A headline screams out “Kooks in Brighton score zero”. Eh? The seaside town’s own sons back for a sold out homecoming gig in front of more than 5,000 loyal fans at the Brighton Centre last night, and one on-line reviewer thinks the gig stinks?
But. Fear not, Kooks’ fans. This was actually a news story about a restaurant called Kooks in Brighton getting a zero Food Health rating when the local health inspector did a spot check a good while back. NOT the band The Kooks!
So. What did we think? Well, read on Macduff…
The energy was electric from the opener, “Sofa Song” and throughout the 26-song set, including a brace in the encore. The evening delivered a warm mix of nostalgia, enthusiasm for the new, and a collective love for the band’s catalogue.
Like a homecoming should be, this was a celebratory affair with a party atmosphere to mark the band returning to their roots, embracing their legacy while also showing they’re still evolving. In their home town, expectations were high for the Kooks to deliver something special – and blow me down, they sure did.
Their last big show in Brighton was for the 15‑year anniversary of their debut album “Inside In / Inside Out”, which will be 20-years-old in January next year. By all accounts that was a corking night.
But this third night of their seven-date tour which kicked off Manchester on Friday to 18,000 people and in front of 7,500 on Saturday in Cardiff, was emotional, had a cranked-up an energy level of 11/10, and was very much oozing with communal joy.
The crowd singing along, waving their mobile phone lights and existing in that perfect zone where an arena still feels intimate. Almost like the four Kooks’ chaps are performing to you and only for you.
I suppose a Brighton audience of 5,100 – this venue’s capacity – is pretty intimate compared to more than three times that in Manchester (18,000), and there will be 20,000 at London’s 02 Arena on Saturday for the last UK show of the tour.
Frontman Luke Pritchard’s rapport and connection with the audience was palpable; playful banter, moments of obvious sincerity, and a sense that he was bloody loving being back in Brighton. The transition between full-band rockers and the quieter, more stripped-back moments were handled well, giving the set dynamics rather than 100mph all the way through.
The guitars were crisp and cut through the mix like a hot knife through butter, the rhythm section solid as granite, and the harmonies carried that signature Kooks’ charm.
The set alternated between high‑energy tracks and more mellow interludes, allowing the audience to both dance and to catch their breath.
Highlights included classics such as “Ooh La” [First song of the encore], “She Moves In Her Own Way”, “Bad Habit”, “Eddie’s Gun”, and of course, the crowd‑pleasing final song, “Naïve”; the mandatory anthem at a Kooks’ gig.
There are few songs as defining of the 2000s as “Naïve”, but the band were never a one-hit wonder – their follow-up record, “Konk”, hit number one as one of four top 10 albums.
The band has not stopped evolving, transitioning from indie rock to synth’ pop and Kraut rock influences.
Over time, they’ve integrated wide-ranging inspirations; with Kooks original member, guitarist Hugh Harris’ love of soul and opera, alongside Pritchard’s classic influences like Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.
Setlist
- Sofa Song
- Always Where I Need to Be
- Eddie’s Gun
- Stormy Weather
- She Moves in Her Own Way
- Bad Habit
- Westside
- Sweet Emotion
- Sunny Baby
- Junk of the Heart (Happy)
- See Me Now
- Jackie Big Tits
- If They Could Only Know
- Seaside
- Sway
- Shine On
- Connection
- Taking Pictures Of You
- Gap
- Down
- See the World
- Matchbox
- Do You Wanna
- You Don’t Love Me
Encore
- Ooh La
- Naïve
But you cannot do a homecoming gig in Brighton without the very apt fan fave “Seaside”, and that called for a special moment. Slowing things down, the audience gently singing, phones illuminating the hall; special it was. The odd tear or two was not out of place.
The reflective moments contrasted with the euphoric, anthemic sections very nicely. The set list was changed a tad from the one they did on the first night. A few songs dropped and others put in, and a good few changes of place in the order. It worked well.
For much of the set, the spine tingled when everyone sang back every word, making the venue feel less like a concert hall and more like one massive Kooks’ fan club reunion. The band fed off of the crowd’s energy and vice versa. A faultless, confident performance that leaned into home town pride without relying purely on nostalgia.
This band’s resurgence and re-energised drive, which resulted in their highest charting record since 2008 – with their their sixth LP, “Never / Know” landing at # five earlier this year – proves that even 21 years since they formed, they are still well up for it and the creative juices still flowing.
The age range of the audience on this tour is as young as teenagers and students – who have found the band via social media and liked what they heard…
New fans hearing a host of young indie bands covering Kooks’ tracks…
And their early hit “Naïve” on its way to one billion streams.
Lump in the throat time when 11 songs in, Luke sits at the piano for “See Me Now”, the 2014 song about his father Bob who passed away when Luke was only three. The mobiles twinkle and it was a magical moment for us and for a visibly emotional Luke, now a father himself. Especially seeing Luke and Bob Pritchard on the screens at the back of the stage.
Second song of the set, “Always Where I Need to Be”, was accompanied by footage of young Kooks back in the day.
The Kooks stunned fans at Reading Festival in the summer this year with a euphoric mainstage set that featured an unlikely surprise: A-list Hollywood star Rebel Wilson joining them on stage for a raucous cover of the 1995 rap classic “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio, the single featuring L.V.
But it did not need movie stars, any special guests or bells and whistles tonight; just the four Kooks lads having it large on home turf, and basking in the warmth of the fans’ love and the affection that is clearly deserved and well earned.
- Support came from The Ks and Aussie indie band Day We Ran.
The K’s
Photos by Manja Williams
Words by Manja Williams & Steve Best
