Arctic Monkeys: Drummer Matt Helders reveals ins and outs of tour life, set-lists, and fan reaction to The Car

Matt Helders, drummer for Arctic Monkeys, spoke on Dutch radio during the group’s Netherlands leg of their tour. He revealed how tour life is going for the band, and also his surprise to fans reaction to their latest album.

When asked about down-time away from the cramped corners of the tour bus, Matt, 37 explained the group’s close bond means they never get tired of each other’s company. He told NPO 3FM: “Within the band, we’re obviously friends regardless of the band.

“We can kind of switch off together, because we’ve got more in common and more to talk about than just the band and what happened on stage that night or whatever.”

The Sheffield-formed rock band’s recent album The Car was recorded with all band members living together under the same roof. Continuing to speak about the Arctic Monkeys' tight-knit relationship, Helders said: “We were in a position where that was just like a fun way of doing it. 

“We had to do a lot in a short space of time so it’s kind of the only way to get that done; to wake up and sort of be straight into it until you go to sleep.”

The drummer spoke on how personally happy he was with fans' reaction to the album, which steps away from the traditional indie-rock genre the group is known for. Still speaking with Vera Siemons, host of Vera on Track, he said: “I think every time we do a record, and it may come across as a bit different to what we’ve done before, I’m always pleasantly surprised by the people who stick with us and come along for the journey.”

He also disclosed that the group changes their set-list for each show on the tour, saying: “We’ve even been changing it day to day recently just to try and find the right thing.

“There's a few new ones in… we play Mirrorball every night, we’ve been playing Bodypaint, and recently we’ve been playing Big Ideas.

“We sort of decide before the show what we’re going to put in and how it feels.”

The full interview can be found on the Vera on Track YouTube channel.