Arctic Monkeys, Rock City, Nottingham

"Bring on the backlash!" Alex Turner barks on the Arctic Monkeys' new EP. Such defensiveness has been a feature of the band in recent months, as a media frenzy, massive sales of their debut album and grass-roots adulation have sent the Sheffield youths hurtling through the looking-glass, into a world of fame they were not prepared for. The juggernaut has slowed at recent gigs in a suspicious America, but at their last British shows they looked stunned by the attention.

None of this should obscure the Monkeys' achievements. Their songs of shabby sex, Saturday-night excess and private, provincial dreams represent one of British pop's periodic reconnections with the mundane wonder of ordinary life. The No 1 success of their euphorically punk debut single, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", was a guerrilla assault on a stale music business. This UK headline tour is a chance to restate those achievements.

From the first spray of beer and aggressive roar at their appearance, it's clear that, in this packed Nottingham club, the Arctic Monkeys are back among friends. "Riot Van", acoustically strummed by a hooded Turner, is sung word for word by the crowd. "View from the Afternoon" is a punched-up descendant of grunge, provoking pogoing right to the back of the room. In the sort of club space these songs were written for, they sound heavier and tighter than in the large halls to which the band were perhaps prematurely promoted.

The new EP, an encouraging indication that hype has not derailed Turner's muse, is liberally raided. One sign that their audience has become more mainstream is the relative silence that greets its title track, "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?". This is the "backlash" song, and it ends in a storm of brutish noise and reproachful words.

Any longueurs are quickly wiped away by "I Bet You Look Good...", built on an artful, ascending riff and perceptive lyrics. Turner spins on the spot as he plays guitar, and his song stops and starts on a dime.

By the time they close the set with the ska shuffle of "Certain Romance", the Arctic Monkeys are clambering on the speaker stacks, in a sweaty, celebratory atmosphere. Musically, they are hardly reinventing the wheel. But the excitement is real.

Tour to 27 April (www.arctic monkeys.com). A version of this review has already appeared in some editions