Arctic Monkeys have announced a series of international pop up stores to coincide with the release of their sixth album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, which is out this Friday (11 May).
And in keeping with the secrecy surrounding the band’s new album – no singles, no preview tracks, no videos – we’ve got very little to go on as to what to expect from the pop-up stores. Delivered with an almost Zen-like minimalism, a cryptic press release promises that fans can expect to get their hands on “…unique and limited album and merchandise items.”
Hmm… what could it mean? Coloured vinyl? Cassette editions? Trimmings from Alex Turner’s facial hair? We’ll find out soon enough…
Still, it’s all good news for fans within travelling distance of Sheffield, New York, Sydney, Paris, Berlin and Tokyo for these are the locations in which these shops shall be popping up. And their precise locations are as follows:
Sheffield
15 Barker’s Pool, Sheffield, S1 2HB
New York City
393 Broadway, NY 10013
Sydney
Golden Age Cinema & Bar
80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Paris
French Paper Gallery
51 Rue Volta, 75003 Paris
Berlin
25Hours Hotel Bikini Berlin
Budapester Str. 40, 10787 Berlin
Tokyo
Hotel Koé Tokyo
3-7 Udagawacho, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0042
Meanwhile, footage has surfaced online of Arctic Monkeys performing material from Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Despite a “no camera” policy, the title track and another called ‘Four Out Of Five’ were filmed live the band’s gig at The Observatory North Park in San Diego, California last Thursday (3 May).
Augmented by additional musicians, the title track does much to confirm advance word that Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino marks a shift in direction for Arctic Monkeys. A down tempo ballad, it’s unlike anything they’ve done before. Reaction online has been mixed with some fans calling this their “Radiohead moment” while others have described it as “…the Last Shadow Puppets with all the fun taken out.”
All will be revealed on Friday (11 May).
Photo: Zackery Michael
