Watch The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas imitate Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner
Footage has emerged of The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas doing an impersonation of Alex Turner during a recent show in Singapore.
As the band were gearing up to perform their 2005 hit ‘Juicebox’ at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Thursday (August 3), Casablancas thanked the crowd for coming and told them: “Hope you all have a good time” before he then said in a very similar manner to the Arctic Monkeys frontman: “Hope you didn’t have to travel too far.”
“That sounded like very modern Arctic Monkeys,” he added. You can view the clip below.
Turner has been very open and vocal about his love of The Strokes over the years, with the band covering ‘Is This It’ live in 2018 – as well as honouring them on ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ track ‘Star Treatment’ with the lyric: “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes, now look at the mess you’ve made me make.”
At the time, Turner admitted the arrival of The Strokes in 2001 changed his life.
“The arrival of The Strokes changed what music I was listening to, what shoes I was wearing. I grew my hair out and borrowed my mum’s blazer. I was a huge fan,” he added.
“That line [on ‘Star Treatment’] seemed to encapsulate this idea that a period of time went by in a flash. It was something to hold a place, which I’d return to once I knew what this album was going to be about. By the time I came back to change it, it seemed to be exactly where it ought to be.”
Later, Casablancas shared a photo of himself recreating the cover art of the Sheffield band’s 2006 debut album, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’. “lolll – i always wanted to be in the Arctic Monkeys,” the singer captioned his post.
Meanwhile, Blur‘s Damon Albarn also recently shared his love for Turner, saying he sings “a lot like him” on the band’s new album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.
Asked what he thinks of the frontman, Albarn responded: “I think he’s great, I sing a lot like him on the new album.
“You know our producer James Ford? He also worked with the Arctic Monkeys, I mentioned that to him. But what could I have against that? I love Alex’s voice. I just prefer to sing in a lower register now.”
The Strokes, whose latest album ‘The New Abnormal’ came out in 2020, are due to headline All Points East 2023 in London on August 25. You can buy any remaining tickets here.