Monday, May 4, 1998
No kinks to be found in intimate show
MUSIC: Ray Davies puts on stellar performance detailing 30 years
of rock
By Mike Prevatt
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Ray Davies, former frontman of the successful ’60s rock outfit
The Kinks, delighted the near-capacity crowd Thursday night at the
Wadsworth Theater with a witty, moving performance of his life’s
story titled "20th Century Man."
Recreating his "20th Century Man/The Storyteller" one-man show
that aired previously on VH-1, Davies brought together older
diehards and the young, curious music fans with the nostalgic yet
influential music that took The Kinks to the top of the charts in
the ’60s and ’70s. The mood inside the Wadsworth was enjoyably laid
back and light as Davies sang the favorites and told amusing, if
not hilarious, anecdotes.
Davies’ "20th Century Man" hardly took on responsibilities of
being grandiose rock star, as the show itself deviated from
conventional pop concert structures. Instead, the one-man show
(with guitarist Pete Mathison strumming toward the back of the
stage) was like the rock ‘n’ roll version of Garrison Keillor’s
"Lake Wobegon" shows. Reading from his 1995 "unauthorized
autobiography" titled "X-Ray," Davies would tell story after story
about growing up in London with his family and eventually forming
The Kinks. Yet half of the near two-and-a-half hour "story" was
told using the introspective songs he wrote for his band.
Davies strolled on stage to wild cheers and instantly charmed
the crowd with his friendly banter. When he asked the audience what
guitar he should play – the one that reflected his poetic side or
the one that reflected his rock ‘n’ roll side – the crowd roared
for the latter. Davies chose the poetic guitar instead, quipping,
"I’m so lacking in self-confidence, I don’t even trust you!"
Yet Davies represented confidence at its best. He took control
of the stage without a hint of hesitancy or discomfort. Even the
rock-star arrogance turned humorous and even satirical at times.
This star knew he deserved recognition and acclaim, but never put
himself or The Kinks above anyone else … especially the devoted
sitting in front of him.
The crowd became instantly thrilled when Davies opened with
"Lola," one of The Kinks’ biggest hits, which segued into his
story-telling segment. With songs like "Lola," "Dead End Street"
and "Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy," the audience finished lines and verses
for Davies loudly and in key. Screams filled the air when Davies
launched into "Victoria," a song about the famous Queen who ruled
around the turn of the century … giving some range to the "20th
Century Man" title.
Davies took listeners through the various stages of his life,
from growing up with sex-starved sisters, buying his first, 8-watt
amplifier ("The Green Amplifier") and yearning to be different from
all the other suburbanites in the hills of northern London. One
amusing yet moving story involved looking at the life of a
hunchback, which led Davies at one point to seek out the experience
of living like a cripple.
And as Davies told his stories, certain songs weaved in and out.
As Mathison played bluesy licks on the lead guitar, Davies took
control of the rhythm on his two guitars, gulping down his "stout"
during the show. The music and the themes shared the same soulful
emotion for the entire show, with Davies’ vocals ranging from soft
and reflective ("See My Friends") to loud and soaring ("Lola").
The story reached its climax when Davies talked about the
formation of The Kinks. The group included his younger brother,
Dave. He went into their early days of performing in front of
family in "the front room," where "everything important happens,"
to their first gig at a club, which they got thanks to their
sister’s bouncer boyfriend (who got in return advice from Dave on
how to score oral sex from the sister). Davies jammed into classics
like "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" and "Well Respected Man."
All of this, of course, was a pre-cursor to "You Really Got Me,"
the number one single that made The Kinks huge. Within seconds of
the song’s first notes, the crowd roared as Davies gave the song
clarity but kept the rock ‘n’ roll grit.
For an (extended) encore, Davies and Mathison played favorites
like "Waterloo Sunset" and "Celluloid Heroes," signing copies of
his book for various members of the crowd who had rushed the
stage.
It perfectly represented his easy-going and fan-friendly
personality. Davies still has the groupies, still has the talent to
play the hits just right – and, most importantly, still has the
charisma and attitude to wow a crowd. With stars of classic rock
digging in the vaults to milk their material for money (The
Beatles) or putting on lucrative tours (The Eagles, The Rolling
Stones), it’s refreshing to see Ray Davies doing something that’s
more soulful and intimate, and certainly less pretentious. It would
be interesting to see others pull the same concept off too. But
then again, few artists possess the autobiographical tunes Davies
has amassed in the past 30 years, making him indeed a true pop
"storyteller" for this century.
EMI-Capitol
Ray Davies gave a sampling of his life stories Thursday
night.