Previous concert (Dave Davies, Sit 'n' Bull) ... Next concert (Dave Davies, Harper's Ferry)

... by Joanne Corsano ... joanne@picturelake.com

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

Till The End Of the Day - I Need You - She's Got Everything - Susannah's Still Alive - Creeping Jean - Gallon of Gas / You're Looking Fine - Tired of Waiting For You - Set Me Free - See My Friends - Happy Birthday (to Jill Brand) - Funny Face - Unfinished Business - Healer {song by Mash, the band of one of Dave's sons} - Rats - Picture Book - Strangers - This Man He Weeps Tonight - Soothsayer - Groovy Movies (with Frank Reda) - Death Of a Clown - Young and Innocent Days - Fortis Green - Living On a Thin Line - All Day and All Of the Night - I'm Not Like Everybody Else - Father Christmas - You Really Got Me

Back to the Sit 'n Bull for the second night in a row. This show stands out as one of a handful of truly special shows. It started when I had the good fortune of arriving during the soundcheck and I was allowed to come into the club. I was sitting in the back away from the stage, but even so Dave happened to notice me and he waved to me. (Made MY day.) Dave's girlfriend/manager Kate did a quick pivot to see who he was waving to.

Today was the birthday of one of Kinkdom's most loyal fans, my friend Jill Brand. Jill has been known to prepare homemade Indian food for Dave when he plays the Bull, and as a thank you Dave sang happy birthday to her. You can see the big smile on her face in some of the pictures (link below). She got a hug and pictures with the star after the show. Jill is about half Dave's size and she practically disappeared into that warm bear hug of his. Jill, come on over to the Dave Side; resistance is futile.

A truly fun audience moment occurred during "Death of a Clown." Club manager Peter Bochner, the genius behind these Dave Davies shows at this venue, had supplied ugly clown masks to each table and requested that the fans put them on for this song, in an effort to crack Dave up. When we put the masks on, Dave quipped: "Everybody in front is wearing Ray Davies masks."

Members of the Official Kinks Fan Club, Bill and Julie Orton, were in attendance again, along with all the usual Boston area fans.

And I wasn't the only fan in the venue during the soundcheck. Superfan Frank Reda, who along with Rafaela Filippi has attended more Dave solo shows (by a long shot) than anyone else, was there. And he had an idea. For those who knew Frank you know that he could be insistent when he had an idea. This time, he supplied Dave with a tape and printed lyrics of "Groovy Movies," which is an obscure Kinks song that Dave sang on the recorded version, and suggested that playing this obscurity would be a great surprise for the visiting Fan Club people. I am sorry I didn't ask Frank why he chose this particular song. In any case, Dave learned it well enough to fake it, and invited Frank on stage to sing along with him. Frank even pulled out a cigar, using it as a prop since the song has a lyric about a "big Havana cigar."

The band really were hot, matching the hot summer night in Boston's metrowest. Musical highlights, besides the (pretty bad) version of "Groovy Movies," included some songs not played in recent shows. They included "She's Got Everything," "Rats," the lovely "Soothsayer," a song called "Healer," which is by Dave's son Simon's band Mash, and a phenomenal extended version of "Funny Face." Dave doesn't scrimp on the length of show when he plays the Bull; check the set list above. Of the many Dave shows I have seen, I would have to rank this very high on the list for both musical excellence and just plain fun.

The Sit 'n Bull Pub is a low-key, dark, not particularly exceptional neighborhood pub. But it's a place where, when Kinks fans and Kinks themselves congregate, magic happens.

Frank Reda passed away in 2019, joining Rafaela who passed away a few years ago. I'm sure they're listening to Kinks songs together now in rock 'n' roll heaven.

Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with content relating to Dave Davies and other members of The Kinks.