The final day of the 10th Sound City brings a slower tone and vibe, albeit with a lot more people. 

The first act of the day we caught were Wasted Johnny’s, the Korean punks that bleeds classic rock n’ roll. Nostalgic in taste, however the energy of the band is what blew me away, always in time with high kicks and attitudes. 

Following this we caught Pink Kink once again, the lovable band that never fails impress. The band fought sound issues throughout but kept steady on-course with a pretty great set. 

Tim Burgess was led in conversation with Jen Otter Brickendike at the Tim Peaks tent. While conversations about the new Charlatans album Different Days, if Tim preferred New Order or Joy Divsion (the former) and his label OGenesis came about and led into insightful answers from Tim, the talk however was ruined by the obsessive, egocentric host Jen Brickendike, who just seemed as-if she was about to jump the Charalatans leader’s bones. 

Then we jumped over to The Amazons show on Baltic Stage. We las saw the Reading new boys at the Buyers Club in March. Like then, once again The Amazons seemed to be playing a stage far too small for them, with the Baltic tent being packed up and the crowd over flowing outside. We’re left wondering why they weren’t at the main stage, as by now they have both the relative fame and clearly the crowd, to play it now of day. 

The crowd loves them, and the band could tell, bouncing around the stage, lapping up every scream, the boys had a fantastic show. It’s much different to what we saw at the Buyers Club, where The Amazons seemed out of their comfort zone. But here they were at the best, playing to a crowd suitably big enough for them. The Amazons concluded their 30 minute set to the sounds of fans wanting more.

Tim Burgess returned to the Tim Peaks stage, joined by Charlatans member Mark Collins to preform some acoustic tracks. With performances of “Smash The System”, a improvised version of “Solutions” and a stunning appearance of “The Only One I Know” was perfect for that Sunday moment. 

For just over half an hour, the two Charlatans preformed some of their best hits in a delightful format. We’d be surprised if The Charlatans don’t end up headlining next year after that audience. 
!!! (CHK CHK CHK) brought the heat on the Baltic Stage with their energetic set, forcing everybody around to dance. It was almost euphoric and for one of the first times today, there were no sound issues. The main issue is the length, with CHK CHK CHK only playing for 30 minutes, while they should’ve played opposite The Kooks later in the night. 

The Cavern Stage saw a set by rockers Fizzy Blood who brought their almost retro-rock sounds to the table. The act brought their known intensity too, never dropping for a moment bringing their albeit little audience into the motions. 

The Kooks arrive on stage with an audience awaiting them, they’re passionate and rabid about this headline set. The band kicks into their set in high gear with “Eddie’s Gun” racing through their set including their best hits with an early showing of “Naive” and even newer songs such as “Be Yourself” getting a showing. 

The Cribs go far past their allotted time in the Baltic Stage tent with a powerful performance, full of high-adrenaline rock and roll that brings their audience straight to the front. 

The Kooks end their performance with bang, confetti explodes above their adoring fans to end this year’s Sound City. 

The Kooks triumph over a slower day at Sound City with an audience mainly there for them. 

Words by Jack Cinnamond and James Ainsworth (The Amazons review), with photography by James Ainsworth.