Luke Pritchard from The Kooks met Mick Jagger after a gig at O2 Academy Brixton, but he was wearing only a towel. He had just come off stage following one of the band's early shows, not expecting an audience with a rock legend so soon.
Mick Jagger Came to See The Kooks
Mick Jagger had come specifically to see The Kooks and sat next to Luke's mother for the gig. The band had just released their debut album, Inside In / Inside Out (2006). Luke told the Daily Star that the moment made him realise the band was going places.
"Probably Mick Jagger coming to the show, you know? Mick came to Brixton Academy and sat next to my mum... you know what I mean? Then I was like ‘Okay, we’re doing something’ and that was on the first album. I was like, ‘we’ve got to be doing something right.’"
Meeting His Hero in a Towel
Luke admitted feeling a little guilty and underdressed. "I felt bad because Mick came in and we’d just come off and I was in a towel and I was just shooting the sh** with him in a towel. But I mean Mick’s amazing. He’s so lovely. It was fine. I think we spoke about what M&Ms we put on our rider or something."
The Addiction of Live Music
The rocker said he still gets an adrenaline hit on stage and called live music "probably the most healthy addiction someone can have." He added, "More healthy than coffee. And I think that never quite goes away." As for pre-show rituals, Luke said, "I do like a little meditation vibe... about half an hour before to take a minute. And a shot of tequila with the boys. That’s it. Meditation then tequila. In that order."
20th Anniversary Celebration
To mark the 20th anniversary of Inside In / Inside Out, the band will play a special show on July 31 at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich as part of the Labyrinth on the Thames concert series.
