie Cook, Alex Turner and Andy Nicholson, who has recently left the band.