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 The Morning Benders |
 The Morning Benders |
 The Kooks |
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Story and Photos by Joe Hargreaves Touring their latest Virgin Records release Konk, this young group from Brighton, UK, really knows how to cut a record. How do you top your #2 2006 UK Album Charting release Inside In/Inside Out? You follow it up two years later with Konk, and chart at #1!Has this decade's British Invasion crowned itself a new king? Keeping pace with the likes of The Strokes, The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Editors and Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks have proven themselves worthy contenders. Konk, released April 14th 2008 has the ingredients to topple their triple-platinum debut. Of the "80 or 90" songs written, vocalist Luke Pritchard and the band, cherry-picked 13 of the best, stating, "I want this album to be big, I've got an ego - I want the album to do well. I want our singles to come on the radio and for people to literally have their heads blown off by them." After seeing them live, the promise didn't fall short of the stated goal - they blew our heads off! The energy brought forth in their live performance, dwarf that which is present on the studio takes. Whipping the youthful attendees into a dancing frenzy, The Kooks tested the load-bearing capacity of Turner Hall's floor - the house was jumpin'! These kids know how to put on one hell of a show; a definite must see! With influences like The Beatles, The Kinks, The Doors, Jack Johnson, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Police...and the list goes on, it's not surprising that the sound The Kooks have managed to harness is one of a lighter, happier tone. Taping into the novel idea that music should be about feeling good, and enjoying one's self. "If it doesn't make you feel good, then what's the point?" says Luke. "Music should make you happy," concurs guitarist Hugh Harris. "It should change you in some way. That's why our fans are so crazy and committed. There's that connection." "We give people a great night out," continues Luke. "That's the whole point." The Beatles did it with "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" in '68, The Stones with "Beast of Burden" in '78, Dylan - alongside the Wilburys - with "Last Night" in '88, and The Goo Goo Dolls with "Iris" in '98. All of which were "core" pop radio standards and instant classics of their time. Now, thanks to The Kooks, we can again enjoy the brighter, or shall I say, Brighton side of life in 2008, in the Konk cuts of "Love It All", "See The Sun", "Do You Wanna", and "Shine On." Unfortunately only two of the original band members were present at their first ever gig in Milwaukee, vocalist Luke Pritchard and guitarist Hugh Harris. Bassist Max Rafferty permanently left the band in Jan. of this year, and filling in for him in the short term is Dan Logan, from local Brighton band Cat The Dog. Due to orders from the doc, drummer Paul Garred was also absent. Explained in a recent web-post, "Paul has bust his arm and cannot move it so under doctors advice has been told to rest for a week. He should be back for Boston so please bear with us. We are determined to honor our shows so we have got Nick in who is helping out for the week. He joined up in Milwaukee and learned the set there, which was pretty intensive, so I'm sure it will get better as the week goes on." In parting, I'll throw the words of their closer "Sofa Song" back at 'em and ask... "Won't you come on over"... again! Your gig will always be welcomed. Thanks for working it out! The opening act, a quartet from Berkeley, CA. called The Morning Benders primed the crowd with an exquisite set of their own, offering a sampling from their new CD, a + 1 Records release titled Talking Through Tin Cans. Their set consisted mainly of catchy pop tracks and a few self-proclaimed "darker" cuts, only to emerge with "Waiting For A War", surprisingly - a dance number. Calling out to the crowd for all dancers to unite, and in lock-step response, Turner was properly prepared for the headliners that followed. |
 The Kooks |
 The Morning Benders |
 The Kooks |
 The Kooks |
 The Kooks |