Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner learns to chill over fan selfies

Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner loves being in fan-made videos. The heartthrob doesn’t mind when they whip out their smartphones to take ‘selfies’ during his gigs – as long as he is in them too.

‘I have noticed now a new thing that is very 2013 at shows, which is people making videos of themselves on people’s shoulders, but I am quite into it,’ the 27-year-old said ahead of the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize in Camden last night.

He said he had to be selfless when it comes to selfies because he wants to boost fans’ kudos on Facebook and the Vine mobile app.

‘I just want to be in the post. I want to get the ‘‘like’’, I want to contribute to the ‘‘likes’’ that they may, or may not, get,’ he said.

The approach marks a shift in opinion for the singer after he told an audience during a summer gig to ‘wake the f*** up’ after fans failed to show enthusiasm as they fiddled with smartphones instead of dancing.

‘A lot of things used to bother me which don’t any more,’ the Sheffield hunk said.

The band are touring Britain in support of their most recent record, AM, which topped the charts in September and secured them their third Mercury nomination.

Having recorded it in the US, Turner has noticed another change.

‘We spent a year there and I get recognised a little bit more. You have to pick the circles you move in. If I am going to walk around Glastonbury I will get recognised, but I might be able to do it in Norwich,’ he joked.

Bandmate Matt Helders says he and the other two members of Arctic Monkeys, Jamie Cook and Nick O’Malley, have no issues with Turner taking all the limelight.

‘I’m happy for him to be a sex symbol. It’s what I’ve always wanted for him,’ Helders joked.

[Originally published Metro, Guilty Pleasures, Thursday 31 October 2013]