The Kooks made me feel happy and they made me feel alive
The Kooks are a band that need no introduction. With a catalogue of timeless classics firmly under their belt from She Moves In Her Own Way and Naive to Always Where I Need to Be, Shine On, and Seaside, their setlist on Friday, October 3rd was a dream for any fan. I was lucky enough to hear them all.
Formed during their university days in the creatively vibrant seaside city of Brighton, The Kooks have been a defining name in British indie music since their 2006 debut, Inside In / Inside Out. Today, the band features founding members Luke Pritchard (vocals, guitar) and Hugh Harris (lead guitar, synths), joined by Peter Denton on bass (since 2008) and Alexis Nunez on drums (since 2011). Their seventh studio album, Never Know, was released earlier this year and the band returned to the road after a full season of festivals — kicking off their UK arena tour at Manchester’s Co-op Live to what appeared to be a sold-out crowd of over 20,000.
The headliners came out to a wave of cheers, with Pritchard taking a moment to reflect on the state of the world and share his wish to bring a little peace and love to an already highly charged room. The result was an atmosphere that felt electric, emotive, and warmly embracing. With cups flying through the air all night, I at one point received quite the shower of beer, which at first, wasn’t ideal, but quickly became part of the fun when the opening lick of my personal favourite song, Sway, began to play and my excitement (and wooing) shot through the roof.
The set-list was packed with countless anthems, including Ooh La, Junk Of The Heart (Happy), and Sweet Emotion, alongside Never Know, If They Could Only Know, and Sunny Baby from the latest album. One particular moment stood out: Pritchard paid a heartfelt tribute to his beloved father, whom he sadly lost at the age of three. With his own young son now that age, Luke shared how his father had been on his mind. If You Could See Me Now is an emotionally tender track with earnest lyrics and the audience showed up in full force, illuminating the room with their phone torches in a deeply empathetic and beautiful display.
Another standout moment came during Seaside, when a fan named Joe was invited on stage — though it’s anyone’s guess how he landed that opportunity. With Pritchard on vocals and Joe on guitar, Luke praised his playing with a cheerful “He’s good!”, creating a dream fan experience for Joe and a sing-along spectacle for everyone else in the audience.
Frontman Luke Pritchard’s stage presence was undeniable throughout, radiating warmth and charisma, his outfit and style exuding the cool pizzazz of glam rock. Nostalgic throwback videos played on the screens behind the band and with electricity coursing through the air, the night felt truly magical and unforgettable in every sense.