Arctic Monkeys | Booking | Live show | Private party British rock group Arctic Monkeys was formed in Sheffield, England in 2002. Its two founders Alex Turner and Matt Helders were friends since childhood. In high school, they met Andy Nicholson. All three of them enjoyed hip-hop and rock. On weekends, they got together and used Cubase software to create their own songs.
In 2001, the aspiring artists became fans of an indie rock group, The Strokes, which was quickly gaining popularity. For Christmas, Turner’s parents gave him an electric guitar. The young man started learning how to play it and invited his neighbor, Jamie Cook, who also had one. Shortly, the artists decided to form a band. Andy Nicholson played bass guitar. Matt Helders became a drummer.
The musicians rehearsed in their parents’ garages. Then they found an empty warehouse and continued playing there. Turner shared his songs with the group members. The band mostly played cover versions of the hits recorded by popular rock groups, but they had a few of their own songs as well.
The band gave its first concert in June 2003 in a London pub, The Grapes. After a few performances, the musicians recorded a demo album, Beneath the Boardwalk. The artists gave the tapes out for free during their concerts. In 2004, the album was uploaded to the Internet. The group started acquiring more and more fans.
