Post by franklima on May 4, 2008 10:04:56 GMT -5
In Fridays's KPS digest someone wanted to know if I was the one who came to his house to arrange his KinKs records in Chronoligical order and also made mention of a little mentioned Kinks show that took place in the late 70's and the now gone Westchester Premeir Theatre, in Tarrytown, NY...
So here was my response to him which should appear inthe next issue of the KPS digest...
Mike H...
No that was not me who came to your house to put your KinKs records in chronological order but I am pretty sure it was Frank reda aka Freaky Frank because he lived in Yonkers and still does btw..however you mention of the GREAT KinKs show in December of 1977 ( or was it 78? ) I believe it was ties in to this story because it was that show that I picked up Freaky Frank in my car in Yonkers on my way from Valley Stream, Long Island during a driving Snow Blizzard with temperatures in the single digits to low teens. It took my several hours to get to Yonkers and then us a several more to get up to Tarrytown where the theatre was and that was only another 15 to 20 miles. Anyway we got there about 2 or 3 in the afternoon and the place looked like a deserted ghost town except in the all white background of snow you could see the equipment trucks at the back of the theatre. We barely made it in to the unplowed parking lot of the theatre and just parked as far away as you possibly could because I thought we'd never get out if we drove in any further. btw..it was still snowing heavily as this pint where you barely could see and it was windy making it a driving snow. Anyway Freaky and I walked over to the theatre just to confirm if the show was still going on and we spoke to the crew who we both knew well and according to them it was. No one from the band was there for the sound check though, they assumed they were on their way from NYC but because of the weather had no idea when or if they would get there. Sometime around 4 pm I guess it was, still not a soul there except the 2 of us I saw a black limo near the perimeter of the parking lot stop and one lone figure get out. I decided to walk across the parking lot toward the figure just to investigate...now here are 2 black spots walking in a driving snow blizzard across a desolate empty parking lot. I was wearing one of those full ski mask hats that cover your entire face with cut out for only your eyes,nose and mouth. We were both walking sort of bent over to protect ourselves from the driving snow as we got to about 15 feet from each other i realized it was RAY so as we were just about to cross paths I said " Mister Can you tell me who is playing here tonight " and he momentarily stopped and mumbled something under his breath sort of in an angry leave me alone tone, just then I opened my coat to reveal my KinKs shirt and whipped off my hat and all I heard him say in a deep dark brown voice he said FRAAAANK and he put his arm around me and we continued our walk toward the theatre. The rest of the band eventually arrived later for the sound check, the snow also did eventually stop although the temperature dropped to under 10 degrees as the sun went down...we came back out of the theatre to meet up with friends who started arriving in bits and pieces and we waited outside freezing our you know whats off to wait to get in. I knew I should of never left the venue once I got in there!
The show was one of those klassic great KinKs shows and you could tell Ray and Dave were not in particularly great moods, or getting along too well, all the ingredients for a great rock & roll show..I don't remember the specific details of the show, songs played, ect.. but I think this was the show when they finally got around to doing Father Christmas at near the end of the show, either the last song of the regular set or during the first encore, Ray was dressed in his Santa Clause suit as they performed the song. They were suppose to go off and Ray was to change his clothes back to his normal clothes, and they would come out to do another encore including You really Got Me which they had not done yet ( in those days YRGM was done at every show, except only one that I know of, and was at ) but after Father Christmas ended Dave went in to You Really Got Me with Ray still left in the Santa Suit, As Ray was singing it you could see the looks he was giving Dave ( and Dave laughing and grimacing back at him ) and as soon as the song was over Ray literally chased Dave off the stage, I wish I could have got back there quick enough to see the sparks fly.
Speaking of flying...I propose this if and when there is a KinKs reunion tour and record, the title of the tour and record should be " Prepare for Take Off " and the logo for the tour and album should be a Pig with Wings sitting on an airport runway. Any other suggestions...send them in here!
I remain...Dan the Fan and one of the Survivors.
FranK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So here was my response to him which should appear inthe next issue of the KPS digest...
Mike H...
No that was not me who came to your house to put your KinKs records in chronological order but I am pretty sure it was Frank reda aka Freaky Frank because he lived in Yonkers and still does btw..however you mention of the GREAT KinKs show in December of 1977 ( or was it 78? ) I believe it was ties in to this story because it was that show that I picked up Freaky Frank in my car in Yonkers on my way from Valley Stream, Long Island during a driving Snow Blizzard with temperatures in the single digits to low teens. It took my several hours to get to Yonkers and then us a several more to get up to Tarrytown where the theatre was and that was only another 15 to 20 miles. Anyway we got there about 2 or 3 in the afternoon and the place looked like a deserted ghost town except in the all white background of snow you could see the equipment trucks at the back of the theatre. We barely made it in to the unplowed parking lot of the theatre and just parked as far away as you possibly could because I thought we'd never get out if we drove in any further. btw..it was still snowing heavily as this pint where you barely could see and it was windy making it a driving snow. Anyway Freaky and I walked over to the theatre just to confirm if the show was still going on and we spoke to the crew who we both knew well and according to them it was. No one from the band was there for the sound check though, they assumed they were on their way from NYC but because of the weather had no idea when or if they would get there. Sometime around 4 pm I guess it was, still not a soul there except the 2 of us I saw a black limo near the perimeter of the parking lot stop and one lone figure get out. I decided to walk across the parking lot toward the figure just to investigate...now here are 2 black spots walking in a driving snow blizzard across a desolate empty parking lot. I was wearing one of those full ski mask hats that cover your entire face with cut out for only your eyes,nose and mouth. We were both walking sort of bent over to protect ourselves from the driving snow as we got to about 15 feet from each other i realized it was RAY so as we were just about to cross paths I said " Mister Can you tell me who is playing here tonight " and he momentarily stopped and mumbled something under his breath sort of in an angry leave me alone tone, just then I opened my coat to reveal my KinKs shirt and whipped off my hat and all I heard him say in a deep dark brown voice he said FRAAAANK and he put his arm around me and we continued our walk toward the theatre. The rest of the band eventually arrived later for the sound check, the snow also did eventually stop although the temperature dropped to under 10 degrees as the sun went down...we came back out of the theatre to meet up with friends who started arriving in bits and pieces and we waited outside freezing our you know whats off to wait to get in. I knew I should of never left the venue once I got in there!
The show was one of those klassic great KinKs shows and you could tell Ray and Dave were not in particularly great moods, or getting along too well, all the ingredients for a great rock & roll show..I don't remember the specific details of the show, songs played, ect.. but I think this was the show when they finally got around to doing Father Christmas at near the end of the show, either the last song of the regular set or during the first encore, Ray was dressed in his Santa Clause suit as they performed the song. They were suppose to go off and Ray was to change his clothes back to his normal clothes, and they would come out to do another encore including You really Got Me which they had not done yet ( in those days YRGM was done at every show, except only one that I know of, and was at ) but after Father Christmas ended Dave went in to You Really Got Me with Ray still left in the Santa Suit, As Ray was singing it you could see the looks he was giving Dave ( and Dave laughing and grimacing back at him ) and as soon as the song was over Ray literally chased Dave off the stage, I wish I could have got back there quick enough to see the sparks fly.
Speaking of flying...I propose this if and when there is a KinKs reunion tour and record, the title of the tour and record should be " Prepare for Take Off " and the logo for the tour and album should be a Pig with Wings sitting on an airport runway. Any other suggestions...send them in here!
I remain...Dan the Fan and one of the Survivors.
FranK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------