Arctic Monkeys Defend Rock n’ Roll at Brit Awards

At yesterday’s Brit Awards, Arctic Monkeys took home two significant trophies, including Best British Group and British Album of the Year for their 2013 release, AM.

During the rather poised, yet confident acceptance speech, frontman Alex Turner defended rock n’ roll and its inability to truly fade into obscurity, as the rest of the band – Jamie Cook, Nick O’Malley, and Matt Helders – stood at his back.

Here’s what Turner had to say:

“Thank you. That rock & roll, eh? That rock & roll, it just won’t go away. It might hibernate from time to time and sink back into the swamp. I think the cyclical nature of the universe in which it exists demands it adheres to some of its rules. But it’s always waiting there, just around the corner, ready to make its way back through the sludge and smash through the glass ceiling, looking better than ever. Yeah, that rock & roll, it seems like it’s fading away sometimes, but it will never die. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Thank you very much for this. I do truly appreciate it. Don’t take that the wrong way and invoice me for the microphone if you need to.”

…Turner then dropped the microphone upon the stage before exiting.

Meanwhile, David Bowie won the British Male Solo Artist award; Daft Punk was deemed the best International Group; while Lorde received the International Female Solo Artist honour.