The Kooks @ Hordern Pavilion(06/01/12)

Sun 15th Jan, 2012 in Gig Reviews

The Kooks craft melodies that are cheerful, heartfelt and inclusive. Hot on the back of their New Year exploits at Falls, the UK quartet took time out to perform an all ages headline show at the Hordern Pavilion on Friday. Having been thoroughly impressed by their raw energy and on-stage theatrics at Lorne in 2008, expectations were running high tonight. However, it’s always a potent reminder that you are at an all ages gig when a troupe of boozed-up, supre-clad teens elbow their way through the crowd before one takes a cheeky chunder in the middle of the dance floor. Classy. It’s perhaps an even bleaker omen when her staggering friend shrieks “I can’t believe they are playing The Kooks already!!” as the support DJ drops Darwin Deez’s Radar Detector. I am certainly feeling out of place here.

However, it’s not too long before supporting indie-pop rockers Toucan take to the stage to provide some much needed relief. These guys have been recently featured on Triple J Unearthed and their debut EP Brave New World contains easy-listening tracks that bubble with jazzy and soulful optimism. Tonight’s performance is solid, with On The Run in particular coming off a treat and getting plenty of feet tapping. Head across to their Triple J Unearthed page to grab this track and the delectably smooth Brave New World for nix – it’s great stuff.

It’s time for the stars of the evening to take the limelight. A hush falls over the crowd before Luke Pritchard bolts across the stage, all guns blazing to the opening notes of Always Where I Need to Be. As the notes blast through the crowd there’s not a person standing still. The sound quality is solid, the lights explosive, and yet something’s not quite right. As the band shifts gear into Is it Me and Sofa Song, Pritchard appears exhausted and his backing vocalists Hugh Harris and Peter Denton aren’t looking much better.

A few minutes later and it’s time for Sway – perhaps the band’s most evocative and emotion-laden track from the LP Konk. Disappointingly, it comes off lacklustre. Pritchard’s expression is deadpan; up to this point there has been absolutely minimal audience interaction, and now the crowd too seems to be losing their spark. The frantic lights betray the harsh reality of the performance; the boys are going through the motions onstage. They lack the presence and passion for which they are renowned, and things aren’t looking good.

Thankfully, after cruising through Runaway, Eskimo Kiss and If Only, it’s time to shake things up. Everyone exits the stage except for Pritchard, who dons the acoustic guitar and plucks out a warm and sincere rendition of Seaside. The crowd goes wild. It seems the dishevelled emperor may have found his groove. Staying on this positive trajectory, the remaining members return – apparently also refreshed – and pump out See the Sun, Mr Nice Guy and Ooh La with gusto. They finish up the main set with Shine On and a frantic rework of Do You Wanna, complete with silky-smooth guest vocals provided by a mysterious femme fatale. The audience is satisfied as The Kooks leave the stage. However, it’s minutes before they get an extra fix with a well-chosen encore featuring Junk of the Heart and the obligatory Naïve.

Whether it be festival fatigue or a calculated, progressive escalation of energy, this show is proof that an initially lukewarm performance can be offset. An off day? Perhaps, but it remains surprising that a band of this calibre and experience should have trouble finding their groove at all.