Formed amidst the glorious vistas and outrageous house prices of Brighton in 2001, The Kooks made it big in 2006 with their debut album 'Inside In/Inside Out'.

The record went four-times platinum in the UK and the seasiders won the award for Best UK & Ireland Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, also picking up a BRIT award nomination for the single 'She Moves in Her Own Way'.

The timing was right for The Kooks and, in a post-Libertines indie music scene, their sixties-influenced indie sound quickly found a mainstream audience. Singles like 'She Moves in Her Own Way', 'Naïve' and 'Ooh La' were all disposable classics and charted well - all the more remarkable when the parent record, 'Inside In/Inside Out', was released the same day as the Arctic Monkeys' game-changing debut 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'.

The Kooks were apparently grateful that the excitement around the Arctic Monkeys record 'shielded' their LP in the early days, allowing it to burn slowly, and longer than it might otherwise have done. Not that The Kooks seemed very grateful - an unsettled feud with the Arctic Monkeys continues to this day after lead singer Luke Pritchard kicked Alex Turner in the face on stage when the cheeky Monkey was meddling with Pritchard's guitar pedals during a live performance.

Pritchard's attempts at reconciliation were rebuffed and Turner is still not on his Christmas card list. Which is a shame as The Kooks' third studio album, 'Junk of the Heart', will be released in September and it would make an ideal Christmas present for Alex. Maybe he'll catch them live instead.

The Kooks have announced nine dates for autumn 2011, starting at Glasgow Barrowland on 30th September and ending (currently) at the Brixton Academy on the 11th. Tickets are on sale from 10AM on Friday 17th June [the same day as Arctic Monkeys' tour - Ed], priced £23.50 (£24.50 for London).