The Kooks' Luke Pritchard recalls 'comparing chest hair' with Liam and Noel Gallagher on Oasis night out

14 May 2025, 20:25 | Updated: 20 May 2025, 17:36

Luke Pritchard impressed Noel Gallagher when partying with Oasis

By Jenny Mensah

The Kooks frontman reacted to Noel Gallagher remembering how he "stayed the distance" after an awards ceremony and revealed he was “sad” Oasis split days before they were due to share the same bill.

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Luke Pritchard has recalled a night out with Oasis and their entourage and how he compared chest hair with Noel and Liam Gallagher.

The Kooks released their seventh studio album Never/Know on Friday 9th May and their frontman caught up with Radio X's Dan O'Connell to talk about everything from their new record to heady nights out with the Manchester band.

When The Evening Show presenter shared a clip of the Oasis guitarist and songsmith recalling how Pritchard was once "swept up" into their entourage and managed to put an impressive shift in and "stayed the distance".

Looking back on what he believes was the night in question, the Ooh La singer revealed: “It was the Q Awards and we did get invited and maybe even by Paul Weller as we were kind of friendly with Paul Weller. He’d been to a few of our shows. Maybe he was the guy who swooped us into their entourage."

"It was a brilliant night, I remember," he went on. "I think me and Noel were comparing our chest hair for some reason and then Liam got involved. He had more of course, then that was that. But I did stay the distance... Yeah, we’ve had a few nights out."

The Kooks' Luke Pritchard and Noel and Liam Gallagher in 2009
The Kooks' Luke Pritchard and Noel and Liam Gallagher in 2009. Picture: Luke Brennan/Getty Images, Andy Willsher/Redferns/Getty Images

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Though Pritchard remembers the night fondly, he was gutted to then miss out on the chance to support Oasis before their split.

According to the indie rocker, The Kooks were due to appear on the same bill as the Manchester band at a Spanish festival just days after Liam and Noel's fight on the night of their Rock en Seine gig in Paris, France.

He explained: "Actually it’s really sad for us because we were booked to play the gig after the famous Paris gig. The Kooks was on a bill. It was Kasabian, The Kooks and then Oasis. […] It was in Spain somewhere and they flew in Deep Purple to cover Oasis because they had split.

"So we were on the bill, so we always felt sad we never got to do that, but very grateful to - you know Noel, we supported Noel and we supported Liam.”

Quizzed if he had a favourite Gallagher brother, he added: “I love them both equally, of course. They’re both great. Excited to see them again!"

Asked if he had plans to see Oasis on their reunion dates, the Naive singer admitted: “I tried to get [tickets] online, but I hope this lasts quite a long time and I’m sure I’ll get my chance”.

The Kooks' Never Know album - which includes the album's title track and singles If They Could Only Know and Sunny Baby - is out now and available to stream here:

Speaking about the record, Pritchard told Radio X: "It feels like we're on a good wave right now. Over the years you have creatively and personally different times when you're releasing an album and at the moment it just feels like we're riding a wave.

"Even for me it's quite a nostalgic record. You know, 20 years in it just felt like the right time to do a record that has such a direct influence from the beginnings of the band".

See The Kooks' Never/Know tracklisting:

  1. Never Know
  2. Sunny Baby
  3. All Over The World
  4. If They Could Only Know
  5. China Town
  6. Compass Will Fracture
  7. Tough At The Top
  8. Arrow Through Me
  9. Echo Chamber
  10. Let You Go
  11. Talk About It

Quizzed on why making music still matters to him, the frontman said: "Music is Iike a medicine to me I think. I don’t really know any other way. For me I think it’s a pillar of my life. If you talk to my wife Ellie she’ll know If I don’t make music for about a week then I get really tetchy and it’s just in my soul.

“And I think that’s pretty common I think when you’ve done it since you were young and you sort of lean on it. You lean on your music in good and bad times.”

Meanwhile, The Kooks are currently midway through their intimate acoustic dates and are set to embark on a 2025 UK tour later this year.

Their arena shows will include a homecoming date at the Brighton Centre on Sunday 5th October and culminate in their biggest headline show to date at The O2, London on Saturday 11th October.

They'll be joined on the dates, which includes a stop at Manchester's Co-op Live, by Merseyside four-piece The K's.

Visit thekooks.com for their full dates and to buy tickets.

The Kooks - Seaside live at On The Beach

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