The hard earning music lovers of Ireland may have felt they were owed one, following Arctic Monkeys' cancellation of their gig in Marlay Park this past summer. Some conspirators even speculated that frontman Alex Turner’s acute laryngitis was a front, enabling him to preserve his tender voice for the band’s headline slot at Glastonbury.

To rectify their absence, the Sheffielders (Sheffieldians? Sheffieldites?) announced a string of shows on the island (three in Dublin and one in Belfast). Whether you choose to believe if Turner pulled a sicky or not, Arctic Monkeys had all the pretty visitors waving their arms with a stellar performance at the 3 Arena last night – more than making up for any lost time.

Support came from veteran Miles Kane. The Scouse Chuck Berry firmly engaged the spectators with an impassioned display of his trademark badass rock ‘n’ roll. A longtime pal and collaborator of Alex Turner with their project ‘The Last Shadow Puppets’, it’s unsurprising that his tunes went down a treat.

Kane’s attire, a ‘90s Ireland football jersey, got the crowd on his side even more – not that he needed any assistance (though maybe it was touchy for some, considering the developments of our oval tossing and sphere kicking national teams this past weekend).

Miles Kane Supporting Arctic Monkeys @ 3 Arena 15-10-23 (Credit - Peter O'Hanlon)

The arena was packed to the gunwales as the lights dimmed, and that signature white Halo which follows Arctic Monkeys wherever they go, illuminated.

Hype firm and tangible, out they came – sunglasses indoors were par for the course for our enigmatic frontman, as they began the show with ‘Sculptures of Everything Goes.’

One of the newer, more arty ones off The Car, the song may have been lost on some more casual fans and/or nostalgia addicts – an inevitability which comes with being a successful and long-lasting artist.

The darker and more experiemental sensibilities emitted by the track nonetheless showcased their hunger to (like all good monkeys) evolve, and not simply pander to the masses.

Those yearning for simpler times had their cravings satisfied soon after, as the band thundered into ‘Brianstorm’. Matt Helders' raucous drumming sent the pit into a frenzy and reefed the entire seating section off their fundaments, where they’d remain for the next two hours.

The set proved to be a carefully curated selection of live-friendly hits. Each album had at least one track featured, from the garage-rock and biting social commentary of Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not, to the stadium-filling anthems courtesy of 2013’s AM and the more exploratory soundscapes from the group's latest two albums (if anything, the setlist was slighlty AM heavy, understandable considering it’s Arctic Monkey’s most commercially successful LP by a long chalk).

Capping off the main chunk of the show was a pretty rendition of 'Body Paint'- with an accompanying (and extended) string section to boot.

Arctic Monkeys @ 3 Arena 15-10-23 (Credit - Peter O'Hanlon)

After a short interval, Arctic Monkeys began their goodbyes with the crooning ‘Hello You’, allowing some audience members to catch a breath.

A respite which was short lived, as the iconic intro solo to ‘I Bet You look Good On The Dancefloor’ hit like a seretonin sledgehammer. While the song's sentiment may not be applicable to this rhythmically-challenged reviewer, it was still a treat to witness the timeless exciter in all it’s glory.

Closing number of choice was ‘R U Mine’, a silly question in truth - as Turner, O’Malley, Helders and Cook (along with their exceptionally talented band of backing musicians) had the audience like putty in their hands as they riffed the 3 Arena goodnight.

There was little in terms of audience interaction or banter from the lead singer , though it's well known that a sometimes crypctic Turner prefers to let the songs do the talking.

The greatest realisation from last night’s show was perhaps acknowledging  how relevant this band has been for the last twenty years.

From navigating the realms of the mid ‘00s Inbetweeners aesthetic, to Tik-Tok Virality, Arctic Monkeys  have been, and still are, at the top of their game, becoming one of the only modern bands to build a cross-generational fanbase.

A pertiancy which lies in little other than the songs themselves- Alex Turner doesn’t need to post contemptuous tweets, make empty political gestures, or ask teenagers for their IDs before kissing them to be a rockstar.

He does all his own stunts.

Catch the photos from Arctic Monkeys' 3 Arena show here.