I was listening to the radio this morning, BBC Radio 4, the Today program, when for the first time ever they announced an interview with the band Artic Monkeys. Because Artic Monkeys had just won the Mercury award.
Earlier I discovered the Mercury award was somthing to be given to those musicians who had produced good music but really didnt get the recongnition they deserved. (This was yesterday while i was at the gym on the treadmill). The broadcaster went on to say although Artic Monkeys were a candidate, it didn't make much sense they should win because they held the record for most sold debut album. In the circumstances it would be silly to give them yet another award. It was further elaborated the Mercury Award was something judged on the night and after an hour or so of deliberation from the selected judges. To this extent the judgement and novelty of the award seemed to have something going for it other awards just couldn't. For instance being influenced by the politics of a situation.
So it was a surprise to hear Artic Monkeys had won. A small clip was given of some of their music and then the interview which was exceptionally short, i'd of thought in the region of 10 to 15 seconds took place. Previously Artic Monkeys had always refused to give interviews, in this very very short space of time I so understood why. Because the wonderful imaginative name of Artic Monkeys was in fact a big blundering misnomer, the real name which must of been scribbled out because they couldn't spell it, popped to mind. A flashbulb moment errupted. Yes in reality the Artic Monkeys are really The Inarticulate Monkeys. It was as though i was listening to a group of boys who had just left secondary school with no GCSE's between them having failed in favour of going to music classes and playing with their spoons. Somehow their true name The Inarticulate Monkeys had been misslaid with their text books.
The talent of their music had suddenly without doubt been overshadowed by their vocabulary, (rather lack of it) attitude and perhaps even geneticly challenged intelligence. They talked in a derisory fashion of how it was selling of CDs that made them famous, even though the interviewer interjected it was their internet success that begot the financial wealth of their CD sales. In this extent there was no recognition of the fans who listened to them. There was no thanks to the wonder of the internet and what it had done for them. Apparently the interview was so short because so much of it entailed editing out of swearing it could not be aired. So I have christened in my own mind and will state whenever i hear their name spoken. "Oh Artic Monkeys you say, hmmm don't you really mean The Inarticulate Monkeys?"
Therefore it goes here is one person who will never purchase any music from The Inarticulate Monkeys. However if for some reason i'm given it free by a friend i'll listen to it accidentally of course, I wouln't want to break any copyright laws. I wonder if The Inarticulate Monkeys actually ever paid for any of their music before they were famous. OOps now a fan may probably think the answer is "no" and oh yes where can i get it for free?
