Photo: Ray Hill
Those hazy summer days listening to The Kooks' blend of Britpop inspired tunes in the mid 2000’s seem like a distant memory. However, with an apparent passion and drive for new music, the band are plotting a comeback of sorts encapsulated during this show in Camden.
Although the band never really went away, the majority of their success came during the back end of the last decade, and the quartet are arguably trying to build on the triumph that saw their second album Konk reach the top of the UK charts in 2008. Kicking off with new single ‘Down’ seems like a master stroke as the band seem to capitalise on the excitement from the crowd to give the new song, which has been subject to mixed reviews, a really energetic rendition.
What The Kooks do really well throughout the night is blend new tracks with old favourites. With new album Listen due in September, tracks from it like ‘Hold On’ and ‘It Was London’ sound fresh and tight, and like any band who take time out between albums, an unsurprising electroinfluence is clear for all to hear.
Frontman Luke Pritchard is still sporting his recognisable curly locks and with his on stage movements as energetic and jittery as ever he proclaims “I can hardly remember when we made this song.”
Luckily, for the band as they launch into ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’ everyone within The Electric Ballroom fondly remembers the single released in 2006 and in turn provides backing vocals that nearly overpower the band. As the band rattle through the set, the screaming girls at the front keep good voice right till the end with closer ‘Sofa Song.’
After some encouragement, the band return for an encore and in turn delight the jubilant crowd with Naïve. Having been out of the mainstream limelight for some time, it is undoubtedly going to be a difficult task for The Kooks to be relevant again but if they keep putting in performances like this, it wont be long until they find themselves in and amongst it once again.
Below: 18 exclusive photos of The Kooks at London's Electric Ballroom
