Midnight Oil’s show in St. Paul in August 1993 supporting Earth and Sun and Moon is on my list of Top 25 shows, although it came to a crashing halt during the encore whentwo teenie-bopper girls rushed up to our second row, urged us to move in (we made them go past us to some open seats), and stayed only long enough to sing along with “Beds are Burning”—obviously the only song they knew. They left immediately after the song missing the real closers—two more songs including the older, deep track “Hercules” which tops “Beds” as a song.
Flash forward 15 years, and I felt like the concert crasher. Teens crowded the Turner Hall Ballroom to see the sold out Kooks show. At first, I expected they were there only for 1 or 2 songs, waiting to scream and swoon over these blokes from England but otherwise care nothing for the band’s oeuvre.
I was wrong.
I was the guy who only vaguely knew the Kooks’ body of songs. I was the latecomer to the phenomenon. I stood there enjoying myself but was not immersed and engrossed in every song.
These teens knew every word of every song. They didn’t scream—shriek in hysteria; they sang and swooned over lead singer Luke Pritchard’s reformed dork looks. I wasn’t getting it; I was left behind; I was at a loss; I was the second row crowd crasher.
But here’s what I heard. . .
With a throw back sound to the bluesy corner rock of the 60’s in flashes of the Kinks (they recorded their 2008 album, Konk, at the Kinks’ Ray Davies’ studio of the same name), the Kooks are then fronted by Pritchard who may model himself somewhat on Jim Morrison. Like the Doors and Morrison, the Kooks could come dangerously close to seeming like they’re only a vehicle for Pritchard.
Songs that pick up a disco ball dance rhythm like “Do You Wanna” have a little !!! in their approach. Yet, for the way the crowd reacts and sings along, Jason Mraz is the comparison. A gentle song start recalls the Church (“Under the Milky Way”) while “Seaside” is like Donovan via Oasis.
However, mainly the Kooks hover around a bluesy rock which expects something like the 22-20s or the Redwalls. But the Kooks never really get there; the sound isn’t edgy enough. Granted, they were playing for the first time with drummer Nicholas Millard (Crackout), filling in for the ailing Paul Garred. (To his credit, Millard did an incredible job sight-reading the Kooks’ set). Although when the loud-mouthed jocks kept yelling out for their favorite song, I could only think of yelling for more edge and raw tones.
The Morning Benders
Perhaps partly through “stage association,” but the Morning Benders sound like White Rabbits—both which I’ve now seen at Turner Hall Ballroom. The Morning Benders, though, suffer in that comparison to White Rabbit’s classic 50’s, rockabillied 60’s, Britrock sound, because the Morning Benders don’t deliver the punch and drive needed to sustain the energy.
They have rhythmic structures to undergird their breezy, summertime love songs, but there’s not enough highs and lows. “Waiting for a War,” the single, gets beyond this trap, but elsewhere whether having hints of the Smiths or Chris Isaak, the Morning Benders will need to study plot development theory to add conflict, rising actions, denouements, and falling actions to their songs.
The Kooks
Astralwerks
The Morning Benders
+1 Records
Pictures © 2008 Benjamin C. Squires
