The Kooks : Live Review + Pics

The Kooks @ The Wiltern
Los Angeles, CA - 5.19.08

by Genie Sanchez
photos by …totallylikeduh!

Being a product of the 80’s, one might not suspect that I’ve ever witnessed any musical phenomenon. Yes, I am young but I’m experienced. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll never be able to say that I physically experienced 1960’s teenage girls crying their eyes out, anxious shrieks of excitement, and the occasional faint or short of breath amongst a sea of people as they anticipate a band getting ready to hit the stage. I’m too young for Beatle Mania. I simply wasn’t around yet. I’ll never be able to say that I physically experienced dropping acid in a mud pit while listening to Jimi Hendrix play the National Anthem at Woodstock. Again, I simply wasn’t around yet although part of me wishes I was. I’ll never be able to say that I physically snorted a line with a Heavy Metal band, and I’ll never be able to say that I physically experienced the overwhelmingly Disney-ness of a Hannah Montana concert…thank god I’m too old to ride that bus. Amidst all of these absent “you had to be there” moments in music history I was however, around in the 80’s and the 90’s when boy bands abound and homemade t-shirts of NKOTB adorned a portion of my closet. Those were good times, you had to be there! I thought the days of bands being held as idols, crushes and gods had gone far far away. There just hasn’t been anyone good for fans to put out the effort…at least that’s what I thought up until I experienced the Kooks play at the Wiltern to sold out crowd on a sold out tour.

Insane, right? No one sells out tours anymore, at least not a rock band. The Kooks played the second show of their sold out tour at the Wiltern in Los Angeles and to say the least…whole show surprised me. Now I am young but I know my rock history and hold my music knowledge very highly and close to my heart, this mentality of “rockliness is godliness” impresses me when others live and stand by it as well. The Kooks are a young band and just by looking at them I wouldn’t expect them to really know anything rock history or even want to grasp on to it. Quite frankly they look like their fans; young, naïve, youthful, innocent and above all else, purveyors in vintage clothing. So its not surprising when the cliché of this demographic might question the greats of rock n rolls past “why waste time brushing up on old smelly records?” These kids have no time for that, plug in the ipod and push play. Not surprising. This bias was in my head as I was trying to squeeze my way through the teen/twenty-something hipsters clad with hippy head bands, skin tight jeans and homemade “I heart kooks” t-shirts filled lobby as I made my way to the press area to await the Kooks set. “What are these kids doing here?” I questioned, But I threw all that out the window about 30 seconds before the Kooks hit the stage.



The bands entrance song was Link Wrays’ "Rumble." Not many teen hipsters concerned with their messy hair fitting under their head bands know of Link Wray, so I was surprised that not only the band liked this song but that once it came on over the house monitors the fans went crazy. The band quickly rolled into their set, mostly songs from their new album titled Konk and some from their older album. All were crowd favorites. At some points in the performance it sounded as if the crowd was singing louder than front man Luke Pritchard. The people in the pit created what looked like a sea of hands, each reaching out to try to touch the band, if only with their fingertips.



The band's rhythm section was strong all the way through as drummer Paul Gerrad kept a steady beat while not in the least being distracted by the mezzanine filled to capacity with jumping screaming fans threatening to tear the place down in excitement.



Guitarist Hugh Harris looked as if he was hiding behind his big black hat, staying out of the spotlight during solos but the crowd ate it all up just the same and begged for more each time. I’m proud to say that I physically experienced the Kooks in all their glory, I have a feeling this is only their beginning.

More on the Kooks => MySpace.com/theKooks

The Kooks 'Konk' - CD Review

The Kooks 'Konk'
{Virgin/Astralwerks 2008}

by Genie Sanchez

Most “new” things are usually better the second, third or even fourth time around. At least that’s what I’ve come to experience and expect when drinking whiskey, but it’s especially true when listening to new music. Particularly when that music is from bands I never really got into the first time around, when they put out their first album. I don’t like being force fed anything. So when my favorite radio station plays that one song over and over again (yes, Angelinos still listen to the radio! Even though we hide behind our beloved iPods and act like the only tuneage worth injecting into our denial filled self-denounced hipster ears is music we hold as being as “vintage” as the clothes we wear. We do still listen to the radio and secretly anticipate new music. So don’t be fooled) I can’t wait to turn the dial in an act of “sticking it to the man.” Usually I have to listen to a new album over and over, and over again just to be able to have its sound attach to the inside of my brain. I’ve got to allow it to fully wrap around me and absorb it before I can truly make any kind of sense of it…or at least tolerate it. Although this might be just me, I’m not sure. I think it’s probably some kind of toxic side effect of watching bad day time television and listening to the same 7 poorly produced pop songs in the carpool lane during rush hour traffic on the 101. In any instance, my aural senses need a vacation every once in a while, a breath of fresh air if you will. And every once in awhile my lack of auditory pleasure is satisfied, when those underestimated bands come out with a really well developed collection of songs. The Kooks sophomore album titled Konk satisfies my rock-snobbery. The record is named for the London studio in which it was recorded at. Pretty clever huh? Meh.

It's very seldom you discover a band nowadays that drives you to find out more about them. Like when you find an old vinyl record from some obscure band you’ve never thought twice about but in your mind that record has now become your obsession, it's the one that is the holy grail of all albums and instantaneously you fall in love with that band and from that moment your life’s mission is to find and listen to every single album ever made by that one band. You’re intrigued, smitten, infatuated, you’re in love. I never really got into the Kooks, I mean I had heard them on the radio a little bit, seen their music videos and sure they are cute guys, they have some catchy songs but for whatever reason I just never caught on to them. But then I listened to Konk and now I find myself trying to find any and all songs that they ever put out. This album is a great mix of Brit-pop rock. It’s got it all; rockin’ guitar riffs, a danceable rhythm section, and catchy vocals... really, what more could a girl ask for? Oh and don’t you hate it when every track of an album sounds oddly like the all the rest. I do, you can’t tell if it’s all one forty minute track or 12 separate ones, not to worry here though! Each track on Konk is completely its own, the way it should be. The single “Always where I need to be” is entertaining and could easily fill the dance floor with hipsters wanting to rock out behind their ray bans. While the fourth track, “Do you wanna,” has a swagger to it all its own and is sure to get even the most timid girl to the front of the stage to strut her stuff for singer Luke Pritchard. “See the Sun” gives off a warm glow shining light on the bands “vintage” fundamental influences making for an astounding opener to an album that screams the work of genius.

I’m not sure how “popular” this album will be on the top forty chart, in fact I don’t believe it will be on there for very long if it gets on it at all, but if it does I’m defiantly listening to my radio! I’m sure of one thing though, I know that this album will be held as jewel in the treasure box of our generation's music and will become on of those albums our kids find when they are teenagers or twenty-something’s and they will hold this as great work of art, a staple in their “vintage” music collection, a cut above the rest.Konk will shine on for years to come. Well done Kooks, well done!