The Kast Off Kinks at Mr Kyp's, Poole

courtesy of the

Bournemouth

see their website at www.bournemouthecho.co.uk

06 April 2010 :

12 April 2010 :



Tim's review was trimmed to fit in the paper, so he has kindly sent the original unedited text :


MID-set anecdotes are hit or miss affairs.

For every side-splitting slice of life on the road, there are a hundred tedious tales of a song's inspiration, or toe-curling thank-you lists lasting longer than the set.

But Mick Avory's emergence from behind his drum kit to recount the genesis of Lola, The Kinks' musically magnificent and lyrically hilarious glimpse into the shadow world of transvestite clubs, is arguably the evening's highlight.

Forty years after its release, Lola still sounds brilliant, and this four-piece band of former Kinks personnel fronted by ex-Noel Redding Band singer, David Clarke, does more than mere justice to its legacy.

The band rips through a well-chosen set of Kinks classics and lesser-known songs, striking a perfect balance for the aficionado and the casual listener. So David Watts is followed by the maximum R&B of early B-side, I Gotta Move, while Dave Davies' solo hit, Death of a Clown, and the country-tinged Muswell Hillbilly are aired before Sunny Afternoon, Days, and Stop Your Sobbing in quick succession  establish more familiar territory.

Clarke's voice is gruffer than Ray Davies' own melodic tones, but in choosing an established performer over an impersonator, the Kast Offs stamp their own identity on some of the best-loved songs in the cannon of British popular music.  On David Watts and Dead End Street particularly, Clarke's raucous delivery is, if anything, more effective than the author's.

A packed house at Kyps covers every age range, from those old enough to have witnessed The Kinks in their pomp, to younger fans perhaps hearing their greatest moments in a live setting for the first time.

The songs are timeless, and the smiles universal.

Many thanks to Timothy John and Nick Churchill of the Daily Echo, Bournemouth

The Kast Off Kinks website