During their show at Riverstage in Brisbane last night (11th January), Arctic Monkeys gave The Car cut ‘Big Ideas’ its official tour debut. Alex Turner and co. began their encore with the song, which they had performed on a few European television and radio broadcasts but not yet played on the road.
The band also played other The Car songs ‘Body Paint’, ‘There’d Better Be a Mirrorball’ and ‘Sculptures of Anything Goes’, all of which have been setlist staples on the current tour.
Arctic Monkeys play ‘Big Ideas’ live in Brisbane
Arctic Monkeys’ Australian tour kicked off over the New Year’s period with appearances at Lost Paradise, all three Falls Festivals, and Adelaide’s Heaps Good. They played two headline shows at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl last week. “If Turner keeps aiming high, Arctic Monkeys shows will continue to be suffused with a sense of exploration and discovery,” Music Feeds said of the band’s gig in Melbourne.
The Sheffield band will wrap up the visit this Saturday (14th January) with a sold-out show at the Domain in Sydney. Earlier this week, the band announced they would be opening a pop-up shop featuring limited edition merch at Sydney’s Golden Age Cinema in Surry Hills. The Car pop-up shop is open from 11am till 6pm on Friday, 13th and Saturday, 14th January.
The Car arrived in October last year, the follow-up to 2018’s polarising Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino. On their seventh studio album, the band continued to move away from the guitar-heavy rock of their earlier work to incorporate more subdued tempos and orchestral elements.
Further Reading
Arctic Monkeys ‘The Car’ Review – Decadent Leisure and Immobilising Nostalgia
Arctic Monkeys Review – Band’s Old and New Selves Coexist at Melbourne Gig
Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders Says Songs Like ‘R U Mine?’ Are A Thing Of The Past