THE KOOKS // COOP LIVE, MANCHESTER
The Kooks at Co-op Live: Nostalgia, Renewal, and 18,000 Voices in Harmony
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
The Kooks at COOP Live, Manchester - Photo Credit Tom Rogan
The walls of Manchester’s Co-op Live seemed to vibrate before The Kooks even appeared. A restless energy rippled through the crowd — 18,000 fans ready to relive the soundtrack of their youth, standing shoulder to shoulder with teenagers discovering the band through TikTok and streaming playlists. When the lights finally dropped and Luke Pritchard strolled onstage, his grin said everything: the night was about joy, unity, and timeless songs.
From the first chord, the room was his. “Eddie’s Gun” and “See The World” hit like fireworks, the choruses roaring back louder than the band itself. “She Moves in Her Own Way” arrived like a reunion with an old friend; Pritchard stepped back, letting the audience carry the final verse. For a few shining minutes, the arena became a single voice.
Then came the shift. “Let’s go disco,” he teased, before sliding into “Sweet Emotion,” a gleaming moment of rhythm and charm. It was followed by the heart-wrenching “See Me Now,” written for the father Pritchard lost as a child. As he sang, thousands of phone lights filled the space — a galaxy of quiet empathy. The moment was delicate, vulnerable, and beautifully human.
Energy returned with a rush. “Sunny Baby” and “If They Could Only Know,” both from the band’s new record Never/Know, burst through the speakers and turned the arena into a sun-drenched festival scene. Shoulders became dancefloors; beer cups took flight. Released in May, the album quickly climbed into the UK Top 5, a reminder that The Kooks’ optimism still resonates in full colour.
“The world’s gone a bit mad,” Pritchard said between songs, scanning the crowd. “But tonight, I’m putting a bubble around us. Peace and love only, yeah?” It wasn’t a throwaway line — the crowd took it as a cue to lose themselves completely.
Midway through the set, Pritchard spotted a handwritten sign asking for “Seaside.” Without hesitation, he invited the fan — a nervous young man named Joe — up to play it with him. The arena hushed as Joe began to strum, and Pritchard joined in with a gentle harmony. The duet ended in a thunder of applause, a spontaneous, unforgettable moment of connection between artist and audience.
The band leaned into their newfound online following, too. Songs like “Taking Pictures of You” and “Gap,” once deep cuts, have been rediscovered by younger fans on social media, and their reception was as rapturous as any hit. “Do You Wanna” followed, snarling and confident, proof that The Kooks still know how to sound reckless when they choose to.
The encore arrived in a blaze of lights. “Ooh La” set off a final wave of cheers before the unmistakable riff of “Naïve” rolled out — the cue for 18,000 voices to erupt. Arms linked, phones forgotten, everyone sang like they were part of something bigger than nostalgia. As the last notes rang out, Pritchard stood at the edge of the stage, hand pressed to his heart. “Manchester,” he said softly, “you’ve been unbelievable.”
Confetti drifted through the air as the lights rose, and the band’s final bows felt less like an ending than a renewal. Nearly two decades after their debut, The Kooks prove they’re more than indie nostalgia. Their Manchester show radiated warmth, energy, and a rare sense of connection that only comes from a band still in love with its craft. It was easy to believe they’ve still got plenty of songs left to sing.
Words: John Hayhurst Photography: Tom Rogan
