The Kooks Kick Off Tour With a Blast of Indie-Rock in Montreal

It feels just like yesterday that The Kooks were filling up the iconic MTELUS alongside The Vaccines last year. It goes to show that this English band is truly loved by the city—and for them, Montreal is starting to feel like a second home. Currently touring to promote their seventh studio album, Never/Know, The Kooks kicked off their North American tour on Tuesday with a jam-packed early show in Montreal.

First on the bill was lovelytheband from Los Angeles, returning to our city for the first time since 2018. This time, they played an intimate acoustic set—likely due to the recent departure of their drummer, Sam Price, just a couple of weeks ago. That didn’t stop the duo from delivering a truly beautiful performance. There’s something special about the stripped-down nature of just two musicians—guitar and vocals—opening a show. It just hits right.

They started their set with “these are my friends” from their 2018 debut album finding it hard to smile. Talking to the crowd, frontman Mitchy Collins shared how they almost didn’t make it to the show, having been stuck at the border for 12 hours. Something that, unfortunately, has become more common these days. He joked, “There was no way in hell we were not playing for you tonight. Even if we had to walk here! Well… obviously not walk all the way, but you know what I mean.”

During their short and sweet set, they surprised us with a cover of “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers—always a crowd-pleaser. It was refreshing to hear an acoustic version performed by a great band and not that one friend in high school who’d pull out their off-tune guitar at 2 a.m. The crowd sang along, swaying and smiling through it. Before leaving the stage to very loud cheers, they performed their hit single “broken”—a beautiful tune about connecting with someone who shares your emotional struggles. If you’ve never heard it, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.

Around 8:15 p.m., the lights went out and a giant white screen lit up with The Kooks’ logo in bold black letters. To the cheers of the crowd, tour bassist Jonathan Harvey and drummer Alexis Nunez walked out. Seconds later, the two remaining original members—Hugh Harris and iconic frontman Luke Pritchard—ran onto the stage, beaming. Pritchard, dressed in an all-black outfit, leather vest, and platform boots, extended his arms in a T-pose at center stage—and then we were off.

They opened the show with a bang, diving straight into their debut (and most popular) album, Inside In / Inside Out. First up: “Sofa Song,” which had the crowd headbanging from the moment that signature acoustic-heavy riff kicked in. Pritchard ran around the stage, dancing with the mic stand, making pit stops by each band member, and pumping up the audience. Right after, they launched into two of their most iconic tracks: “Ooh La” followed by “She Moves in Her Own Way.”

Now, when I’m shooting a show from the pit, I often zone out—muting the sound and focusing through the lens. But this time was different. It was my first time seeing them live, and I couldn’t stop smiling. When “Ooh La” started, more than once I found myself putting my camera down just to sing along with the crowd at the barricade. The Kooks have that feel-good alt-rock sound, and even 19 years after debuting their first album, they still sound fantastic.

The set continued with a mix of old favorites and new songs, like “Sunny Baby” from their latest release. The energy never dipped.

After seven songs of energetic riffs and crowd-pleasing anthems, the band took a brief pause while Luke Pritchard sat at the piano to perform the hauntingly beautiful “See Me Now.” This deeply personal song reflects on the grief of losing his father at just three years old. It speaks to his longing for his dad to witness his journey, achievements, and growth. It was a touching moment shared with the Montreal crowd—some singing along with tears in their eyes. I couldn’t help but wonder how many in the audience shared that type of pain, and how this song may have helped them heal, if only a little.

Throughout the night, there was truly no hit left behind—at least for me. They played every single one of my favorites: “Always Where I Need to Be,” “Seaside,” and “Junk of the Heart (Happy),” the last one closing out the main set before the encore.

And then, there was just one song left. What better way to end an incredible night of nostalgic alt-rock than with “Naïve”—an anthem of the indie-rock scene since its release in 2006.

It was a great Tuesday for all of us indie-rock millennials in Montreal. I hope their tradition of frequent visits continues and we get to see them again next year. I waited 19 years to catch them live, and they exceeded every expectation. So when they’re back, I’ll be back—mosh-pitting to the sound of signature Telecaster riffs and fast-paced beats.