Previous concert (Mouths of Babes) ... Next concert (The Kast Off Kinks)

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

Band of Kinks fans performing songs by The Kinks. Olga Ruocco, vocals; Geoff Lewis, keyboards and vocals; Patrick Costello, lead guitar and vocals; Ben Elsendoorn, bass; Keld Nilsson, bass and vocals; Birger Villadsen, rhythm guitar and vocals; Chris Black, drums and vocals; Dick Van Veelen, rhythm guitar and vocals; Ian Rhydderch, vocals and percussion. Guests: Christian Davies (who sang four songs); Xander Van Veelen, drums; Laura Maps, drums.

Stop Your Sobbing

Last of the Steam Powered Trains

The Moneygoround

Moving Pictures

The Kinks are a favorite band of mine, have been for many years. I have seen Dave Davies of The Kinks live more times than any other performer. For the past couple of decades, some of the former members of The Kinks have been performing as a group, doing Kinks songs, going by the name of "Kast Off Kinks." Well, the years went by, the Kast Off Kinks played a lot of shows in the U.K., were very popular, and had a lot of fun. But recently two of them passed away (bass player Jim Rodford and keyboardist Ian Gibbons), and the remaining members of the band decided to play one last show and call it a day. The one last show was scheduled to be at the Kinks Fan Klub annual convention on 24 Nov. 2019.

So, given our Kinks history, Concert Going Partner and I flew to London to catch the Kast Off's last show ever.

But this review is not about the Kast Off Kinks. The show that is the subject of this review was a bonus. About ten years ago Kinks fan and accomplished keyboard player Geoff Lewis recruited a group of fellow musicians who were Kinks fans, and started a band, the Kinksfan Kollektiv, to play Kinks songs during the weekend of the Fan Klub convention at local pubs. The band includes our friend Olga Ruocco, who traveled with us in 2000 to see a number of Dave Davies solo shows.

The Kinksfan Kollektiv played songs from literally every phase of The Kinks' long career, from their first album to their last. Several of the musicians took turns on lead vocals. The pub was crowded with enthusiastic fans of the music, and there was a lot of singing along. The venue was a local pub in the neighborhood where the Davies brothers grew up, Muswell Hill in North London. Ray and Dave played their first gigs here at the Clissold Arms when they were in their teens. Dave Davies paid a visit during the show, and his son Christian Davies sang a few songs with the band. It was a fun evening of great tunes, performed with enthusiasm by a group of very accomplished players. The band's skill and spontaneity made this a really enjoyable show.

Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with kontent relating to The Kinks.

Click for 2019 Concert Page with links to all 2019 concerts ... Click for Main Concert Page with links to all years