03 March 2011  Last night, I saw the Kast Off Kinks at The Stables, Milton Keynes.  A fine bunch of musicians, I've had some great times with the Kast Offs at the annual Official Kinks Fan Club Konventions at the Boston, Tufnell Park, but this was, if you'll excuse the expression, a proper gig.  And they were great, a 400 seater full house standing ovation from a mixed crowd of Kinks fans and civilians. It was nice to meet up with some familiar faces from the Boston - including three generations from one family, grand daughter at her first proper gig, who - birthday girl! - got a special greeting from the lads!

This is Mark II Kast Offs, '80s vintage.  Still original drummer Mick Avory, of course, who I've never seen talk so much, stalwart bassist Jim Rodford and Ian Gibbons on keyboards, who it was a joy to hear for once, over a decent PA in a venue with state of the art acoustics.  And playing though never trying to pastiche the Ray and Dave Davies roles was, as ever, the excellent Dave Clarke, who has, as they say, been around himself and was better than ever in a different setting.  This was one of a series of gigs the lads are doing so they're a polished outfit these days, a bit more rehearsed than just swapping suggested set lists by email as per the annual Fan Club gigs.  But they are still obviously enjoying one another's company and having fun.  Expect banter and anecdotage as well.

The Stables is a modern venue with great state of the art acoustics so it was a special delight to be able to hear what Ian Gibbons was doing with his keyboards - a particularly delightful lengthy outro to 'Sunny afternoon' (or was it Dead end Street? - no matter, he did a tremendous featured pianist spot).

The set list wasn't restricted to the Kinks hits either - still room there for Pye era b-sides like 'Come on now', album tracks like the magnum opus 'Shangri-La' and a glorious intro work-out to 'Celluloid heroes', not to mention a great 'Better things' as encore, all very warmly received.  The audience may have stayed seated and pretty sedate throughout but there was no hiding the enthusiasm.  This is a powerful unit on the road, displaying the sharpness you'd expect from regular gigging but lacking none of the bonhommie of a bunch of musicians still having fun.

One is constantly amazed - despite it being obvious - at just how many great songs there are in the Ray Davies portfolio. And the Kast Offs do them proud.  To anyone in the UK wondering about going to a gig on this tour I'd say, do not hesitate.

I'd like to add my tuppence to the idea of a Kinks reunion without Dave kontroversy.  I don't think it would be right for Ray to go out as The Kinks without Dave.  But I see no problems with 'The Kast Off Kinks featuring Ray Davies'. Has a pleasantly ironic ring to it, does it not?

And, as Ray well knows, they are certainly up to it!

DQ

Dave Quayle is, well-known as a Kinks scholar.  His website, Lillabullero , includes (among many other knowledgeable works, not limited to the subject of The Kinks) :
"I Wonder Where They All Are Now", an annotated index of people named or alluded to in the songs of the Kinks;
A regularly updated compilation of references to The Kinks in Literature ;
A Kinks bibliography.

This review has been compiled from Dave's blog and a report sent to The Kinks Preservation Society and edited by Geoff Lewis.

Kast Off Kinks website