Important question: where is Alex Turner’s Oscar? The man deserves one. When Arctic Monkeys first started out, he and the rest of the band gave kind of anti-performances, emphasising that they were just lads in a band, largely fond of jeans, Fred Perry polo shirts and standing pretty still as they played guitars. Their videos were either focused on performances (as in ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’) or didn’t feature them at all (think of the Richard Aoyade-directed clown fest that was ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’).

Gradually, though, Alex began to dip his toes into the starry world of actual performance. The video for ‘Cornerstone’ (again directed by Aoyade) sees him croon into a vintage microphone for the song’s entirety. By the time they were promoting the rock behemoth that is ‘AM’, he was doing actual acting. See the video for ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High’), in which he does an uncanny impression of someone who is, in fact high. In an interview, he said that his performance is somewhat shaky, but it was the start of something beautiful.

Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino’ is on the NME Audio playlist. Click here for information on how to tune in to NME1 and NME2

Because the band’s current tour, on which they’ve schmoozed their way through the louche, lounge lizard sounds of sixth album ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’, has borne witness to a magical shift in Alex Turner’s stage presence. It’s somewhere between bingo caller and raffish playboy, as he introduces proggy ‘Humbug’ album track ‘Pretty Visitors’ with the immortal call, “LET’S! PLAY! DARTS!”, and, crucially, acts out one particular lyric from ‘One Point Perspective’: “Bear wi’ me, man / I lost my train of thought.”


He looks blank, sometimes scratches his chin, points absently in the air as though trying to remember something. Turner’s become something of a meme king in that last couple of years – largely thanks to his bizarre onstage antics with old mucker Miles Kane during the 2016 tour for their last Shadow Puppets album ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ – and fans have taken to faithfully documenting this ‘One Point Perspective’ moment online. Alex, better start trying to remember your Oscars acceptance speech right about now…

give alex turner an oscar h deserves — tamara (@turnersangel) June 17, 2018

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl0VLyLA9Ay/?taken-by=thelastarcticmonkeys

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjTos5_haQa/?tagged=lostmytrainofthought

Alex Turner last night during the “Bear with me man, I lost my train of thought” part of One Point Perspective is everything pic.twitter.com/klyXENqwA8 — Kris (@kiwivalentine) July 25, 2018

it’s been a month since Alex Turner lost his train of thought while looking in my direction I don’t know how I’m still alive pic.twitter.com/24vGuNGnlU — ? ? ? ? ? ? ? (@liittleherbert) July 26, 2018


https://www.instagram.com/p/BlAnQj0h4CA/?tagged=lostmytrainofthought

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bly5GXpN2M0

Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? Let’s leave the final word to super-fan Jadzia, who took words right out of our mouths…

Alex Turner repeatedly saying “bear with me man I lost my train of thought” makes me believe in myself — jadzia (@heavenxward) May 12, 2018