Review - Dave solo, 3 Feb, 1999, Middle East Club, Cambridge, MA



Date: Feb. 5 1999 5:37 PM
From: Joseph Phillips

Hello...Just saw Dave's Kink Kronicles tour at the Middle East in Cambridge Ma Wednesday night and thought I should drop a line to your excellent site.

First of all, let me just say how refreshing it was to hear Dave do his take on some awesome Kinks chestnuts free from brother Ray's reign - God bless him. Some tunes I'm not so sure Ray would've ever wanted to do again with the Kinks. While Ray is on a solo sabbatical indefinitely, I'm very happy to see Dave getting out and about, not to mention celebrating his 52(?) birthday with us. The occasion was definitely festive as Dave got showered with a number of birthday cakes and gifts from fellow fans, as we all sang "Happy Birthday" twice during the course of the show. Dave actually said he was surprised anyone knew. Dave's vocals and guitar sounded great rocking out on a number of tunes. Daves band The Young Turks (and they are young) held their own carrying a lot of cool old Kinks favorites.

Sorry to say, I didn't keep very good track of the set list, but here's a pretty loose rundown of some great tunes among others that Dave treated us to, that I recognized and could recall.

"Suzannah's Still Alive"...."See My Friends"...."Picture Book"....a rock'n "Milk Cow Blues"....old solo obscurity, "Imagination's Real"....one of my personal favorites, "Strangers"....a fired up, "Wicked Annabella"....pretty good mellow new solo tune, "Fortis Green"....the great audience sing-along, "Death of a Clown"....."Living on a Thin Line".... Dave peeked with "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" ....and 1st encore "All Day and all of the Night".....and of course "You Really Got Me" with Dave asking us to take care of the vocals. Awesome version! Finally the real surprise...After several minutes of hooting and hollering for another encore, and just when it didn't seem like it was going to happen, Dave and crew returned and did a blow out version of "Father Christmas"!!! What a show!

While we're all anxiously hoping for that much anticipated Kinks original line-up reunion, it's great to see Dave releasing material and still rock'n in the New England area. I'm looking forward to seeing at least one of his next three gigs this week at the Sit n Bull Pub in Marlboro MA. GOD SAVE THE KINKS!!!

Joe Phillips (Boston MA)