There were fireworks over the Thames on Friday night as The Kooks delivered a spectacular show at London’s historic Old Royal Naval College. As part of Labyrinth on the Thames, the band played a special concert to ring in the 20th anniversary of their pivotal debut, “Inside In/Inside Out”.
Classics including “She Moves In Her Own Way” and “You Don’t Love Me”, sparked mass singalongs from the 10,000-strong crowd. They kicked off with high-octane “Sofa Song”, setting the outdoor crowd in motion. “Eddie’s Gun” kept the collective energy at a high, while recent single “Sunny Baby” served as a reminder of the band’s ongoing ability to connect with huge songs.
Frontman Luke Pritchard was clearly moved by the occasion. It was a homecoming of sorts, as Luke grew up in part in nearby Forest Hill. Around midway through the set, he spoke to the crowd, saying, “You guys are beautiful. You’re unbelievable. I’m an emotional guy, and I might start tearing up. This is amazing.”
Taking to the piano, he explained, “I wrote this next song when the band was trying out new things. I was doing a lot of soul searching in my life, and I realised the whole reason why I make music and write songs, is because of my Dad. I lost my Dad when I was a kid; I was three years old.
“We actually used to live in Forest Hill, just down the road. He left me a box of records and a Gibson Les Paul. So this song goes out to anyone who’s missing someone today or feeling lost. This is for you. This is ‘See Me Now’.”
The entire crowd lit up with phone lights while the band played the powerful ballad, mainly led by the frontman’s keyboards and vocals.In another tender moment, Luke serenaded the audience with the stripped-back favourite “Seaside”, recalling the early days when the band were writing their debut album. Introducing the song, he said: “We were living in Brighton, and we used to rehearse in this old bread factory. I remember sitting outside one day, looking out at the sea.”
The set closed with an encore of the era-defining anthems” Ooh La” and “Naive”, as fireworks lit up the river behind the stage and sparking one final mass singalong.
In May of last year, The Kooks released their seventh studio album, “Never/Know”. Their highest charting body of work since 2008, “Never/Know” landed at # five in the UK album chart.
At this unique London show, indie favourites Circa Waves took on main support duties, successfully hyping up the crowd with much-loved bangers, “T-Shirt Weather” and “Movies”.
Frontman Kieran Shuddall shared his appreciation for the headliners, telling the crowd, “Half of this set is ripped off The Kooks; so I owe them a lot!” Earlier, Sunderland’s Tom A. Smith helped build momentum with frenetic onstage presence, showcasing the recent EP, “Put On A Record Tommy”.
Girl In The Year Above won hearts with Jennifer Ball’s soaring vocal and onstage rapport. She told the crowd, “I’d like to thank The Kooks for everything they’ve done for me. They’re beautiful and you’re going to have a great night.” Earlier sets from Danny Griffiths and Granada completed the supporting lineup .
The Kooks’ setlist:
Intro
Sofa Song
Always Where I Need to Need to Be
Eddie’s Gun
Stormy Weather
She Moves In Her Own Way
Bad Habit
Sweet Emotion
Westside
Sunny Baby
Junk Of The Heart
See Me Now
Jackie Big Tits
Seaside
Sway
GAP
Down
See The World
Matchbox
Do You Wanna
You Don’t Love Me
Ooh La
Naive
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