Arctic Monkeys rock the Brit Awards

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STORY: Indie quartet Arctic Monkeys picked up the coveted best album award on Wednesday (February 19) and triumphed over boy band One Direction to be named best group, prompting their lead singer to claim a victory for rock-and-roll at British pop's show of the year.

Opening the event with their track "R U Mine", in the shadow of giant versions of the letters "AM", flaming and suspended in mid-air, Arctic Monkeys were performing at the BRITs for the first time despite their multiple successes there over the last eight years.

In the past, the band had responded frostily to their BRIT wins. This year, they were odds-on favourites to win both the awards they were up for, and their BRITs silverware count is now seven.

One Direction, a band targeted at a young audience and whose fans are mainly teenage girls, did not walk away empty handed, however.

The group picked up the BRITs global success award, being joined late on stage