was part of the set designed by Turner for the stage
NME Thomas Smith reviewed the band's set at
Reading positively, saying, "This ain’t quite
Nirvana in 1992, but still cements itself as one of the festival’s biggest and busiest sets in recent memory – a reminder of the band’s cross-generational reach." Smith praised the band's ability to blend their most commercial songs with the deep cuts, but noted a lack of crowd interaction. The show only featured two songs from
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, which Smith described as "a masterpiece that doesn’t always translate at festival headline sets." Regardless, he thought the band "still happen to be the best in the game." Nacho Sánchez of
El País thought their set at
Cala Mijas was "solid" and noted the band's preference for
AM on their setlist, Sánchez was also mindful of their mix of "teenage rock" and the slower 70's-infused sound of their latest albums. He though the maturity "looked great on the band", and that the crowd was very much enjoying the show. While reviewing one of their nights at
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Sian Cain of
The Guardian said, "There are few frontmen touring today who lean into the theatrics of rockstardom as effortlessly as Alex Turner". She thought that songs from
The Car seemed out of place with the rest of their setlist, adding, "they sound less like Arctic Monkeys, more like Alex Turner featuring Arctic Monkeys", she also lamented the decision to play the album without strings on stage, which she felt "strips back some of its seductive opulence". Cain was more forgiving of the overall performance, describing the band and its touring members as "polished", noting "when every note sounds so spot on, who truly cares?" and thought towards the end, Turner's warmth shone, as he reveled in the applause and blew kisses to the crowd. Their show at
The Domain was named "one of the defining concerts of this
Sydney summer." by Shamim Razavi of
The Sydney Morning Herald, in that same review they were described as "two distinctly different bands: one the spiky, cheeky Northerner purveyors of rhythm-driven perfect post-pop punch; the other a mature, measured melodic act of perfect poise," united by "keen intelligence, both lyrically and musically, and the charismatic persona of frontman Alex Turner." Nevertheless, Razavi thought the union was not as "coherent" as choosing one style over the other. On their first show of their UK stadium leg, Huw Baines, of
The Guardian noted the simplicity of their staging "It is very simple – no pyro or stadium pomp here – but the lighting and video work creates a mood in a way that no confetti cannon could." He also praised the mix between their fast songs and their new, more relaxed tracks, highlighting the response to track
Sculptures of Anything Goes, "It is rapturously received, suggesting that these new songs can be muscular stadium-fillers all on their own. Yes, very good." ==Recording==