The Dave Davies Band ~ 1999 February 3 ~ The Middle East ~ Cambridge, MA
Band Personnel: Dave Davies, lead vocals, lead guitar; Jim Laspesa, drums and backing vocals; David Jenkins, bass and backing vocals; David Nolte, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, backing vocals
Set List
Till The End of the Day - I Need You - She's Got Everything - Susannah's Still Alive - Creeping Jean - See My Friends - Milk Cow Blues - Imaginations Real - Wicked Annabella - Unfinished Business - Soothe Sayer - Picture Book - Strangers - Love Gets You (first verse only) - There is No Life Without Love - This Man He Weeps Tonight - Death of a Clown - Fortis Green - Living on a Thin Line - I'm Not Like Everybody Else - All Day & All Of The Night - Father Christmas - You Really Got Me
Concert Review
A couple of days had passed since seeing Dave for the first time on this tour, at Maxwell's in New Jersey. This show tonight at the Middle East was the start of six more shows in seven nights. I knew the week was off to a good start when my friend and I were standing by the front of the stage at the Middle East in Cambridge waiting for the start of this show, and our Michigan friends Leslie and Fritz showed up exactly one hour after their plane was due to land at Logan Airport. They were in plenty of time for the show, and what fun it was to be at a Dave show with them once again.
This show at the Middle East was extra special because it was Dave's birthday. Two cakes were handed up to the stage by fans Jill and Julie (one of them with lit candles). Presents were handed up to Dave by me, Leslie, and other fans. Leslie and I held up a Happy Birthday banner. The audience sang a round of Happy Birthday. Dave's response to all this attention: "I am speechless." During "Death of a Clown" he held the microphone to Leslie, then to me for us to sing along. There was yet another cake presented at the end of the show, and Dave brought it over to Leslie and me for us to blow out the candles. So it was really a fun show for us with lots of audience participation.
This club is roomy, well-lit, and has a bigger stage than most places Dave has played, giving him room to move around and do some rock star leaps without knocking anything over. The sound wasn't great at the beginning of the show; "See My Friends" in particular sounded distorted. During the acoustic-guitar set and during the final few electric-guitar numbers the sound improved.
Dave spontaneously gestured at the front of the audience during the line "these creepy friends you left for me" in the song "Creeping Jean," and he enjoyed it so much he utilized the gesture during that song for the subsequent shows. This insult to the audience is clearly a parody of his own seriousness on "See My Friends" with its similar gesture.
The show was opened by Les Lokey and her band. I enjoyed her rockin' set quite a bit. The next night she again opened for Dave (the show at Emerald City in Vermont) but she played a more acoustic version of her set, which demonstrated her versatility.
More Dave
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