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R&B/Urban Soul

Kool & the Gang Tickets

Concerts2 results

Concerts in United Kingdom

Experience

  • Ultimate Celebration VIP Package

    Experience this unique concert from one of the very best seats in the house.

    A unique opportunity to meet Kool & the Gang before the concert and have your photo taken with them*

    Receive an exclusive Kool & the Gang gift.

    Pick up your commemorative VIP laminate.

    *Kool & the Gang will be available for a photo using customers own phone or camera, with the photo taken by a member of the VIP team. Please note, there may be a distance between yourself and the artist for the photo.

About

Kool & The Gang has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of three generations. Thanks to songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, they've earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for the past 35 years, longer than any R&B group in history. Their bulletproof funk and tough, jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled band of all time.

In 1964 Khalis Bayyan (AKA Ronald Bell) and his brother, Robert "Kool" Bell, joined Jersey City neighborhood friends Robert "Spike" Mickens, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Ricky Westfield,George Brown, and Charles Smith to create a unique musical blend of jazz, soul and funk. At first calling themselves the Jazziacs, they went through various names - The New Dimensions,The Soul Town Band, Kool & The Flames - before settling on their moniker. Over the next several years, they solidified their musical chemistry on the rough-and-tumble East Coast music scene, supporting acts like Bill Cosby, Ritchie Havens and Richard Pryor. Their self-titled 1969debut album introduced their signature instrumental sound and fierce horn arrangements, and spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single, Kool and the Gang.

In 1969 Kool & The Gang released their self-titled debut album. It was the introduction to atheme, music is the message, that Kool & The Gang stands by today. The instrumental album was an expression of their deep love of music. It was also an introduction to their signature sound and the fierce horn arrangements created by Khalis, Dee Tee, and Spike. Their debut album spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single Kool and the Gang and later Let The Music Take Your Mind.

In 1970, their audacious sophomore set Live At The Sex Machine peaked at #6 on Billboard's R&B chart and yielded three hit singles: Funky Man, Who's Gonna Take The Weight and I Want To Take You Higher. Next came The Best Of Kool & The Gang Featuring The Penguin,Kool & The Gang Live at PJ's, Music Is The Message, and Good Times, all of which helped solidify a sound that wowed not only fans but such contemporaries as James Brown and Nina Simone.

The band's stellar reputation grew with each album, but 1973's gold disc Wild & Peaceful took Kool & The Gang to another level (#6 R&B, #33 Pop), spurred by the immortal party anthems Funky Stuff, Hollywood Swinging and the platinum smash Jungle Boogie.Hits like Higher Plane (#1 R&B), the classic Summer Madness (featured on the Grammy winning movie soundtrack Rocky) and LPs Spirit of the Boogie, Love & Understanding and Open Sesame followed. The latter's title track was featured on the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time, Saturday Night Fever, earning the group their second Grammy.

In 1979, Kool & The Gang unveiled a smooth new sound with Ladies Night. Produced by the legendary Pop/Jazz musician Eumir Deodato, it became their first platinum album. The #1 R&B title track also reached #8 at Pop. It was followed by Too Hot (#3 R&B, #5 Pop). The '80s would see them dominate the mainstream, starting with the double platinum-selling album Celebrate(driven by the international monster hit Celebration, which spent six weeks atop the R&B chart and became a #1 Pop single). Celebration, which played as the American hostages returned from Iran, remains de rigueur at joyous occasions worldwide. The smashes Get Down On It, Take MyHeart, Let's Go Dancing, Joanna, Tonight, Misled, the #1 R&B, #2 Pop giant Cherish and the#1 R&B anthem Fresh (these last three from the multi-platinum LP Emergency) solidified the group's international superstardom. Kool & the Gang landed global commercial endorsements,supported countless charitable causes and were the only American group to participate in BandAid's 1984 Do They Know It's Christmas project for famine victims in Africa.

With the explosion of hip-hop in the '90s, Kool & the Gang's incredible catalog of grooves made them DJ favorites, and they were second only to R&B icon James Brown as sources of rap-music samples.

2004's The Hits Reloaded found the band collaborating with such acolytes as Lil' Kim, SeanPaul, Ashanti, and Blackstreet, among others. Kool & The Gang continues to perform to packed audiences of new and old fans around the world. The band re-entered the Billboard R&B chart with 2006's Steppin' Into Love.

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Setlists

    1. 1.Fresh
    2. 2.Misled
    3. 3.Too Hot
    4. 4.Joanna
    5. 5.Let the Music Take Your Mind
    6. 6.Jungle Boogie
    7. 7.Cherish
    8. 8.Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh, La, La, La)
    9. 9.Ladies' Night
    10. 10.Get Down on It
    11. 11.Celebration
    1. 1.Open Sesame
    2. 2.Fresh
    3. 3.Misled
    4. 4.Too Hot
    5. 5.Joanna
    6. 6.Take My Heart
    7. 7.Let the Music Take Your Mind
    8. 8.Funky Stuff
    9. 9.Jungle Boogie
    10. 10.Hollywood Swingin'
    11. 11.Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh, La, La, La)
    12. 12.Ladies' Night
    13. 13.Get Down on It
    14. 14.Celebration
    1. 1.Open Sesame
    2. 2.Fresh
    3. 3.Misled
    4. 4.Too Hot
    5. 5.Joanna
    6. 6.Take My Heart
    7. 7.Let the Music Take Your Mind
    8. 8.Funky Stuff
    9. 9.Jungle Boogie
    10. 10.Hollywood Swingin'
    11. 11.Summer Madness
    12. 12.Cherish
    13. 13.Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh, La, La, La)
    14. 14.Ladies' Night
    15. 15.Get Down on It
    16. 16.Celebration
    1. 1.Fresh
    2. 2.Misled
    3. 3.Too Hot
    4. 4.Joanna
    5. 5.Get Down on It
    6. 6.Hollywood Swingin'
    7. 7.Cherish
    8. 8.Ladies' Night
    9. 9.Celebration
    10. 10.Jungle Boogie
    1. 1.Open Sesame
    2. 2.Fresh
    3. 3.Misled
    4. 4.Too Hot
    5. 5.Joanna
    6. 6.Take My Heart
    7. 7.Let the Music Take Your Mind
    8. 8.Funky Stuff
    9. 9.Jungle Boogie
    10. 10.Hollywood Swingin'
    11. 11.Summer Madness
    12. 12.Cherish
    13. 13.Ladies' Night
    14. 14.Get Down on It
    15. 15.Celebration
    16. -Spirit of the Boogie

Reviews

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 based on 7 reviews
  • So Kool

    by SarB on 29/07/2024Rating: 5 out of 5

    We travelled from Bristol for the concert and to see Liverpool for the first time. Great arena in a fabulous area. Access in was easy, service at the bar quick and all staff we encountered were friendly. We had floor seats near the front and enjoyed the whole experience. The Real Thing got the party started, then Kool & The Gang kept it going and were absolutely brilliant. We have been to many concerts over the years and this one was certainly one of the best. The atmosphere was fun, the music outstanding and we left smiling with great memories 😁 Thank you.

  • Great night out

    by Sharon J on 27/07/2024M&S Bank Arena Liverpool - LiverpoolRating: 5 out of 5

    What a fab group. If you get the chance go and see them. Played all the classics..Know how to hold the crowd. Great venue to.

  • Excellent concert

    by WittyPri on 27/07/2024M&S Bank Arena Liverpool - LiverpoolRating: 5 out of 5

    Enjoyed the concert, but disappointed at meet and greet. Was told to arrive for 5.15pm as last registration at 5.30pm. Me and my friend arrived in time, no one about to ask. Only to be told at 5.30, there was a mix up in the communication. We arrived before 6pm, no professional photographer, photos were taken by staff member on our own mobipe phone, my friend was even refused a selfie and the goodie bag was just a bumbag. The tickets were not cheap. It was a great experience, loved seeing both Kool n the Gang and The Real Thing.

  • Kool and the Gang

    by Dicko on 27/07/2024M&S Bank Arena Liverpool - LiverpoolRating: 5 out of 5

    Great night with Kool and the Gang and the Real Thing,

  • Spoilt

    by Ang on 27/07/2024M&S Bank Arena Liverpool - LiverpoolRating: 3 out of 5

    kool and the gang amazing as I expected and the Real things M&S Arena Staff proper Jobs worths kept telling people to sit fen if they were dancing in the aisles . It's a concert what do they want people to do Got told people behind couldn't see we'll bet they were up on their feet to so that's that one sorted Health and safety too keep the aisles clear for evacuation easier for people to get to safety if there already in the aisles than people who arnt

  • Very enjoyable night

    by Joanie on 27/07/2024M&S Bank Arena Liverpool - LiverpoolRating: 5 out of 5

    Loved , music that takes you back in time fab night 🎶

  • Good but

    by Appledell on 27/07/2024M&S Bank Arena Liverpool - LiverpoolRating: 3 out of 5

    Music not loud enough at the back. The band were too self indulgent doing numerous individual musical solo's which were not on the original singles, as though they were time fillers. The band members were introduced more than once. When they stuck to their best known work, they were very good.