The Kinks

The Kinks were one of my first “favorite” bands after being introduced to them through Van Halen’s cover of You Really Got Me.

At the Spectrum — 1980

The Kinks played the Spectrum in Philadelphia on Friday, October 24, 1980, as part of their tour supporting Give the People What They Want, with John Cougar (before he became John Mellencamp again) as the opening act. One of the great things about concerts in that era was how strong the opening acts often were. Since we were going to see the Kinks, we decided to get to know John Cougar’s music and picked up his new album, Nothin’ Matters and What If It Did. My girlfriend quickly fell in love with it, so the night became a double bonus.

In addition to playing “Hot Night in a Cold Town,” “This Time,” and “Cheap Shot,” he also performed several other songs, including his early hit “I Need a Lover” and “Hurts So Good.”

When the Kinks took the stage, it was set up like a tropical island with palm trees. There was a small extension from the stage into the audience where Dave Davies would slide out on his knees, wailing on guitar solos. I hadn’t realized what a great guitarist he was until then, and later learned how much of the hard rock, punk, and heavy metal sound he helped invent. The famous story of him slicing his amp speaker with a razor blade to create the distortion on “You Really Got Me” was just one example. This tour supported my all-time favorite Kinks live album, One for the Road, and featured many of my favorite songs.

Setlist

Opening
The Hard Way
Where Have All the Good Times Gone / Tired of Waiting for You
Catch Me Now I’m Falling
Bird Dog (Boudleaux Bryant cover)
Lola
Misfits
Low Budget
Imaginations Real (Dave Davies song)
Nothin’ More to Lose (Dave Davies song)
See My Friends
You Really Got Me
A Gallon of Gas
Celluloid Heroes
All Day and All of the Night
Pressure
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)
Attitude
Stop Your Sobbing
David Watts
A Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy
A Well Respected Man / Death of a Clown / Sunny Afternoon
Give the People What They Want

At the Spectrum — 1981

On Sunday, October 4, 1981, The Kinks performed at the Spectrum in Philadelphia as part of their Give the People What They Want tour. The opening act was Red Rider, whose hit “Lunatic Fringe” was a favorite of mine. Lead singer Tom Cochrane would later score a major hit with “Life Is a Highway.” We had floor seats and stood, sang, and danced the entire time.

Setlist

Opening / Around the Dial
The Hard Way
Destroyer
Yo-Yo
Catch Me Now I’m Falling
Better Things
Lola
Too Serious (Dave Davies song)
Art Lover
Waterloo Sunset
You Really Got Me
Back to Front / Get Back
A Gallon of Gas
Till the End of the Day
Celluloid Heroes
20th Century Man
Killer’s Eyes
All Day and All of the Night
Give the People What They Want
Misfits
Low Budget
Add It Up
(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman / Shakin’ All Over
Pressure
Village Green Preservation Society
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)

At the Spectrum — 1983

The Kinks played the Spectrum on Saturday, May 21, 1983, during their State of Confusion tour, with Kix as the opening act.

Setlist

Around the Dial
Definite Maybe (intro only)
State of Confusion
The Hard Way
Destroyer
Yo-Yo
Come Dancing
Don’t Forget to Dance
(Lola intro) / Lola
(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman
A Gallon of Gas
Art Lover
Till the End of the Day
Bernadette
All Day and All of the Night
Pressure
Low Budget
Celluloid Heroes
You Really Got Me

Tower Theater — Ray Davies Solo

The last time I saw the Kinks was actually Ray Davies solo. By then, the brothers had stopped touring together, which sent me down a multiyear fascination with “brother bands.” At one point I was even developing a TV pilot built around the idea—brother bands wrestling each other, sometimes against one another, sometimes as tag teams facing other brother bands.

There were a couple of things about the show that really stayed with me.

For one, I had great seats. Hearing the classic songs and the newer material woven together in rich, surround sound was better than lazing on a sunny afternoon. And let’s be honest—it’s hard to put together a “best of” Ray Davies collection, since the sound quality and recording styles varied so much over the decades.

Another surprise was the energy and enthusiasm of both the band and the crowd. I had expected a more reserved atmosphere, but everyone was rocking. Quite a few songs had that “kick-in” effect—starting off quietly, then suddenly BAM!—knocking me off my feet every time.

The unplugged Village Green Preservation Society segment felt like getting two shows for the price of one. The accordion even brought back memories of the old days when The Kinks would use a tuba or other “wacky” instruments in a rock-band setting.

Before the show, I wasn’t sure how much new material I wanted to hear. Now I know— as much as possible. The new songs were every bit as strong as the classics. Sometimes you don’t fully appreciate getting to hear new material until years later, when you realize you missed the tour for your favorite album and those songs never get played live again. “The Tourist” really stood out—its references to New Orleans, getting shot, and the irony of it all made it unforgettable.

Catch it while you can!

Setlist

1. I'm Not Like Everybody Else
2. Where Have All The Good Times Gone
3. Till The End Of The Day
4. 20th Century Man
5. Oklahoma USA
6. Village Green
7. Picture Book
8. Animal Farm
9. Johnny Thunder
10. Sunny Afternoon
11. Dead End Street
12. After The Fall
13. Next Door Neighbour
14. Creatures Of Little Faith
15. Over My Head
16. The Tourist
17. Low Budget

Intermission

18. London Song
19. Stand Up Comic
20. Things Are Gonna Change
21. Long Way From Home
22. The Getaway
23. Tired Of Waiting
24. Set Me Free
25. All Day And All Of The Night

Encores
26. You Really Got Me
27. Lola