the kinks

The Kinks – Hastings Pier 23rd March 1974

by

13330_369636393709_8050035_n

img362

img363

(1) supplied by Mick Mepham, (2) & (3) supplied by Roger Carey

Yvonne Cleland….Great gig, and with the legendary beer can on head routine………

Chris Meachen….Remember this one particularly fondly;- After the gig, I asked Ray Davies about harmonica playing; He made me a present of two blues harps,( which I still have) then sat down & gave me a half-hour lesson in blues harmonica.. Thoroughly nice bloke!

Martyn Baker….Victoria! Victoria!! (I think they opened with that). Knocked me out too.

Graham How….I had the honour of introducing them on stage. They were a very friendly band and the roadies were great too! Fabulous night. They came down to Hastings on a chartered National Express coach. Hastings was the only gig they had done for ages and not part of a tour. Ray said they did it because they fancied playing on a pier!

Gary Kinch….Remember it well……First wage packet I bought 2 singles, Ape Man being one of them. I seem to remember Ray throwing beer into the audience.

Andre Palfrey-martin….Kinks first played Hasting Pier in July 1964- HCFE Summer Dance.

John Alexander Wilde….Wonderful!

Peter Fairless… …and, yes, the pier gig will have been the one where Ray Davies helped Jo Brand get her No.6 out of the machine!

Robert Searle… March Hare, Peter Skellern on lead vocals.

Jim Breeds… Ah yes! I was there, but I don’t remember the support band – not that I remember the support bands from many of the gigs. I think we always stayed in the pubs until just before the main act.

Yvonne Cleland… Huh! That was for posh people. The rest of us stayed in the pier bar!

Sally Blackman… This was the very first gig i went to.

Phil Thornton… another great gig ! – the audience was at least 1.5K over capacity !! (I guess Health and Safety must have been somewhere else !)

Jane Hartley… I was there

Terry Haddon… And so was i.

Peter Houghton… That was a great night And they signed a photo of the Band and had a great chat with them

 

Hastings Stadium – Festival Of Music The Kinks, Dave Dee, Geno Washington, Arthur Brown, 28th August 1967

by

hasting67-ad-500

 792364_10201135633650990_1841723927_o-490x1024

1235388_10201135623370733_536911315_n

photo of Colin Bell at the event

flyer supplied by Stephen Kolimbarides and ticket from Mick O’Dowd .Hastings Observer reports from  Andre Palfrey-martin collection and photo supplied by Colin Bell

poster from… https://www.omegaauctions.co.uk

Alan Esdaile….Another great find, Andre. Did you go to this gig? I’m sure I remember lots of people complaining in the following weeks Observer about fans walking over their plants and pissing in their gardens?

Andre Martin….Yes you are right – I think that Pilot Road Residents petitioned the council to try and get this stopped, or something to prevent any further similar activities, I not sure if I have that copy, but will try and find. I don’t think I was at this because I have no memories, stories to tell.

Mick Knights….Was also there, felt sorry for the people who came from london and had to find out the hard way how far it was from the station to the Pilot Field, only then to find out there was no bar and of course no idea where the nearest pub was, seem to remember the Beaconsfield had on of their best bank holidays!!! Arthur Brown really did steal the show, it was the first time I heard the story of the kind woman and the snake

John Wilde…. I was there, with flowers in my hair! it was a great day for us locals. I was one of those that added “a mystic flavour” to the event.

Read more

The Kinks – Hastings Pier 3rd July 1964

by

1185507_10201022825630860_450744348_n

Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection

Andre Palfrey-Martin…..taken from the College Rag Mag 1964 – an interview with the Kinks, as they had been booked to play for the Summer Rag Dance in July that year….

1466258_10201552478511851_2047960562_n-2

Alan Esdaile… Notice the times 11.00pm til 3.00am, also who remembers the well at the White Rock Baths where you used to throw cash over or roll it down a shute for various charity events.

Andre Martin… Great Night, we had the Animals booked originally but they were on their way to House of the Rising Sun no 1 in August that year, so somehow the agents changed. It was still a good night. And 2 years later we went for a full all nighter to something like 6.00am. For those who remember we had some great dances at the college 1963-1966 – Happy Memories.

The Kinks – Hastings Pier 6th August 1967

by

Flyer supplied by Lloyd Johnson. photo from Fanclub television show, in 1967 Photographer: W. Veenman

*Pink Floyd did not appear on the 20th August 1967 but replaced by Unit 4+2. The date was rescheduled for 20th January 1968*

poster supplied by Brenda Crouch

Carol Arnold… AHHHH saw unit 4 plus 2

Heather Smith… went to see them at the White Rock Theatre a few monthes back, may be 8 monthes ago they where good, great music

Mick O’Dowd… What a line-up! If only possible today. Orange Seaweed were also support for Jimi Hendrix.

Ken Copsey… Believe this was Syd Barret’s last gig with Pink Floyd?

Peter Fairless… The rearranged gig in January ’68, yes, Ken

Mick O’Dowd… Does anybody know of anything of Orange Seaweed?

Martin Richter…  like the Dave Dee – not enough room on the poster!

Lisa Jane… Wonder if my parents went to any of these… Only ten bob too

Mick Knights… When, as an apprentice I was only earning about four pounds ten a week out of which I had to pay my mum, buy cloths etc ten bob was a sizeable chunk of your weeks money

Mick Bolton… Full marks for punctuation – DAVE DEE, D., B., M. & T.

Graham Lelliott… As much as i love the Kinks music they were booed off at a concert i attended at the pilot field 67 or 68 for moaning about being tired Geno Washinton and the Ram Jam Band stole the show brilliant .

 

History of the Happy Ballroom The Kinks – Hastings Pier 23rd May 1964

by

10338623_10202835808554300_3375308595640328616_o

10395817_10202835802794156_656765715309294276_n

10313981_10202835804874208_4427333323283362552_n

1013605_10202835806794256_3356339815926892806_n

all cuttings….. Andre Palfrey-martin collection

Andre Martin….Its that time of the week for the next chapter in the History of the Happy Ballroom – Hastings Pier. Dateline 23rd May 1964, not a very eventful weekend, other than it was to be the first time that an up an coming group from Croydon were to make an appearance – a group that were to become very popular in coming years – The Kinks. Supported by a regular outfit that had appeared many time before over the years Earl Sheridan and the Housebrakers.

This was a few weeks before the third release from the Kinks – “ You Really Got Me “ and would establish them in the recording world, this was to reach no 1 in early August [ 4 days after THAT appearance from the Rolling Stones in The Happy Ballroom ] and stayed in that slot for the following 3 weeks. What makes this interesting is that the College had booked the group for their Summer Ball in July and ace reporters – students – David Bargioni and Roger Summerling were sent to interview the group for a write up in the Rag Mag Howzat 1964. I quote from this work above in the captured images.  That’s about all for this week folks, enjoy the summer weather – if it lasts, and the Bank Holiday Weekend .  Andre Martin

Helena Kingshott… I was there x

Mick O’Dowd… Good stuff as usual Andre. Thanx

Cherry Stones and The Kinks – Finland 1965

by

supplied by Lloyd Johnson. All photos © Spanna Mo

Photo 1. Cherry Stones. Rehearsal time. Finland Tour. 1965. Photo 2. “Look I can fly… wheeee” “Spanna… you’re an idiot”. Photo 3. Cherry Stones Finland tour poster [1965]. Part of the tour – as opening band for “The Kinks” [ Spanna is the dorkie guy on the right ]. Photo 4. The Kinks watch Cherry Stones rehearse. Photo 5. Ray and Dave Davies of The Kinks. [sound check]. Lennart, [Cherry Stones lead guitarist], watches from behind the drums.

Lloyd Johnson… Spanna Mo/Andy Mowbray is from Hastings/Silverhill and we left Hastings together late 1964 and moved to Sweden…..

Spanna Mo… Here are some recently unearthed photos of our band “The Cherry Stones” touring Finland in 1965, as the opening act for The Kinks. The image with Ray and Dave Davies [our guitarist Lennart Wahlström in the background], is from the sound-check before the gig in Turku Concert Hall. The members of Cherry Stones are.., Spanna Mo, [Aka Andy Mowbray] singer, Mats Huddén – vocals and guitar, Lennart Wahlström – guitar, Rolf B Karlsson – base, and John Sze-drums.

Sunny Afternoon The Kinks musical – review by Darren Johnson

by

event_media-banner_lrg

I’m not normally a huge fan of musicals. However, I am a huge fan of The Kinks so when the opportunity to see Sunny Afternoon came up I was never going to say no. With most musicals I generally find the mix of dialogue and song unconvincing…. continue reading here…

https://darrensmusicblog.com/2016/12/23/sunny-afternoon-the-musical-based-on-the-story-of-the-kinks-at-the-theatre-royal-brighton-221216/

Alan Esdaile… I’ve seen a few clips and looks great. I always thought that The Kinks would be the ideal act to appear on the new pier. Especially now the brothers are talking again. Rumours that they may appear at Glastonbury next year.

Darren Johnson…. Apparently the rumours of a Kinks reformation have been dismissed but they have acknowledged they are discussing working together!

Andre Martin… Well they visited us back in 1964 when on the way up, so an appearance again would be very much in keeping with the track record of the Pier – will have to watch the space that sticks out into the sea !

Darren Johnson… It would be wonderfully apt to see them do a Hastings Pier gig together. I was lucky enough to see Ray join his brother on stage in Islington last year for a blast of “You Really Got Me”

Dave Weeks… Going Wednesday

 

The Kinks – Dave & Ray Davies back on stage together. Islington 18th Dec 2015.

by

Thanks to Mick Bolton for this.

Mick Bolton… saw a bit of rock and roll history being made at Islington Assembly Hall last night. I was there with Dave M Quaife, brother of Pete Quaife the bass player who founded The Kinks with Ray and Dave Davies. We had just been talking about how unlikely it was that the Davies brothers would ever get together again, given their stormy relationship. After finishing the show with a powerful performance of I’m Not Like Anybody Else, Dave stunned everyone in the hall by bringing on Ray to sing You Really Got Me. How appropriate that they should reunite to perform their first hit just a couple of miles from where it all started in Muswell Hill over 50 years ago.

Here’s a review of the gig by Darren Paul Johnson.

http://darrensmusicblog.com/2015/12/19/dave-davies-and-ray-at-islington-assembly-hall-181215/

Alan Esdaile… Now wouldn’t this be the right act to reopen the pier.

Martin Richter… lovely – thanks – Ray had said that the *door was open* more than once 🙂

Kinks – The Anthology 1964-1971 – 5CD Set released on Nov 18th 2014.

by

kinks-anthology

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/kinks-anthology/

What’s your favourite track or tracks?

Alan Esdaile… Probably about 20 I really love and start it off with Sunny Afternoon.

Nick Prince… wow. I like so many. Probably just Sunny Afternoon. Also love Come Dancing, Victoria. Dave’s Stan Laurel tribute. Death of a Clown. So, so many I really like. An amazing unique sound.

Gary Kinch… The first single I bought was apeman. But My personal favourite is Lola

Mick Mepham… The Village Green Preservation Society.

Geoff Peckham… Don’t You Fret.

Nick Prince… This is a must have 🙂

Mick O’Dowd… See my friends.You really gotta have it all day & all of the night.

Chris Sambrook… There are loads of Ray Davies songs, Dead end Street, See my Friend,Tired of waiting for you,Set me free,Till the end of the day ,Waterloo Sunset.,Sunny afternoon, All or the day and all of the night the second single [i believe this was banned by the the BBC, for being suggestive] , Till the end of the day and of course You really got me. So it goes on and on and on.

John Storer… The Kinks are one of those bands who everyone thinks were much more popular in the UK than they actually were, whereas the Americans loved them. Every album they made charted in the USA (their 1983 album “State of Confusion” got to No. 12 over there), whereas their last Top 40 album here was 1967! For me, “Tired of Waiting” was their best single.

Mick O’Dowd… On a Ray Davies cd “Story Teller” he tells the story of The Kinks. He says that the break in You Rally Got Me where it sounds like “Oh No!” was actually “F… Off!” See what you think.