» The Kooks’ Inside Out 15 year anniversary tour – live in Sydney Something You Said

The Kooks’ Inside Out 15 year anniversary tour – live in Sydney

October 21, 2022

The Kooks recently released their sixth studio album, ‘10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark’ in July, still heading high up the list on various album charts. But it is the quadruple-platinum selling album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’ from 2006 that put the British indie rock boys from Brighton on the map.

At a packed out Enmore theatre in Sydney, Luke Pritchard is lit up with a guitar for Seaside, The crowd belt out into unified chorus rocking side to side, and a sense of nostalgia and a seeping realisation that many of us were teens when the original album came out, buying it on CD or downloading it to iPods.

Pritchard is now joined by long term band mates Hugh Harris, and Paul Garred and announces – “We’re gonna play the whole f***ing album tonight! It’s been fifteen years, can you believe it?!” They humbly thank the crowd in their first night of two sold out performances.

The timelessness of their seminal album is felt in their energy and still youthful vocals, accompanying one another with style and dexterity, from deep and resonating bass riffs at the forefront of the soundscape, to their renowned ever-present synth and backing vocals.

For my brother and I, this playful album conjures deep fond memories of convoys to Cornwall, salty waves, beach bonfires, passing a joint with pals. It was a coming of age album for many Indie fans around that time, with gentle lyrics and videos that reflected our own discoveries in dating and learning how we wanted to portray ourselves in relationships. So it’s no surprise that the crowd smiled and reflectfully sang through See The World, Sofa Song and Ooh La La with familiar ease – like Summer 2006 was just last week.

With supremely catchy lyrics, a classic two-guitar, bass and drums work so well on stage and in the studio that their all time radio appeal is a given. Next we go on to hear the 2007 Brit Awards nominated “She Moves in Her Own Way” – where the power of the vocals in the chorus serve as added meaning and gravitas to the overall song. Followed by the lovely Shine On – a testament to all us kooky thrift shop girls! The band have always provided a modern twist on a 1960s sensibility, branching out over the years into ska and funky beats, gathering an even more dynamic sound with each single released.

The show is a merry go round of past loves, warmth and connection with other long time fans. Finally we hear renowned Naïve, and with 89 million hits on YouTube – it’s still as relevant to small pockets around the globe as it is to this local Sydney crowd. Go on, give them a listen after all these years, you’re sure to get moving!