Dave Davies, Islington Assembly Halls, December 18th 2015

Dave Davies, Islington Assembly Halls, December 18^th 2015

First the bad news: Dave Davies currently has the worst haircut in rock’n’roll – bald at the front, long at the back. However everything else about this gig was tremendous.

The Assembly Halls is resolutely old-school (you can get married here) with a high ceiling, elevated stage and sprung wooden-floor. Throughout a generous 18-song set there was room to groove for an enthusiastic audience.

Having brother Ray scoot on for an encore of You Really Got Me was always going to be an attention-grabbing gambit (first time on stage together since 1996 blah blah). Ray looked as though he had a cab running – he didn’t even bother to take off his coat and flat cap. Momentous, but an event that risks overshadowing what went before. Dave went diving for pearls from his back catalogue and in addition to a good selection of Kinks hits he came up trumps with Strangers, Young And Innocent Days, This Man He Weeps Tonight and She’s Got Everything (progenitor of the Woman From Tokyo riff, fact fans).

Dave (first guitar, vocals) was sympathetically backed by Dennis Diken on drums (Smithereens) plus Jonathan Lea on second guitar and occasional bass and Tom Currier on bass and keyboards, the latter especially effective on a jaunt through Death Of A Clown complete with a duo of female backing singers. Everyone involved is a rabid Kinks fan, making this tour a labour of love.

The twinkle in Dave’s eye was unmistakeable as he finished the main set with his theme tune, I’m Not Like Everybody else. To have survived all the traumas outlined in his autobiography Kink (recommended)  and come out smiling and rocking at the age of 68 is a stunning achievement, and something we were all delighted to applaud tonight.

 

Setlist

 

Ripping Up Time

All Day And All Of The Night

She’s Got Everything

Creepin Jean

Tired Of Waiting

Front Room

See My Friends

In You I Believe

Strangers

Flowers In The Rain (no, not that one)

Young And Innocent days

This Man He Weeps Tonight

Death Of A Clown

Living On A Thin Line

Dead End Street

Where Have All The Good Times Gone?

I’m Not Like Everybody Else

 

You Really Got Me (with RDD)

 

That encore https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2yWZizDPNAY