Review + Images by Dayna W Gilmore

Making their AU return a large one - The Kooks disrupted an otherwise quiet Tuesday night in the heart of Fortitude Valley on October 4th, 22. With a line curling around the street - it was clear to see that 15 years on from their debut album ‘INSIDE IN/OUTSIDE OUT’ their Aus fans have remained committed to the English rockers.

The Vanns opened the night with ‘Feels good now’ - setting the perfect tone for the night. The crowd were loving the energetic bops and the track ‘fake friends’ was a clear favourite on the floor. The Vanns held their own, proving that Aus talent has been going from strength to strength over the last decade. Sneaking in a cheeky Bon Iver cover before they ended on "‘fake friends’ was the move to make, leaving everyone psyched up for The Kooks.

An acoustic opening of a classic was the right amount of tease to get the crowd going…when the lyrics for ‘seaside’ began to pour from Luke Prichards mouth, the fortitude music hall erupted. The Kooks are out! In this (Brisbane) street! After the acoustic serenade pulled our reminiscent youthful memories out in front of us, the guitar strums for ‘see the world’ were happening before we knew how to handle it and it was 2006 again and everything was easier.

Celebrating the 15-year anniversary of their debut album, ‘Inside In / Inside Out’ The Kooks treated us to the album almost entirety, causing an absolute magical meltdown for some of the older crowd - the OG indie sleaze crowd - if you know what I mean.

Gentle words of support and thankfulness were woven between each song, which was a special moment for the long - time fans in the room. Acknowledging the 15 years of support, and celebrating with a nostalgic tour such as this one, was the perfect way to celebrate the iconic album that it is - but also as a way to play the hits for the new indie kids in town. New or old, screaming ‘Jackie big tits’ never ages.

‘Do you wanna’ was a definite shift change as The Kooks really put their whole Kookussy into it. The energy from the band during this song in particular was untouchable - it felt like 500bpm - and that constant kick was doing something to everybody on both floors of the venue. Luke’s vocals were shining as always, delivered with confidence, happiness - maybe a touch of jetlag?

Gems from 2014’s ‘Listen’ & ‘Konk’ and their latest release ‘10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark’ were sprinkled amongst the ‘Inside In/ Inside Out’ tracklisting, providing fans with a chacuterie board of their very best songs.

Teasing us like they did in their opener, The kook’s encore consisted of: Old, New and N A I V E. A sea of phones rose up in front of my eyes at an unfathomed speed to catch a couple of seconds of the iconic track. Witnessing this occurence from the back wall was mesmerising and a painful reminder that this gig was to end, and it would be another few years until The Kooks would grace us with their brit-pop legacy. Looking forward to welcoming them back like an old friend the next time they pass through town.

You can catch The Kooks round up the tour in Melbourne and Sydney on the 6th & 12th of this month.