Review - 26 July, 1995, Hampton Beach Casino, NH

From: MReidM
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 22:57:32 -0400
Subject: casino show july 26 1995

Pouring rain all the way up to NH. I had never been there before, so I got out of the car at the back of the place, not realizing that the line was a mile long on the other side. Got in line and we eventually got let in. The tables in front are all reserved for people who pay over 100 bucks a year to belong to the club and therefore get the best seats. I sat to the left of the stage where Ray usually sings from and made friends with the others sitting there.

I had made up a 3-ring binder of all the reviews, magazine articles, pictures and info on the Kinks I had collected over the past 14 years or so and copied all of them. I shared the binder with my tablemates while we waited for the show to begin. I also brought my 4 X 5 banner I picked up at a flea market about 12 years ago that has Ray, Dave, Jim, Mick and Ian's likenesses and God Save The Kinks printed on it.

The first band, Stacy something was o.k. but I wasn't in the mood for her mellow acoustic stuff at all. So I wandered around and found a dark room off to the side of the concert area with a window that looked out into the back parkinglot. I waited and waited and lo and behold a blue mini-van pulled up and some of the roadies walked down the stairs and out popped Dave!! He was walking up the stairs and I had all I could do not to ambush him as he walked in, but I didn't think he'd appreciate it and after all the shows he's done in a bad mood I just kind of stepped out in front of him and said "welcome". Duh!! He walked past me with a "F-you" look on his face.

I staked my place again in the dark room waiting for the rest of the band. 10 minutes or so later on another van pulled up and the rest of the band pulled up.. I thought I would have heart failure watching them all get out. These guys are my ultimate favourite band and I was going to have them pass right by my face.

Ray came thru, and I stepped out in front of him and said to him that I had a book for him, and he could have it then or later on. He took it and I just told him to at least look at it. Later on I realized I had left my banner in the book. I figured he wouldn't want a banner of himself and the band, so I asked for it back during the show by writing him a note and setting it on the stage when he walked over. They left for a short break and when he came back out he had the banner under his arm. I nearly died because he had to open the binder and see all the stuff I had copied inside for him and the band to get the banner. I can only hope he actually took the time to read it all. I also had bought my 8 X 10 sheets of paper with requests written on them, which he read thruout the show.

I had done that once before at the 1992 Riverside Park Kinks/Joan Jett show - and he played Full Moon and Alcohol for us. I had also brought the banner to that show, when he saw it he came over and said " What's that?" I held it out and he said, "Hey, thats nice".

At the South Shore Music Circus show on the 28th of July 95 I threw up my requests on stage and they ended up playing "Death of a Clown". Hampton Beach set list-

Why is it that a band that has over 45 albums only plays 1 1/2 hours? They could play 1 1/2 days easy..

Anyway, end of show. People are gathered outside the hall waiting for them them to come out. Dave comes first. He stops for us. He signs albums and other paraphenalia. He smiles. He talks a bit. Did he just get laid? I've seen the band 15 times and have never seen Dave up close, never mind twice in one nite. My husband had bought me a baseball cap with Kinks embroidered on it and Dave signed it for me. Ray came out. The crowd gathered around him. I didn't have him sign anything because I've already got an autograph from a Boston Garden show back in 1985 and know that other people haven't been so lucky, so I just asked him to read my book. Who knows, I can only hope, right?

I just bought the MOJO magazine someone in the Kinks newsgroup suggested we buy because there was a Ray interview. I spent my $6.95 and got a great article with even better pictures. Of course the interview wasn't nearly long enough, but we take what we can get. It's been a great Kinky summer for me, but a long 2 years since they came around last. Looking forward to the next tour. I called down to New York city to see about a rumoured solo Ray tour, but no one there knew anything about it. And the supposed VH-1 special wasn't on as far as I could see- just the Chili Peppers on MTV.

Again, feel free to cut and paste this mess. Thanks alot for the info, and keep up the great Kinks info. It's nice to know that there are other people out there like myself.

God Save the Kinks. Jules Kinks Davis

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