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Tag Archives: The Kooks
THE SOUND OF 2018
Better late than never, I decided to wait until the first day of 2019 to post my favourite songs of 2018.
It would have been a shame not to continue the tradition of this award* (*Disclaimer, no actual trophy) that goes all the way back to 2006.
I cobbled this up after browsing through my Friday Fives from 2018 with absolutely no scientific methodology whatsoever. So, here it is, the Top 50 Songs Of 2018.
1. Loveleytheband – Broken
2. Alice Merton – No Roots
3. Kyle Falconer – Family Tree
4. Rasmussen – Higher Ground
5. AJR ft Rivers Cuomo – Sober Up
6. Mumford and Sons – Guiding Light
7. Pale Waves – Eighteen
8. Jade Bird – Uh Huh
9. Kyle Falconer – Poor Me
10. Richard Ashcroft – That’s When I Feel It
11. George Ezra – Shotgun
12. Kylie Minogue – Dancing
13. Tom Grennan- Sober
14. Chvrches – Graffiti
15. Kyle Falconer – Kelly
16. Rudimental – These Days
17. Manic Street Preachers – Hold Me Like A Heaven
18. The Coral – Reaching Out For A Friend
19. Portugal, The Man – Feel It Still
20. Snow Patrol – Don’t Give In
21. Sam Fender – That Sound
22. Madame Monsieur – Mercy
23. James – Coming Home (Part II)
24. Manic Street Preachers – Distant Colours
25. Blossoms – I Can’t Stand It
26. Christine and the Queens – Girlfriend
27. Kylie Minogue – Stop Me From Falling
28. Snow Patrol – Empress
29. Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
30. The Kooks – Four Leaf Clover
31. Blossoms – There’s A Reason Why
32. APRE – All Yours
33. Ash – Annabel
34. Pound Shop Boys – Fireman Sam
35. Editors – Cold
36. Vampire Weekend ft Danielle Haim – Sone Of A Preacher Man
37. Weezer – Africa
38. Natalie Prass – Short Court Style
39. Hozier – Nina Cried Power
40. Sleeper – Look AtYou Now
41. Turin Brakes – Lifeforms
42. Arctic Monkeys – Four Out Of Five
43. Yonaka – Creature
44. Florence and the Machine – Hunger
45. Courtney Barrett – Nameless Faceless
46. Weezer – Roseanna
47. Ten Tonnes – G.I.V.E
48. Razorlight – Carry Yourself
49. Ash – Confessions In ThePool
50. Aurora – Queendom
So, congratulations to Loveleytheband on winning this year’s poll.
If you haven’t heard it, the video is below.
They join an illustrious list of former winners, listed below.
2017 Liam Gallagher – For What It’s Worth
2016 The Strumbellas – Spirits
2015 Blossoms – Charlemagne
2014 Jamie T – Zombie
2013 Haim – The Wire
2012 Taylor Swift – We Are Never Getting Back Together
2011 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA … What A Life
2010 Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
2009 Little Boots – New In Town
2008 Sons and Daughters – Darling
2007 Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
2006 Kasabian – Empire
2018 IN PICTURES – SEPTEMBER
September 2018 began for me with a trip to Windsor Park to see Linfield take on Ards on the first day of the month, for a match that finished 0-0.
The following day, I headed out on bike to check out the latest scribbles on the Belfast Peace Wall.
On the third day of the month, yes, three successive days of photo adventures, I headed to The Limelight to see The Kooks in concert.
The following weekend, it was a football double header, taking in Linfield’s trip to Warrenpoint Town, and then Northern Ireland’s first ever UEFA Nations League match, at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
There was more football, taking in Linfield’s matches against Dungannon Swifts and Coleraine.
Sandwiched inbetween that was a trip to The Palm House to see Kyle Falconer in concert, and then Belfast Culture Night.
In the aftermath of Culture Night, I was out getting photos of new Street Art which appeared in Belfast, as part of Hit The North.
The month ended with me taking in Linfield’s home match with Ballymena United.
Belfast Peace Wall Art Photo Album
The Kooks live at The Limelight
The Kooks live at The Limelight Photo Album
Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina Photo Album
Kyle Falconer live at The Palm House
Kyle Falconer live at The Palm House Photo Album
Culture Night Belfast 2018 Photo Album
North Street Art Work In Progress
THE FRIDAY FIVE – 7.9.2018
1. Kyle Falconer – Kelly
2. The Kooks – Four Leaf Clover
3. Snow Patrol – Heal Me
4. Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
5. KT Tunstall – The River
THE KOOKS – LIVE AT THE LIMELIGHT 3.9.2018
A new album released on the previous Friday, The Kooks rolled into Belfast on Monday for what is billed as a series of small concerts to promote the album, making the two and a half hour trip from Stradbally, where they had played the previous evening.
Unsurprisingly, the setlist was filled with songs from their new album Let’s Go Sunshine, which sounded decent.
Of course, we also got hits, the crowd singing along to the apt intro of “At my show on Monday ….” to She Moves In Her Own Way, with this concert taking place on a Monday. This was my third Kooks concert, taking place on a Sunday, Saturday and Monday. I need four more days to get a full week of The Kooks.
I would have had Tuesday if I went to see them at Belsonic last year when they supported Arcade Fire, but I couldn’t justify the expense only going to see the support act.
This was their first headline gig in Belfast since 2015, with their proposed concert at Feile in 2016 being postponed due to injury.
No injuries tonight, everybody was on top form.
When they performed their more disco-ey songs, Luke removed his guitar so that he could dance while singing. Things were getting serious.
He didn’t quite have the dad dancing of Tim Booth, Tim Burgess, Alex Kapranos or James Dean Bradfield, but he did score high for having more buttons out than in.
The most curious moment of the night came when an audience member handed Luke Pritchard a Sven Goran Eriksson mask, much to his bemusement.
How very 2006.
As they played songs from their first album, Luke remarked that it was like a 2006 Indie Disco. I’ll take his word for it, not that I attended many Indie Discos in 2006.
The encore began with new song No Pressure, before introducing the final song as a song that needs no introduction, by simply saying “You’ll know what song is next”.
You’d be, um, naive not to work out that it wasn’t Naive.
The only downside was that lead singles from their 2008 album Konk, Always Where I Need To Be and Shine On weren’t played, but it was still an enjoyable evening.
The day after, some exciting concert news for The Limelight.
Blossoms announced that they would be coming in November. Unfortunately for me, i’ll be in Manchester that night. Gutted by that. Hoping for something minor but enough to cancel the gig then I can go to the rearranged one.
Ash announced a gig for mid December, The Ash Christmas Bash, if you will, like in 2015.
I got Kyle Falconer’s solo album this week. It’s decent. He’s playing The Foundry later this month. Tempted to go along to that.
The Kooks live at Mandela Hall 2015
The Kooks live at Albert Hall Manchester 2016
THE FRIDAY FIVE – 31.8.2018
1. Kyle Falconer – Poor Me
2. KT Tunstall – The River
3. Lacuna Bloome – I Am
4. Blossoms – La Isla Bonita
5. The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
THE FRIDAY FIVE – 24.8.2018
1. Kyle Falconer – Family Tree
2. Blossoms – How Long Will It Last?
3. The Kooks – Chicken Bone
4. Travis – Side
5. Kasabian – Eez-Eh
THE FRIDAY FIVE – 27.7.2018
1. The Kooks – Four Leaf Clover
2. DMAs – Believe
3. Muse – Something Human
4. Dennis Lloyd – Nevermind
5. Tom Odell – If You Wanna Love Somebody
THE FRIDAY FIVE – 22.6.2018
1. Richard Ashcroft – Break The Night With Colour
2. Liam Gallagher – I’ve All I Need
3. Miles Kane – Loaded
4. The Kooks – No Pressure
5. Florence and the Machine – Hunger
Exciting news, 1986 episodes of Top Of The Pops will be starting next month. Can’t wait.
THE FRIDAY FIVE – 8.6.2018
1. The Kooks – No Pressure
2. Johnny Marr – Hi Hello
3. Courtney Barrett – Nameless Faceless
4. Christine and the Queens – Girlfriend
5. Aurora – Queendom
And now, the first of many apologies.
Apologies for not having a Friday Five last week, I was too busy doing blogs from Biggest Weekend.
The last time I did a Friday Five, I totally forgot that it was Her Majesty Kylie Minogue’s 50th birthday.
Belatedly, he’s a chart to celebrate Kylie’s half century on earth.
FIVE SONGS BY KYLIE MINOGUE
1. I Believe In You
2. Better Than Today
3. I Should Be So Lucky
4. 2 Hearts
5. Some Kind Of Bliss
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the World Cup starts. So here, is a series of musical charts based on the groups. You may notice that some acts are appearing under FIFA’s nationality rules.
SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS A-B
1. Tatu – All The Things She Said
2. Enrique Iglesias – Do You Know?
3. Nelly Furtado – Maneater
4. Tatu – All About Us
5. Baccara – Yes Sir, I Can Boogie
SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS C-D
1. Alphabeat – Boyfriend
2. Of Monsters And Men – Little Talks
3. Desireless – Voyage Voyage
4. Steffan Dennis – Don’t It Make You Feel Good
5. Daft Punk – Robot Rock
SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS E-F
1. Yello – Oh Yeah
2. Ace Of Base – The Sign
3. Freiheit – Keeping The Dream Alive
4. Modern Talking – Brother Louie
5. Emilia – Big Big World
SONGS BY ARTISTS FROM COUNTRIES IN GROUPS G-H
1. Glenn and Chris – Diamond Lights
2. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
3. FR David – Words
4. The 5678s – Woo Hoo
5. Shakira – Underneath Your Clothes
Analogue Boy In A Digital World 