Concert Review: Feeder at Koko, London, U.K.

Chris Griffiths
6 hours ago
3 min read

Feeder doesn’t just play gigs — they craft memories. And on a warm Sunday night in Camden, Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose and co reminded a sold-out KOKO why they’ve long held a cherished spot in the UK’s musical conscience.

The popular venue — all crimson balconies, gold trim, and cavernous acoustics — was heaving well before showtime. A murmur of anticipation rolled through the crowd, the kind that only comes when a band with real history are about to take the stage. As Ennio Morricone’s Ecstasy of Gold rang out through the theatre; the lights dimmed, the familiar silhouettes emerged, and before the punters had time to draw breath, the opening chords of Insomnia ripped through the air.

It was the sort of set that leaned heavily into Feeder’s knack for marrying melodic nuance with muscular delivery. Come Back Around followed in fierce fashion, Nicholas’s vocals still sharp as ever, while Kyoto added a burst of modern bite. It’s clear this isn’t a nostalgia act — Feeder are still pushing forward, not content to coast on past glories.

That said, the emotional pull of the old favourites hit with full force. “Let’s Feeling a Moment had the crowd swaying en masse, arms in the air, voices raised as one. There’s always been something life-affirming about that tune, and tonight it felt especially poignant. Just the Way I'm Feeling continued the emotional thread — beautiful, bittersweet, and delivered with complete conviction.

Between songs, Nicholas introduced the band. Himself and Taka Hirose were joined by regular band mates guitarist Tommy Gleeson filling out the guitar sound and Geoff Holroyde on drums. They kept it casual — warm nods to the crowd, a few words of thanks, and a genuine appreciation for the room’s energy. Taka, ever the steady presence, locked into rhythm with Geoff, while Tommy added grit and gloss to the guitar work in equal measure.

A particularly rousing moment came during Playing With Fire, where chants for every crew member filled the venue before the band launched into the track with renewed fire. A sense of unity hung in the air — crew, band, fans, all in the same heartbeat.

And then came the surprise: Tangerine was met with ecstatic cheers, its fuzzed-out charm reminding long-time fans of Feeder’s early grit. High followed, its dreamy build-up washing over the room like a tidal wave of late-'90s sentiment, before Buck Rogers — cheeky, irrepressible — tore the roof off in glorious, loutish fashion.

The encore raised the bar even further. Seven Days in the Sun, with incredible co-headliners Ellegarden’s Takeshi Hosomi lending his voice and Shinichi Ubukata joining in on the final chorus, turning into an explosive cross-cultural jam that proved that music is the only language we truly need (Ellegarden review to follow shortly). Just a Day whipped the crowd into a euphoric frenzy, fists pumping, lyrics shouted back with abandon. And just when you thought it couldn’t get wilder, the band tore into Breed by Nirvana — with a crew member taking on guitar duties, no less — sending KOKO into full-blown chaos.

Feeder proved, yet again, that their live show is no museum piece. It's raw, vital, and utterly alive. On a Sunday night that felt more like a Friday, Camden was theirs — and no one wanted it to end.