The Kooks - Rock City Nottingham Live Review

The Kooks & Larrikin Love
Rock City Nottingham
26/09/06,
Live Review

So on a pleasant night in Nottingham we find ourselves on the way to Rock City, ready to see the current band of the moment, The Kooks! As I step into the main hall of the venue I look around and for a split second, get the feeling that I am at the wrong gig. Are The Streets playing here tonight or have The Kooks managed somehow to capture the attention of every chav that Nottingham has to offer? Well they have all turned up at Rock City tonight, but who are we to judge, we are not there to see the crowed.

It always sets you up for the night when you there is a good support on, which unfortunately for Larrikin Love there set was going to be wasted as the chav clang were just not going to get them at all. Saying that, I think that Larrikin managed to pick up a few extra fans with their speedy & high-energy short set. When playing tracks such as 'Six Queens' and 'Downing Street Kindling' you just know that it is going to be a good set. Larrikin don't disappoint with yet another high standard performance (which is expected!!). They finished off with the upbeat happy Calypso (Which incidentally and disappointingly is not on the album) If I was to be really critical I would have to say where was BURNING A COAST!?

So onto the headline act The Kooks, after hitting instant stardom since the release if their debut album Inside In/Inside Out. Naturally when they play Eddie Gun the fast rip roaring track everything erupts and you really wish that there were actually more tracks like this on the album! But hey you can't have everything. When it comes to tracks such as She Moves In Her Own Way and Na<ve Luke Pritchard need not sing. All the band need to do is play the music sing the first line and leave the rest to the crowed. Lets face it as a band member it must be such a great feeling to hear that and it is clear that The Kooks have the fan base, but there is one thing that just keeps on niggling at me. The one thing that The Kooks have is that they know how to play the crowed, and on this night that is exactly what they did. All in all The Kooks are your alternative band, they are the more laid back chilled out bands. Maybe that is why they are getting so much attention around the music scene and for some reason is appealing to your typical Indie fan to the chav's out there. The big thing now for The Kooks is that dreaded follow up album!

Mark Moore