Review - Ray solo, 1 April, 1997, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine, CA

Subject:     Ray at Irvine Barclay Theatre - 4/1/97
Date:        04/02  3:10 AM
From:        Rob Peirson

This was the third tour of Ray's tour for me.  The Irvine Barclay
Theatre show opened the US leg of the tour.  The ads for the show billed
it as "Ray Davies - 20th Century Man" while the T-shirts say "Ray Davies
- Storyteller" after the VH-1 Storyteller series.

At the full house show there were the typical collection of Kinks fans,
old and young.  In fact one family, sitting in the front row, brought
their 8 year old.  Ray apologized for his language a few times to the
boy.  Ray also mentioned he was recently in Mexico vacationing.

Each show I've seen gets a little more polished, better timing of lights
and use of the balance control with the speakers to simulate
conversation during Ray's book readings.  This show seemed to have even
more dialoge than the other rounds that I have seen.  He was also on
stage for about 2 hous and 45 minutes.  I was pleasently surprised to
hear him play Come Dancing at the end of the show.  He said he was doing
it special and when I was up at the front of the stage I saw the song
list which did not have Come Dancing.  I will be curious to see if he
plays it on the other stops on this tour. 

Here is the song list which is not too different with some of his new
stuff omitted:

(8:08pm)
**Scotish music intro
**Ray comes on stage.  Encourages people to read the racy pages in his
book, 239-253.
1) Victoria
**Book reading
2) 20th Century Man
3) London Song
**Book reading - Old Black Magic
4)Tired of Waiting
**Stage hand brings a mug of Beer on stage, Ray says reminds him of his
dad
5) Set me Free
6) See My Friends
7) X-Ray
8) Stop Your Sobbing
**minnie the moucher bit of his dad, Art college
9) Art School Babes
**Book Reading
10) You Really Got Me (acoustic)
**Beatles story
11) You Really Got Me (electric)

(9:40pm)  Intermission (10:04pm)

12) A Well Respected Man
>**Talked of FAG in US
13) Harry Rag (Vocal only)
14) A Well Respected Man (reprise)
15) Americana
16) I go to Sleep
17) Two Sisters
18) Powerman (short)
19) Money-Go-Round
**described Kinks return to USA after ban
20) Lola
21) To The Bone (good crisp version)
**Book reading
22) Village Green (excellent)
23) Days
24) Waterloo Sunset (thank you)

(11:04pm) encore 

** talked of Dad back stage, was proud of him
25) You Really Me (reprise)
26) Come Dancing (Bluesy like on VH-1)

>(11:14pm)


Rob Peirson . . . Long Live the Kinks