by Susie Salva 

U.K. darlings and Astralwerks recording artists the Kooks performed live to a packed house at the newly remodeled Hollywood Palladium on Tuesday, October 28. This band from across the pond put forth an explosive performance showcasing music from both their debut CD “Inside In Inside Out,” and their sophomore disc “Konk.” Lead singer Luke explained to the audience that they feel at home here in Los Angeles as they performed a rousing 90-minute set.

The Kooks are comprised of singer/guitarist Luke, lead guitarist Hugh Harris, bassist Max Rafferty and drummer Paul Garred, who was replaced by Nick for this show. Their music consists of upbeat, feel good, breezy, infectious sounds where they wear their feelings on their sleeves. Kick starting their set, they broke out with their single hit, “Always Where I Need to Be”, a high energy tune. Some of their music has a reggae-tinged flair to it utilizing some gutsy guitar riffs. Next, they delved into “Ooh LA”, followed up by “Sway”, as Luke had a British swagger to him. Other stand out songs were “She Moves In Her Own Way” and the happy track, “Mr. Maker.” 

Their songs have this get up and dance feel to them. “We give people a great night out,” says Luke, who’s still only 22 but who obviously is wiser beyond his years. The band broke out with, “Do You Wanna”, causing pandemonium, inspiring stage diving and pogo dancing. The bassist with the opening act the Whigs played guitar on “Shine On”, a happy go lucky tune. The Kooks momentarily left the stage but were prodded to come back on the stage and play at least one other song. Luke came out with an acoustic guitar and sang, “Seaside” and a couple of new tracks they were trying out for the audience. This was definitely an exciting night out and the band did not disappoint.

Athens, Georgia natives, the Whigs were the opening act. The trio performed their brand of ‘60s tinged rock meets ‘90s grunge. Sort of like the Foo Fighters meet Blind Melon. Initially, they had some sound problems, but plugged through until they worked out the kinks. The were very versatile, trading off talents of playing the bass guitar then switching to the keyboard and then the guitarist traded his guitar for the keyboard too. The drums sounded at some point as if they were going to blow up. This was definitely a great opportunity for this band to shine.

Warm up artist Matt Jenkins performed a couple of songs on his acoustic guitar, setting the mood for the evening. He played his brand of rockabilly music with a Dylan flair. Overall, it was an excellent evening with great music and exceptional performers. For the use of your email, the Kooks camp was offering an Astralwerks compilation CD and a poster of the band. For more on the Kooks please go to www.thekooks.co.uk or www.astralwerks.com