Kooks urge ‘peace and love and sun cream' at TRNSMT festival

Powys County Times

12-07-2025

'Peace and love and sun cream' – that is the advice from indie rockers The Kooks as they got ready to play Scotland's biggest music festival in the scorching heat.
Known for their hits Naive and She Moves In Her Own Way, they said they were excited to play TRNSMT on Saturday, even with the 30C weather.
Frontman Luke Pritchard told the PA news agency The Kooks had 'got their mojo' back with their latest album Never/Know.
He said he was honoured to be invited back to the festival again and again since playing it at its debut in 2017.
Asked how he would describe the festival in Glasgow, the singer said it was 'warm, electric and quite intense'.
'We are so excited,' he said.
'We've been looking forward to this for ages. We have played TRNSMT so many times, and so we feel very honoured, lucky – it's like coming home, so I feel good.
'And we've got a new album to play. It's positive record – soul, rock and roll.
'Took it back to the roots of the band with a bit of modern energy.
'It seems to have gone down very well, especially with our fans.'
Never/Know is out now! Thank you so much to everyone who worked on this album with us, we're so excited for you to hear it and can't wait to take it on the road across the US later this month and UK for our October tour. Thank you to everyone who pre-saved, pre-ordered and has… pic.twitter.com/1eDTdXMYzi
— The Kooks (@thekooksmusic) May 9, 2025
Hugh Harris, the band's lead guitarist, added, 'We love it. We are just honoured to still be doing this 20 years later', having played TRNSMT's predecessor T in the Park in the 2000s, which he described with a smile as 'chaos'.
But what is different this time, according to Mr Pritchard, is 'we've got our mojo back'.
'You know, you go through ups and downs so it's a good time to come back.
'But you're right, every few years we seem to be here and we don't ask too many questions about that – we'd play here every year if they wanted us to.'
The band said one of their favourite memories in Scotland was playing the classic Glasgow venue King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, before going to the Blue Lagoon chip shop.
Mr Pritchard said: 'After the gig we always used to get deep-fried haggis. It was amazing.'
Asked for advice for festival-goers attending TRNSMT in the sweltering heat, Mr Pritchard said: 'Just peace and love, you know, and stop crying. Peace and Love and sun cream.'
Mr Harris added: 'Make sure you slip that slop on each other's backs, that bit in the middle that gets no attention. Don't forget that bit. Electrolytes.'
The guitarist added that now more than ever, events like TRNSMT were needed: 'There's a frisson to it.
'It's people coming together – that's what festivals are for.
'People having a good time and being as one, feeling as one in quite an isolated time at the minute.
'So we need spaces like this for people.'