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The Kooks Are Magic at Tofte Manor (Event Review)
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The Kooks arrived at Tofte Manor this month to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of their debut album ‘Inside In / Inside Out‘. This record started their journey as one of the defining British guitar bands of the mid 2000’s. What followed was a night of celebration and nostalgia. It was a true reminder of how far they and the LP have positioned themselves in music history in the last two decades.
The weather and the location were the first indication that this was going to be a fantastic night. The sun was shining, and beautiful plains, trees, and a manor draped in greenery surrounded me. Labyrinth set up a fantastic stage and environment on this hot summer evening. I arrived in the late afternoon and was happy to catch Opal Mag and Girl In The Year Above. At the Labyrinth stage amongst the open fields and trees, Opal Mag delivered a sweet sunset set. It was a combination of country, folk, and rock that was a delight to sit and listen to. Meanwhile, Girl In The Year Above brought great energy and powerful vocals. It was a blend of folk rock with an operatic/musical voice that felt controlled and raw. The next generation is here, as passionate, as intense, and as talented.
And finally, it was time for the headliners: The Kooks. We were celebrating 20 years of The Kooks’ ‘Inside In / Inside Out‘ on this night, and anticipation was high. I come from Mexico City, and people have adored this band since I was a kid. Since this album came out, I have followed them. It’s a band we always welcome with energy and enthusiasm. I saw them in 2014 at Corona Capital Festival in Mexico City. I had ‘Inside In / Inside Out‘ and ‘Konk‘ in my CD collection then, and I still play them constantly. It was a roaring crowd that day, and I was fighting my way to the front as best I could. I was 18 back then, and as soon as they started playing that night, their music took me back to that age, to that time.
For a few hours, The Kooks made me travel back in time at Tofte Manor. I remembered listening to songs with my ex-girlfriend in her car. Songs such as ‘Ooh La‘, ‘She Moves In Her Own Way‘, ‘Always Where I Need To Be‘, ‘Seaside‘, and ‘Naive‘. They have this magic element in which they make you feel sad, euphoric, and nostalgic all in one song.
They themselves had this ebb-and-flow energy, where they were always full of energy. But they also carried a tinge of nostalgia in their playing, their faces, and their voices. The crowd had an amazing energy. Girls and guys were on top of shoulders, people were dancing, and everybody was singing at the top of their lungs. One of the highlights of the concert was when Luke Pritchard sang ‘See Me Now‘, dedicated to his father, who passed away when he was three. His father was a musician and left him a Gibson Les Paul, and clearly passed along a love for music.
This occasion was sad, and it was beautiful. I’m happy that at least we can all see how far they have come in 20 years. And on that day I realised The Kooks will always be one of my bands. I will always play them on my record player and add them to my playlists. And as my Dad speaks of his bands like The Beatles and U2, and my Mum talks about Journey, one of the bands I’ll talk about will be The Kooks. In conclusion, some bands make us feel like we can be 18 forever, and that’s The Kooks for me.
The Kooks is on X, Instagram, and TikTok. Read more event reviews here and stream ‘Inside In / Inside Out‘ below or buy.
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