And the rest is history – Arctic Monkeys play their debut show in Sheffield on this day in 2003

Words: Dan Smith

Playing at The Grapes Pub in Sheffield, Arctic Monkeys made their debut in 2003, bringing home a whopping £27 from ticket sales. I can only assume anyone who attended that show had no idea how big the four-piece would eventually become!

Due to rare footage posted on YouTube, we are able to listen to elements of the show, in which a cover of Fatboy Slims ‘The Rockafeller Skank’ was played. Listening to Alex Turner back then is an incredibly strange experience, especially considering Alex decided to put on an accent when singing, the exact thing which was an incredible selling point when it came to the Sheffield band releasing their own music.

The band used these early gigs to make waves, and are credited with being one of the first bands to gain nationwide recognition through the internet, more specifically MySpace.

I doubt even they knew just how much of an impact they would make on the music community, but those early gigs definitely set them on their way. This also should be used as a message to all the young, unsigned artists out there that you may not be selling out shows immediately, but put your heart and soul into this and anything can happen – but always remember, music is to be enjoyed!