Arctic Monkeys: Desert set for Arctic blast

The Arctic Monkeys played Coachella in 2007 after “Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not” became the fastest-selling debut album in British history

Now, on the weekend of the 11th annual festival, the Arctic Monkeys are playing Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown.
The Sheffield, England quartet recorded much of their recent “Humbug” CD at the Rancho de la Luna studio in Joshua Tree with desert resident Josh Homme as producer, so the band thought it made sense to return to headline a gig with studio owner Dave Catching's Earthlings?
Lead singer-songwriter Alex Turner talked about it through a thick Sheffield accent in a recent telephone interview:
THE DESERT SUN: Did you have a chance to play Coachella or did you prefer to play at Pappy's?

TURNER: We wanted to play in Pappy's from the first time we walked through the door. I love Coachella festival. We had a great show there like two years ago, (but) it was a bit soon to do it again. Nothing against Coachella. I mean, Pappy's is only a couple hundred people. It's not going to be too damaging to that festival.
I know Josh took you there, but how did you get connected with Josh?
We met at festivals. He burst into a dressing room one day yelling, “Monkeys!” We took it from there.
So it was his entrance that caught your attention?
Yeah. I mean, we were longtime fans. Jamie (Cook) and I, when we were first learning to play guitar, we listened to (Homme's band) Queens (of the Stone Age) a lot. We played a show in Houston with them a couple years ago and I think we mentioned, “Yeah, we should do some tunes with Josh.” Then we forgot about it and went on our merry way. Then it came back up in conversation. We got in touch with the people upstairs and Josh and I spoke on the phone a lot. He said, “Why don't you come out for a couple weeks and we'll try it out.” So we all took a guitar each and drove to the desert and had a little adventure.
Was the environment much of an influence on the music you made?

No plans to make another album.

Alex Turner has said there are presently no plans for him to make another album with his side project band The Last Shadow Puppets.

Alex Turner has said there are presently no plans for him to make another album with The Last Shadow Puppets.

The Arctic Monkeys frontman recorded debut 'The Age Of the Understatement' with his side project band - which also features musician Miles Kane - in 2008, but although the pair hoping to enter the studio last year, Alex said it is now unlikely they will return at any point soon.

When asked if the band had plans to record by Absolute Radio, he said: "I wouldn't have thought so, no. Miles has just kind of completed his record, so that will sort of tie him up for a bit I think. Yeah, I don't think so.