The Kooks Light Up Co-op Live
The Kooks returned to Manchester on Friday night with the first show of their new UK arena tour, filling Co-op Live with the kind of energy that has carried them across two decades. Blending early favourites with songs from their latest album, the band bridged generations in a set that felt both celebratory and forward-looking.
The moment the lights dimmed and a hush fell over the arena, it was clear this would not be a typical show. Within seconds, the opening chords of “Sofa Song” tore through the space, setting the tone: confident, buoyant, and full of promise. Frontman Luke Pritchard strode onstage with an easy grin, guitar in hand, and the crowd responded with a roar. From the start, The Kooks struck a balance between fresh material and their established catalogue, which helped build their reputation. Early in the set, “Always Where I Need to Be” segued into “Eddie’s Gun”, prompting a wave of nostalgia among longtime fans.
Throughout the evening, the stage visuals were kept relatively simple: soft washes of colour, occasional geometric backdrops, and just enough smoke to soften the lighting edges. It allowed the band to remain front and centre, playing tight, energetic versions of both old and new songs.
Midway through, the atmosphere shifted when the tempo slackened for “See Me Now”. Pritchard’s vocals dropped to a hushed delivery; the audience held up their phone torches in solidarity, and for a moment, the arena felt quiet and intimate despite its scale. The new songs fared well: “Sunny Baby” had the crowd clapping along, while “If They Could Only Know” turned a corner of the arena into a spontaneous dance floor. One especially tender moment came when a hand-written sign requesting “Seaside” caught Pritchard’s eye. A fan named Joe was invited up, and his acoustic guitar accompaniment to a stripped-back version of the song drew cheers and applause—not just for the song, but for the generosity of the gesture.
Later, the band leaned into deeper cuts such as “Taking Pictures of You” and “GAP”, affirming that their appeal still extends beyond the hits. When the punch of indie rock returned, “Do You Wanna” landed hard, reminding the audience that The Kooks still know how to rock with grit.
The closing stretch brought the familiar anthems. “See the World” felt celebratory, “Matchbox” tightened the rhythm, and the finale felt inevitable yet earned. In the encore, “Ooh La” and “Naïve” brought the roof down — voices everywhere rose to meet Pritchard’s call, and the band exited to applause that lingered.
Musically, the evening was polished but not over-produced. The guitars were crisp, the rhythm section locked, and Pritchard’s voice carried clearly even at full tilt. There was confidence rather than flashiness, maturity without dullness. Among the thousands assembled, one sensed something of the band’s journey in the choices they made tonight: to honour their beginnings, to trust new work, and to leave space for spontaneous moments. The crowd left buzzing, satisfied and connected, warmed by something more enduring than spectacle alone.
Photos (c) Raphael Buisson Enlas
