While they may not inspire quite the same international awe
as peers such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones,
there's no doubting that The Kinks were still one of the most
important bands to come out of Britain during the sixties. The
turbulent partnership of singer-songwriter Ray Davies and lead
guitarist brother Dave continued acrimoniously across decades,
spawning a string of hits.
While all generations are seemingly well represented, it's
unsurprising that the average age of tonight's audience is leaning up
towards the fifties, but as Dedicated Follower of Fashion kicks in
it's clear that they all still remember the words. Always the
performer, Ray plays to get his audience involved, treating them more
like his family than his fans, he sings to them and they sing back.
Sunny Afternoon and All Day and All of the Night are greeted with
similar rapture, and while a chance to play some of The Kinks
greatest hits, it is also an opportunity for Ray to play some of his
new material. With a new album out next year, Ray treats his loyal
followers to some of the new songs as well as reviving some lesser
known and forgotten about Kinks tracks.
Into the second half, and with the solo material out of
the way, it's back to the party. Reminiscing between songs about his
childhood, Dave and his time in The Kinks, Ray rocks through another
bunch of greatest hits, You Really Got Me, Tired of Waiting For
You and Waterloo Sunset all make an appearance, whilst the man
himself clowns around on stage, clearly still enjoying every minute
of it. Saving the best till last, a great rendition of Lola sees
fans of every age out of their seats and up to the front, as ever
nervous looking security guards looked on, scared of a fifty-
somethings stage invasion.
A songwriter of great talent and a consummate performer
and entertainer, Ray Davies is one of this country's living legends
and tonight proves that at 58, he's still more than got it in
him.
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