The Last Shadow Puppets at the City Hall, Sheffield, October 23

When Jarvis Cocker made his first live appearance in Sheffield since 2002 he was famously flown from France, barely touching down in the city for a night. Yet now as Alex Turner attempts to distance himself from his hometown it’s hard not to notice the street leading to the City Hall is riddled with his past. From The Frog And Parrot- the pub referenced on the Arctic Monkeys debut album to Turner’s former bandmates’ bar The Bowery, it shows it may take a little more than an orchestra to shake off this hometown crowd.

Of course Turner’s most obvious ties to the city are sitting behind us for the concert. Yet as his bandmates discretely sit down its impossible not to notice them- after all this is a large step away from the Arctic Monkeys. With the stage decked out in red curtains and a 20 piece orchestra the duo come onstage dressed in sharp suits and a new attitude as Alex enthuses “You  can call me Mr Turner tonight.”

As the group kick into ‘The Age of the Understatement’ the force of the orchestra immediately belts through the room giving instant life to the songs. It’s easy for orchestras to absorb everything onstage, yet live the songs manage to distance themselves from the album, with the pair adapting seamlessly into their new surroundings. Each part is dissected onstage allowing the songs to blossom and as Turner welcomes his dad to play trumpet on ‘Meeting Place’ it gives a sweet idyllic moment to the night. 

Miles Kane provides the audience banter, and while most are here to see the pair in action as someone shouts “PLAY FAKES TALES OF SAN FRANCISCO!” in an awkward silence there’s a deathly pause before Turner responds “this next song is called...why won’t people just shut the fuck up”. He may be Mr Turner tonight but it’s good to see his old wit is not lost. But as the pair cover The Beatles ‘She’s So Heavy’ Turner has certainly proved he’s capable of far more than a few pub anthems.