The Dave Davies Band ~ 2000 August 5 (Saturday) ~ Don Hill's ~ New York, NY
Band Personnel: Dave Davies, lead vocals, lead guitar; Jim Laspesa, drums and backing vocals; David Jenkins, bass and backing vocals; Kristian Hoffman, keyboards; Jonathan Lea, guitar
Set List
Charity - Till The End of the Day - I Need You - Creeping Jean - Gallon of Gas intro / You're Looking Fine - Tired of Waiting - Mindless Child of Motherhood - See My Friends - Wicked Annabella - Unfinished Business - I Am Free - Picture Book - This Man He Weeps Tonight - Death of a Clown - Young & Innocent Days - Phenomenal Cat - Fortis Green - Living on a Thin Line - All Day & All of The Night - I'm Not Like Everybody Else - Father Christmas
Concert Review
Finally a stand-up venue, and a good one. Easy to find either by subway or car on Greenwich Street just west of the Village, near enough the Hudson to watch the sun set over the river. Interesting effects from the stage included some sort of smoke machine (dry ice? any theater types care to explain what that was?). There was an opening band, a pretty good four piece rock band called The Mirror People. It was another big crowd (over capacity, I would guess) and very enthusiastic. I had been told that Don Hill's attracts an alternative sort of crowd and there were a few in attendance who might have enjoyed "Lola."
This show featured the first of many moving dedications during this tour. It was Frank Reda's birthday and Dave dedicated "See My Friends" to him. It was a truly touching moment and a fitting tribute to a long time fan. However, I don't care for the way Dave is playing "See My Friends." In the tour last summer, the song began with an atmospheric, unlike-the-record, drum intro. Now Dave starts the song with a recognizable opener on the guitar, and only after the song has been established does Jim Laspesa come in with the jungle drums. I liked it better the other way.
Another song Dave has added to his set is "I Am Free," a reflective ballad from Kinks Kontroversy. A song that never impressed me all that much on the record, upon hearing it live it has quickly become a favorite. It's a beautiful song, with a lovely melody and with its few lyrics evoking a wistful longing: "sailing in between the air, the land, and me ... I don't want to be a symbol of life's machine." Like "True Phenomenon," it gives Dave a chance to shine as a vocalist. His singing is so much better than when this song was recorded, in the mid-'60s. Despite the song's age it reflects some of Dave's songwriting ideas as expressed in his more contemporary work; the longing to be one's own person, to be true to oneself, and not to simply conform to society's rules.
As he usually does before "Fortis Green," Dave introduced the stuffed toy, Kate the Kat, who "is going to sing on this next song." But tonight the next song was about a minute of "Phenomenal Cat"! What a treat. Then the band segued seamlessly into "Fortis Green" and despite the Travelling RDFs' best (or worst) meowing, we weren't able to throw him off at the point in the song where the line is "put the cat out."
Tonight was the most animated I'd ever seen Dave Jenkins. He's a great bass player and his vocals add important tone to the songs when they need a lower register voice, but tonight he was up on Jim's drum platform jamming with him, gesturing to the crowd, even dancing with Dave on "Fortis Green." Were there friends, or a friend, of his, in attendance?
God Save The Kink!
For those who don't know, RDF stands for "Raving Dave Fan."
More Dave
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