The Kooks, O2 Forum Kentish Town, gig review: It’s no longer 2006, but they don’t seem to care

Often a bands fall from grace is quick and dramatic, but with The Kooks it’s a tad majestic

The Kooks

With a set filled with classics, The Kooks may not be cool anymore, but they know how to please a crowd.

On the second of three sold-out nights at the Kentish Town Forum, it would be relatively easy to mistake The Kooks for a band approaching their peak. They’re not; the venue packed with those who would rather spend their Saturday night reminiscing with the soundtrack of their adolescence than do grown up things like watch Strictly Come Dancing, proves that.

Opening with ‘Seaside’, the opening track from 2006 debut album Inside In/Inside Out, it was the night of nostalgia everyone wanted, with the Brighton band playing seven tracks from the album that catapulted them to fame.

There were moments where frontman Luke Pritchard, who cut a Jagger-esque figure and only spoke intermittently to tell us how beautiful we were, need not sing such was the overwhelming response to the bands early material.

That said, songs from their latest record, 2014’s Listen, were hardly met with disdain; louder and more guitar-heavy, but still going down a treat.

Often a bands fall from grace is quick and dramatic, but with The Kooks it’s a tad majestic. It’s no longer 2006, but they don’t seem to care.