More about: The Kooks

As part of their 15th-anniversary album tour of Inside In/ Inside Out, The Kooks graced Brixton’s O2 Academy for three sold-out shows this February. The band has proven that we still love the iconic indie tracks that hit their heights in the mid-2000s. The Kooks have illustrated that they are well and truly still relevant with their insatiable live shows.

As with many album tours, vocalist Luke Pritchard told the crowd that the band would be performing Inside In / Inside Out in its entirety, alongside a few other top tracks. He has an unquenchable level of energy throughout the show, delivering surprisingly stylish (but still dad dancing) moves. It's clear from the crowd that the band are having as much fun at this show as their fans. Despite their notoriety and expansive career, you can still tell that the band take delight in playing sold-out headline shows in the capital.

Although many bands start on a high note, the set begins with ‘Seaside’, the slow opener on the album. ‘Sofa Song’, ‘Ooh La’ and ‘Eddie’s Gun’ are all met with vocals from the audience that border on being louder than the band on stage. It's impressive to hear throughout the set how the musical stylings of the tracks have barely wavered, bar Pritchard’s varying vocalisations on some songs. Between the four members on stage, it feels almost impossible to look away from the performance. Their breezy and carefree attitude on stage resonates with the whole crowd, and for a venue as large as Brixton Academy, it was pleasant to see a crowd who managed to stay on their feet for the entire show. 

Midway through the set, The Kooks showcase their newest single ‘Connection’, a funky, bassy track that provides ample respite for the fans who had been singing along to every song on the setlist. The whole show consisted of 21 songs, so a breather mid-way is appreciated.

Of course, ‘She Moves in Her Own Way’ amasses one of the biggest reactions of the night. The track’s wholesome acoustic sonics provide a truly warm and welcoming feeling, though the lighter tracks would fit better being performed in a venue like the Royal Albert Hall. However, hearing nearly 4,900 people in South London shouting ‘Jackie Big Tits’ makes for quite the contrast.

The Kooks are a superb live band who can captivate an audience for nearly 90 minutes. The live show feels like a blur from start to finish, closing on their hit single ‘Naive’. Even the slower tracks on the setlist felt like a rush, and ending on such a high will make this tour so memorable. The band spend little time talking on stage, consistently rolling on, track by track, almost effortlessly.

It is a great experience to be in a room of thousands of people who are still supporting an album that was released at the time where ‘Hung Up’ by Madonna and ‘My Humps’ by Black Eyed Peas were at the top of the UK charts. Even listing those tracks feels like they were released an age ago, but Inside In / Inside Out feels almost timeless, both live and on record. 

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More about: The Kooks