LIVE REVIEW: KOKOROKO @ THE FORUM, MELBOURNE
Featuring Setwun & The Soulstranauts
I’ll be honest, by the time I walked into The Forum on this 21 November Friday night, I was already wrecked. I’d spent the whole day digging and lifting, and generally pretending I knew what I was doing, with a home landscaping project. My back was aching and the only thing keeping me upright was the thought of finally seeing Kokoroko live. There are some shows you don’t miss. This was one of them.
The Forum was already glowing when I arrived. That night-sky blue ceiling held up by faux–Mediterranean arches is always a delight to stare at between sets. On this night, you could feel the crowd full of anticipation to hear Kokoroko’s newest and arguably best album in the flesh.
Setwun & The Soulstranauts opened the night, and honestly, what a perfect choice. They brought this gentle soul energy that was warm and layered. With such late daylight hours at this time of year, they felt like someone slowly dimming the lights on the outside world. Their set was groovy and textured, the kind of music that doesn’t shove you into the deep end but quietly pulls you there.
Only a few minutes later than their expected start time, Kokoroko entered at 9:50 PM and The Forum immediately melts. There’s something about their sound that hits like no other band. The blend of afrobeat, jazz, and London soul is a cocktail made for a big stage like this. Live, the seven-piece band’s edges are fuller and more human than any record can hold.
What made this show special wasn’t just the musicianship (which was ridiculously good, by the way). It was the way the band spoke to us.
Throughout the set, each band member stepped forward and introduced a track from Tuff Times Never Last, their most recent release from July 2025. They all picked a favourite song or the one that meant the most to them. It wasn’t scripted or showy. It felt like being invited into the living room of a friend who just happens to be in one of the best jazz collectives working today.
From the tender glow of “Never Lost” to the soft sway of “Sweetie”, the set was built inward. No rush. Kokoroko know how to use space. They trust the silence as much as the groove. Before I knew it, they smashed out a full 1.5-hour set.
I kept forgetting how tired I was until the quiet parts, when my feet would remind me how many hours earlier I’d been shovelling dirt in the sun. But every time the band eased back into rhythm, my body forgot again.
This is the thing about Kokoroko: They don’t just perform for you… They perform with you.