I may be a little late to the party when it comes to discovering The Courettes, but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying their recent album The Soul of the Fabulous Courettes. With its 60s girl group-inspired sound, it’s the kind of record that begs you to dance away your sorrows. (Find my full review here.) So, naturally, I was excited to catch them live on their current promotional tour. Spoiler alert: my expectations were not just met—they were completely blown away.
The show did experience a slight delay due to a technical sound issue, resulting in a false start. However, once the problem was sorted, the band kicked off with a bang, launching into ‘You Woo Me,’ a standout track from their latest album and the B-side to their single ‘Shake.’ Despite a little initial unease from the earlier technical hiccups, they sounded great. By the second song, though, you could feel the energy shift as the band cranked their performance up to 11.
The Courettes are a powerhouse duo made up of Flavia Couri on vocals and guitar, and her husband Martin Couri on drums. Don’t be deceived by their minimalist lineup—their sound is anything but small. While their records are a ton of fun, it’s in a live setting where their music truly explodes. Flavia is undeniably the star of the show, a dynamic and charismatic force of nature. Her passion for the music and performance was impossible to miss. With boundless energy and an unmistakable rock ‘n’ roll attitude, she brought a punk edge to their vintage-inspired sound. Throughout the set, she was all over the stage—posing with her guitar like a gun, running back and forth, and even diving into the audience several times, engaging with the crowd in a way that made you feel like part of the action.
The band treated us to the vast majority of their latest album, but also revisited several fan-favorites from their earlier catalogue. As a relatively new fan, I had only just started digging into their back catalogue via Spotify, and let me tell you—there are some absolute gems in there. The setlist included bangers like ‘Hop The Twig,’ ‘Voodoo Doll,’ and an extended, super-cool rendition of ‘Boom! Dynamite!’ that had the whole crowd moving.
Even though I didn’t know every song they played, it didn’t matter one bit. Each track was delivered with such energy and showmanship that you couldn’t help but get swept up in the performance. It wasn’t a case of waiting for a familiar song to get into it—every moment was captivating, and the whole show was an invitation to dance, sing, and lose yourself in the experience.
In short, if you haven’t seen The Courettes live yet, you’re in for a treat. Their shows are an exhilarating blend of 60s-inspired rock ‘n’ roll, raw punk energy, and pure performance magic.
The band have finished their UK tour for now, but ‘The Soul of the Fabulous Courettes is available now via Damaged Goods Records
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