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Alex Turner has spoken out about his-now infamous BRIT Awards speech that divided opinion in February 2014, saying that the band are representatives of rock and roll.
In an interview with Esquire the singer opened up about how he feels as a performer and what receiving that award meant for guitar music and rock and roll in general. At the same time he insists that contrary to the swaggering persona he puts on on stage he is a shy guy and believes that the focus isn't on him but on the songs.
"I'm in a difficult position in the sense that, preposterous as it might sound, I don't like being the centre of attention," he tells the magazine. "I get up on stage every night and play songs, but I almost feel the songs are the centre of attention. I don't like opening my birthday presents in front of people, either. But I can't really see another way round making an acceptance speech."
Watch AlexTurner make his second speech backstage at the BRITs below
"I suppose on some level, in that environment, rightly or wrongly, it almost feels like we were representatives of guitar music, or rock'n'roll. And while I don't see getting any trophy as a great victory, in some sense it's a victory for our music. But I can't go up and gush about how I dreamt about picking up a Brit Award all my life, because it just isn't the truth."
The Arctic Monkeys are currently gearing up for their series of shows at Finsbury Park and have also been announced as headliners for Reading and Leeds festivals. For more information visit the Gigwise Gig Section.
Below: Alex Turner + Arctic Monkeys: The 20 defining moments of his career
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