The Kooks took the stage promptly at 9:30, looking typically disheveled for the sold out Troubadour audience. Opening with “Always Where I Need To Be” to an exuberant crowd, the band breezed through many of the Beatles-esque crowd pleasers from from their first two albums. Highlights included “Do You Wanna” and “Shine” to which the crowd sang back at full force “Safety pins holding up the things that made you mine.” It was enough to make you feel like we were seeing The Kooks in London. New tracks sat alongside the classics well. If anything, the band was more energized playing the new stuff. In particular “The Saboteur” and new album title track “Junk Of The Heart” were standouts.

Monday night, The Kooks will play to sold out show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom…but we have a pair of tickets to one lucky reader. Want ‘em? To enter leave a comment here or tweet @themusicslut and @thekooksmusic using the tag #junkoftheheart. We’ll pick a random winner by 10am, Monday.

The Kooks will be releasing their new album, Junk of the Heart, September 23rd on Astralwerks.

Enjoy their absolutely fab take on ‘Head Over Heels’ in the feature below.

MP3: The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be (Live)

Enjoy their fab rendition of ‘Watching The Ships…’ (on their tour bus) below.

MP3: The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be (Live)

Enjoy today’s full feature below. The Kooks are busy writing their junior LP.

MP3: The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be (Live)

Find out what they’re up to by dissecting this afternoon’s full feature below.

MP3: The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be (Live)

Watch today’s clip (which features a highly spirited round of go karts) below.

MP3: The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be (Live)

Catch both acts on 6/26 @ Hyde Park.

For ticket info, head here.

The Kooks are featured on the latest War Child benefit LP.

MP3: The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be (Live)

Enjoy a healthy dose of tomfoolery in the clip below. Kooks MP3 at bottom of post.

MP3: The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be (Live)

Yesterday, the band tackled ‘Kids’ for Triple J.

Grab an MP3 of the tune at Idents.

Enjoy their rendition of Coldplay’s ‘Violet Hill’ here.

MP3: The Kooks – Always… (Live)