Ray, Ray, Ray

Saw The great Ray Davies, founder of the seminar rock group The Kinks, perform last night. The first set was just Ray and another guitarist, then a full band performing a dozen or so Kinks classics, as well as a few of Davies recent songs. After an intermission, Ray returned with the band, and a full 30 odd member choir to rock/sing/perform some of the Kinks Klassic Kuts, but also rework some lesser known jewels, a few cuts from Arthur, a six song suite from The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society: Village Green, Picture Book, Big Sky, Do You Remember Walter?, Johnny Thunder, and The Village Green Preservation Society, an a cappella See My Friends, closing out with some amazing renditions of Celluloid Heroes, Waterloo Sunset, Days, All Day and All Of the Night, followed by an encore of Low Budget.

It was an amazing night- it incredibly moving to hear one of the most enduring rock performers of the last 50 years perform live tearing through some of rock and roll’s most influential & brilliant songs like You Really Got Me, Celluloid Heroes, All Day and All Of the Night and Days.

As for reworking some of rock iconic songs using a choir, you may hate it, you may love it, but you have to give credit to Davies that at 66, he is still experimenting, still breaking new barriers in music- oh, and rocking like a kid a third of his age!