There’s no denying Arctic Monkeys took a massive creative risk with Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Transitioning from the swagger-drenched riffs and thumping beats of AM and the rabble-rousing garage rock stylings of their early works was never going to be an easy feat – however, the modern icons pulled it off with total aplomb.
Everyone has a sense of ownership over artists from their hometown – we wear their success with a total sense of pride. Although Tranquility Base has proven a total commercial and critical success for the band, residents of their hometown in Sheffield may not be too happy with the band straying from their humble roots.
Now, some graffiti has appeared in the suburb of Hunter’s Bar in Sheffield, poking fun at the lux LA life portrayed in the band’s new album, even referencing a track on the record.
Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino was mostly recorded in LA, with lyrical references aimed at US politics including the line “the leader of the free world reminds you of a wrestler wearing tight golden trunks”.
“Hey Alex… How’s California?”, the graffiti asks, alongside an image of a coffin with “RIP” written inside.
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The graffiti seems to reference the lyrics from ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’: “He talks of San Francisco, he’s from Hunter’s Bar / I don’t quite know the distance, but I’m sure that’s far / Yeah, I’m sure it’s pretty far”.
Despite Sheffield’s concern with the new album, it’s nabbed the band the title as being the fastest-selling vinyl LP of the last 25 years in the UK, selling 24,500 vinyl copies sold within its first week. It’s also continued their stride of UK number 1’s, marking their sixth consecutive album to top the charts.
Watch the new Arctic Monkeys video for ‘Four Out Of Five’
