The Kooks return to the Seaside for scorching homecoming set at On The Beach Brighton 2024

22 July 2024, 15:00 | Updated: 20 August 2024, 18:29

The Kooks' Luke Pritchard at On The Beach 2024
The Kooks' Luke Pritchard at On The Beach Brighton 2024. Picture: Sophie Harbinson

By Jenny Mensah

The much-loved Brighton band took us back to their roots with a homecoming set at the seafront festival this Sunday.

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The Kooks played a very special homecoming show at On The Beach Brighton in association with Radio X.

The outfit, who formed in the East Sussex seaside town two decades ago, took to the stage this Sunday 21st July to deliver a career-spanning set full of indie favourites and surprise covers.

First up came support sets from a line-up of special guests, including Nieve Ella, Brooke Combe, Sea Girls, Kate Nash and Maximo Park.

Kate Nash delivered a crowd-pleasing nostalgic performance of her Foundations hit and Maximo Park revved up the crowd with the likes of Apply Some Pressure, Graffiti and Our Velocity.

Maximo Park's Paul Smith
Maximo Park's Paul Smith at On The Beach Brighton 2024. Picture: Sophie Harbinson

Soon enough, Luke Pritchard and co took to the stage and delivered some of their most well-known hits.

Opening their set with Always Where I Need To Be from their 2008 sophomore album Konk, The Kooks made it clear to the crowds that they were very much back on home turf.

The band went on to deliver a set laden with hits from their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out, treating crowds to the likes of Sofa Song and Eddie's Gun as well as their Ooh La single.

Watch them perform Ooh La below:

The Kooks - Ooh La at On The Beach 2024

The much loved gems from The Kooks' debut kept on coming and included a particularly stirring and fitting performance of their Seaside ballad, during which the frontman told the crowd to hold up their phone torches and light up the crowd.

Not to forget the band's She Moves In Her Own Way, which you can witness below:

The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way at On The Beach Brighton

Pritchard led a delightful call and response moment with the crowd during the band's Bad Habit single - which also saw the band sing Happy Birthday to guitarist Hugh Harris - while delivering a raucous performance of You Don't Love Me from their 2006 debut.

The Kooks - You Don't Love Me at On The Beach Brighton 2024

There weren't too many tricks or "sleight of hand" during their performance as the indie rockers delivered a confident and classic set, but the band did pull out a crowd-pleasing cover of Praise You by Fatboy Slim - no doubt a nod to the DJ's links to Brighton.

The Kooks - Praise You at On The Beach 2024

The Kooks brought their set to a delightful close on the Brighton seafront with their everlasting Naïve single as their home crowed belted out the classic track into the night.

The Kooks - Naïve at On The Beach 2024

One might say there's no better place to fall in love than the seaside, but clearly there's no better place to fall in love with The Kooks than in their hometown.

See their full setlist at On The Beach 2024 below...

*The Kooks' setlist at On The Beach Brighton 2024 on 21st July 2024:

  • Always Where I Need to Be
  • Sofa Song
  • Eddie's Gun
  • Ooh La
  • She Moves in Her Own Way
  • Bad Habit (Crowd sang Happy birthday to Hugh)
  • Westside
  • Forgive & Forget
  • Closer
  • You Don't Love Me
  • Play Video
  • Jackie Big Tits
  • New song
  • Seaside
  • See the World
  • Do You Wanna
  • Matchbox
  • Junk of the Heart (Happy)
  • Play Video

Encore:

  • Around Town
  • Praise You (Fatboy Slim cover)
  • Naïve

*Via setlist.fm

Next Sunday 28th July will see The Libertines play a headline set at On The Beach Brighton, with support from The Charlatans, The Mary Wallopers, The Big Moon, The Futureheads and Chappaqua Wrestling.

Visit thelibertinesbrighton.com for more info and to buy tickets.

The Libertines to headline On The Beach Brighton 2024

Last year's series of shows on Brighton beach featured Royal Blood and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, with appearances by The Vaccines, The Coral, Gaz Coombes, You Me At Six, Kid Kapachi and Coach Party.

Noel Gallagher: Soundcheck To Stage