If you ask Brits which year they remember the fondest in modern history, we reckon that 2012 would rank highly in the results. The Stone Roses were back playing live shows and The Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations gave us numerous days off work. And, most importantly, London hosted the Olympics and Paralympics.

Although some sceptics look back at that summer bonanza as a waste of money and a missed opportunity to promote a healthy lifestyle to kids, there’s still no denying that we put on one hell of a show. Trainspotting director Danny Boyle’s Opening Ceremony, which took place on July 27, 2012, was a love letter to some of this nation’s most enduring gifts to the world: the NHS, the Industrial Revolution, Shakespeare, Harry Potter and – yeah! – the Arctic Monkeys.


Boyle couldn’t put on a show without inviting arguably the most influential indie band of the last decade to the party, could he? The Sheffield lads convened on the Olympic Stadium to play their 2005 breakout hit ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ as well as an homage to The Beatles with a slinking cover of ‘Come Together’, which you can watch in full below.

There’s no such nostalgic fondness for comedian Russell Brand’s cover of ‘I Am The Walrus’ from the Closing Ceremony though, which, to put it simply, was dogshit.