Kooks light flick causes cop shock

As soon as anyone suggests a get-together of more than about three people in the City of Brighton, Hove and Portslade, the Sussex Police fly into a panic warning that terrible things will happen. In a way, they're like your elderly relative - and everyone has one of these, unless Madonna has kidnapped you away from them - who tuts whenever you tell them what you're going to be doing at the weekend: "ooh... you're going to Corby? Lots of murder in Corby. And robbery. You'd better put your wallet inside your stomach, walk sideways and not look anyone in the eye."

After finally having been persuaded that Fatboy Slim can do a beach gig, providing only six people come and they all have barcodes and tickets and two police escorts, now they're shaking with fear over plans for The Kooks to play a few songs at the official switching-on of the Christmas lights in George Street, Hove.

The whole event has now had to be shoved off inside The Slug and Lettuce instead.

Gavin Stewart, Hove Town Centre Manager, said: "This event proves that Hove really is the place to be.

"There is a real buzz of excitement about what businesses can achieve if we all work together. If Hove can follow Brighton's lead by creating a Business Improvement District, this is just a taster of things to come."

Mmm. Although the panic on the part of police and local licensing people - who only heard of the outdoor gig, erm, yesterday and the need for the pub to sweep in and save the plans - does suggest there's some sort of inability to organise a knees-up without the aid of a brewery up the posher end of the city.

Still, it is quite a coup to get the Kooks booked for the turning-on of the lights, which is sure to attract numerous shoppers to the tiny Woolworths, the Co-Op, that furniture shop which sells bedside tables for a tenner that are quite good, considering, and whatever took over the old Sainsburys Freezer Centre when that closed.

Even although, erm, it's not even The Kooks, as such:

However, Andy Walker, from the Hove Business Association Committee, played down the scale of The Kooks' performance.

He said only two band members, not including singer Luke Pritchard, would be present while the rest of the band play in France.

It's not clear what they're going to do about the singing bits.

music the kooks hove