Monkey wrench
WHEN ALEX TURNER told his ARCTIC MONKEYS mates he was moving to London to live with girlfriend ALEXA CHUNG, there were serious rumblings of discontent. Because when the frontman left Sheffield behind last October, the rest of the lads — JAMIE COOK, MATT HELDERS and NICK O’MALLEY — stayed in Yorkshire.
Now the distance between the boys is set to grow even larger — as Alex is following his TV presenter missus across the Pond as she tries to forge a US career.
A source said: “Alex can’t bear to be parted from Alexa. The thought of being separated for months on end, with her trying to get TV work in America while he is in the UK, was too much for him. He’s madly in love. It has caused a stink with the other boys because it’s going to make co-ordinating band business a hell of a lot more difficult, but they’re happy for him.”
Rock ’n’ roll folklore is full of cautionary tales of love affairs tearing bands apart. The most famous case was when JOHN LENNON shacked up with YOKO ONO. THE BEATLES didn’t last long after that and many people blamed their relationship for the split.
And it will be interesting to see what it does to the Brit-winners’ song-writing. The quartet have always prided themselves on their down-to-earth, “real-life” lyrics. I wonder if a Manhattan loft apartment will dry up Alex’s creative juices.
Pretty Alexa attended last night’s TV Baftas ceremony at Central London’s Royal Festival Hall. She jets out to New York today and she bade farewell to Blighty with a big party at Bungalow 8 on Friday night. The T4 presenter broke down when pals including PIXIE GELDOF gave her an American flag as a leaving gift. Guests then serenaded her with a rendition of the FRANK SINATRA classic New York, New York.
Alex himself is no stranger to the Big Apple. The lads are out there now putting the finishing touches to their third album.