Pour les fans de Rock, Indé et Alternatif, et Electro.
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Arriving on the British indie rock scene in 2006 were vocalist and guitarist Luke Pritchard, lead guitarist and synth player Hugh Harris, drummer Alexis Nunez and bassist Peter Denton (the original bassist was Max Rafferty, who left in 2008 and original drummer Paul Garred was eventually replaced due to a nerve problem in his arm, making him unable to play live).
The four Brighton boys that make up The Kooks joined the likes of the fresh-faced Arctic Monkeys in releasing their debut album in the mid naughties; theirs recorded in Konk studios, London in 2005 and entitled “Inside In/Inside Out.” Although they were a little overshadowed by Arctic Monkey’s simultaneous release and instant success, the album received great critical acclaim and massive chart success in their UK home, eventually securing the number two position in the Albums Chart for two consecutive weeks. The album was also certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and launched their mainstream success, winning them the Best UK and Ireland Act at the 2006 MTV Awards.
Singles from their debut album such as “She Moves in Her Own Way” and “Naïve” broke the top ten in the UK singles chart and achieved success in charts in Europe too. The latter single being covered in Radio One’s Live Lounge sessions by British songstress Lily Allen cemented the band’s wide reaching appeal and demonstrated their strength in song writing skills. With influences like The Rolling Stones, The Strokes and Bob Dylan, this particular skill certainly didn't happen by mistake.
Their second album, “Konk” (named after the studio in which the first and second album were recorded) was released in 2008 and went straight to number one in the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold in the UK and Ireland. Single “Always Where I Need to Be” even achieved chart success in the US, reaching number 22 in the Alternative Songs Billboard chart.
In 2009 The Kooks began working on their third studio album (also recorded on label Virgin Records, as with their preceding albums). However, work was slow and after moving between new producers and writing methods to finally work with producer Tony Hoffer again, front man Pritchard announced in January 2011 that they had finally recorded fourteen tracks. Two months later the release date of 12th September 2011 for “Junk of the Heart” was announced and the album released with a more modern sound than before.
The Kooks then released a new single in April 2014 from their album, “Listen” released the following September. With surprise slots at festivals like Glastonbury, this particular year felt a little like a come back for The Kooks with Pritchard stating himself “that kind of fearlessness when you make the first album kind of crept back in.”
The Vaccines are one of those classic examples of pretty much instantaneous success; they formed in 2010, with their links to the UK indie scene already well-established - frontman Justin Young had previously recorded and toured under the name Jay Jay Pistolet, albeit with an altogether more folky sound, whilst guitarist Freddie Cowan is the younger brother of his counterpart in The Horrors, Tom.
By February of 2011, just a couple of early singles were enough to land The Vaccines the prestigious opening slot on the NME Awards Tour that year - previously occupied by the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Coldplay - and by the time they released their debut album, ‘What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?’, they had already built up a sizable fanbase of the back of tracks like ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’ and ‘Post Break-Up Sex’. That first album charted at number four in their native UK, and would eventually go on to be the biggest-selling debut of the year on those shores. They wasted little time in following it up; album number two, ‘Come of Age’, was released in September of 2012, after a successful lap of European festivals, and topped the album charts in the UK.
With a name derived from the criminal family in The Goonies, The Fratellis are formed of vocalist/guitarist Jon Fratelli (John Lawler), bassist Barry Fratelli (Barry Wallace), and drummer Mince Fratelli (Gordon McRory). The band’s debut performance came in March 2005 at the O’Henry’s Bar in Glasgow and earned their first radio play on Scotland’s Beat 106’s Beatscene show hosted by Jim Gellatly. The Fratellis subsequently signed with Fallout Records and released their debut EP “The Fratellis” in April 2006.
Ahead of their debut album “Costello Music”, the band released the single “Henrietta” in June 2006, which charted at No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart. “Costello Music”, released in September of that year, debuted at No. Two in the UK Albums Chart, and spawned the singles “Chelsea Dagger”, Whistle For The Choir”, and “Ole Black ’n’ Blue Eyes”. After supporting Kasabian on their UK tour, the Fratellis embarked on their own headlining tour, which included the UK festival circuit where the singles “Henrietta” and “Chelsea Dagger” really showcased the band’s punk-rock sensibilities. The live DVD “Edgy in Brixton” appeared in October 2007, featuring live performances and b-sides of various singles.
In June 2008, the band released their second studio album “Here We Stand” to mixed reviews from the music press. The album charted at No. Five on the UK Albums Chart and marked the arrival of keyboard and guitar player Will Foster to the group. The album was led by the single “Mistress Mabel”, followed by “Look Out Sunshine”, and “A Heady Tale”.
After a three years hiatus, the Fratellis returned in 2012 to raise money for The Eilidh Brown Memorial Fund, and subsequently played a number of dates around the UK. “We Need Medicine” the band’s third full-length album arrived in October 2013, led by the singles “She’s Not Gone Yet But She’s Leaving”, “Seven Nights and Seven Days”, and “Whiskey Saga”. The release was supported by a successful world tour including dates in the U.S., Europe, Russia, and the British Isles. The EP “The Soul Crush” was announced and released in September 2014, available for free download via their website.
I had never even heard of The Kooks before I saw them. I saw them sort of by accident. I was at Glastonbury 2007.
The only band I was excited about when the lineup was released was Arctic Monkeys. I did see them, they were great. But this band, the Kooks, they were something else. I was just walking near the Pyramid Stage and the sound of their set drew me in. It was both exuberant and laid back, which is exactly what I was looking for. I danced around and jammed out to all of their tunes and they were so adorable.
There is just something so sweet about a guy singing his heart out with a cardigan and an acoustic guitar. I didn't know any of their songs, so I didn't know which were the hits but my favorite bit was just as the sun was starting to set. They played this song called Oil. The people around me were big fans and were happy to tell me the name of the song after it was over. By the end of the set, they were my new festival friends. We linked arms and swayed along and they told me everything about the Kooks.
I have seen them 4 times since then and every time has been great but nothing has beaten the first time.
A boisterous band du jour, there were many who doubted the lasting capabilities of West Londoners The Vaccines, featuring members of Jay Jay Pistolet, and the little bro of Tom Cowan (The Horrors). With early plaudits from Clash, Zane Lowe and NME for YouTube demo “If You Wanna...”, the foursome blew up, trebucheted into the mainstream for all to see. Their debut record What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? toyed with their hype, yet remained a brash anthology of youthful guitar-pop. Those that had doubts were being dissuaded; when the band released Come Of Age, which went straight to the number one spot, almost all naysayers had been converted. The band famously debuted their live prowess in a high profile, sold-out show at The Flowerpot, with members of Franz Ferdinand, The Maccabees, White Lies and Mumford & Sons in attendance. Not bad, eh?
The Vaccines have gone strength to strength with their shows, unleashing torrents of scuzzy rock onto crowds via pleasers such as “Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)”, “Nørgaard” and “Post Break-Up Sex”. These days, they're bolstered by a beefy back catalogue (“No Hope” and “Teenage Icon” shining particularly bright), legions of diehard fans and a raw, energising live show that'll scorch your eyebrows clean off. Recently(ish), they also played to a sell-out audience at the 10,000 capacity Alexandria Palace – not too shabby for a pack of unlikely pals after only a couple of years together.
Among the likes of fellow indie rockers The Vines, The Strokes, and The Black Keys, Scottish indie rock trio The Fratellis are the epitome of indie-rockers; just as comfortable commanding the festival stage as they are in more intimate venues. Their lives performances diverge little from their studio albums, showcasing both their talent and their technical skills with seemingly effortless instrumental and vocal performances that are just as energetic as their music. Lead vocalist Jon Fratelli most closely fits the indie-rock persona, frequently donning the token skinny jeans and dark sunglasses while casually moving around the stage, belting out seemingly effortless vocals. Drummer Mince Fratelli rocks out fervently in the background, while bassist Barry Fratelli exudes the stoic and controlled tempo that all good bassists possess. The Fratellis are no strangers to the festival circuit, having played at T in the Park and V Festival, showcasing a variety of music from all three of their studio albums. The crowd sways back and forth to hits like "Whistle for the Choir," while their biggest single "Chelsea Dagger" always elicits excitement from the crowd.
After a short hiatus that saw each member pursue other projects, the band regrouped in 2013 to record their third studio album and continue performing the festival circuit, as well as selling out out venues on their own.
The Clause nailed it. After following the progress of the boys online for a while it was great to finally go and see them live.
We turned up in time to see Kanvas which was great to see another local band.
The Clause kicked off with Tokyo and Sixteen before sharing some unreleased material and also notably playing a cover of Kasabian’s ‘Club Foot’.
The pinnacle of my evening was the performance of ‘where are you now?’ before which Pearce thanked the crowd and talked about their rise from playing infront of 100 people only a few months ago to now playing infront of 500 people; selling out the Birmingham Institute2. The crowd joined in the song all the way through which seemingly brought a tear to Pearce’s eye.
An absolutely brilliant gig and I can’t wait to see where these boys will go. This is only the start!
Tom I'm in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States and can't wait for you to get over here and kick our Ass Mate. Love your music brother it gives me hope for the future of good music. Now bring your Ass. Thanks
Billy Rosenburg