Ray in Benicàssim

[Iñakink]

Hi friends! I know I've been kind of absent from the forum lately for many reasons, but I wanted to break my silence sharing my review for Ray's concert in Spain three days ago. So here we go!

[Iñakink]

I arrived in the FIB around 19:00, despite the fact that Ray wasn’t supposed to start until 23:00. Even if I thought that in such a big festival it would be impossible to manage to get a good place in the front row, I was decided to get as close to the stage as possible.

To my surprised, when I reached the main stage I saw it was almost empty and I noticed that the members of the band that was playing were four guys I had seen at the reception of my hotel a few hours before. Many artists from the FIB were staying in the same hotel as me, but I don’t think Ray was, at least I didn’t get to see him or anyone from his band or crew.

Without being great, the band was Ok. Now I see they were called The Paris Riots. When they finished their set, to my surprise most people started to leave and I managed to get myself a place in the centre of the front row, which I decided not to leave until Ray finished his concert.

The next band, Southern Arts Society (the band was from Seville, but the singer’s English accent proved he certainly wasn’t) were much better and I actually enjoyed their concert. By the end of their set more people started to arrive and suddenly someone recognised me and came to me. It was my friend Curt from Stockholm, who I had met in Vitoria two years before. It was a great surprise because I didn’t know he was coming. Soon my mate Àlam from Barcelona also arrived with a friend.

Charlotte Gainsborough was a bit disappointing, at least for me. I expected something more rocking and less electronic. There were more and more people every time, but they didn’t look too excited and most of them just applauded between songs without too much conviction, except two drunken guys who were shouting “Charlotte je t’aime” constantly. That made me thought that maybe the same would happen to Ray, not that people would shout him “je t’aime”, something in which given the case I could join them, but maybe the audience reception would be a bit cold.

When Charlotte punctually finished his set everything was already full. The next artist who had to play was an English guy, I think he had a few hits with his band in the sixties. During the preparation, Ian Gibbons was walking around the stage and working as if he was someone from the crew. I missed Gunnar, but it was great to see Ian there. I could also recognise Bill Shanley’s Grestch guitar, it made me very happy because that confirmed he would be the guitar player. The band, excellent as always, would be completed by Dick Nolan and Damon Wilson. Even if the company couldn’t be better, the half an hour wait was endless, but finally Memphis Tennessee started to sound and of course Clifton Chenier’s Zydeco Sont Pas Salé with its New Orleans feeling. There was Ray, he was just about to come.

[Iñakink]

To the sound of a big ovation Raymond Douglas made his appearance to the stage, he put his Fender on his shoulder and he started to sing: "I won't take all that they hand me down / And make out a smile though I wear a frown / And I'm not gonna take it all lying down / 'Cause once I get started..." The audience reply was clear and strong: "I go to town!" Ray didn’t sing that line again, so he must have been satisfied. From that moment there was no doubt, this had nothing to do with the nervous opening acts preceding the genius. This was something else.

With Till The End Of The Day, a song everybody knew, the first phase of madness started. Where Have All The Good Times Gone and Victoria were two of the concert highlights, specially Victoria, without doubt one of the songs that made the public sing and move the most. After he finished Victoria, Ray started to sing it again in acoustic format and much more slowly.

After that, he explained us he had written a book in the 90s, X-Ray, “the tormented rantings of a sex-crazed Rock’n’Roller”. And then of course he played 20th Century Man, which cheered us up even more and left us with no words.

“I recorded an album with a choir recently and this song was on it, today you’ll have to be my choir, it’s very easy” and he encouraged us to sing slowly and almost without expression “du, du, du, du...”, to which he joined with a G chord following the same pattern before launching into the Kinks Choral Collection introduction of You Really Got Me (even though without chorus this time). When Bill’s electric guitar entered, everybody went crazy and during the song it was almost Ray who was backing us instead of the contrary. Of course this situation didn’t change with Lola, it increased even more.

Suddenly, between two songs someone from the audience threw a plastic light to where Ray was and he saw it when he already had it in front of him. Proving all his reflexes and far from getting angry as many others would have, without moving a single muscle from the rest of his body he stretched his arm and caught it on fly. “I’ll take it home, if you don’t mind”. It didn’t take a single second for the public to make one of the biggest ovations of the night. It wasn’t only the music, it were also all those genius details which captivated all of us. It was like when during a change of guitar Ray said maybe he should take his jacket off but he didn’t. Then all the public started to shout: “Take it off, take it off…” and simulating a striptease Ray had to do it. Amazing.

[Iñakink]

Even if it didn’t disappear for a single second, the public’s enthusiasm (not mine) calmed down a bit during After The Fall, one of the songs I was hoping to hear the most. Ray followed it with Vietnam Cowboys and while they were playing it I was wondering if they would follow it with Apache as Ray had done previously a few times. They did, and even if the public was a bit surprised it was another of the highlights of the concert.

Ray and his band took some of us to the 50s and some others to the 80s with Come Dancing, very appreciated by all the English people who were there with us. When this song finished, Ray started a poll. First he asked how many English people there were in the audience and the reply was clear: Many. He also wanted to know how many had travelled with Easyjet and this time there weren’t so many. And to finish, he also asked how many Spaniards there were, and there were also quite a few. Ray forgot to ask how many people had come from Sweden, so Curt had to tell him.

But then Ray said he dedicated the following song to all those who had come from far to see him and to our surprise then he left the stage. The band launched into a long and wonderful intro for The Tourist, with some amazing solos by Bill, who was in top form all night. A few minutes later Ray came and ended the song omitting a few verses to compensate the long introduction. But through all the song he never stopped dancing and revealing himself as the showman he is.

However, the two biggest surprises of the night were still to come. I have to admit that I just expected a night of hits and without doubt this one was. But Ray also remembered the fans and he gave us two songs that even if he’s played them a few times lately I had never heard him doing live. He started with Nothin' In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl, which was outstanding. And when he finished this one, without saying a single word he started playing an intro I didn’t recognise alternating between the chords of G and C.

It had to be something big, but I would have never imagined something like this. So when I saw him approaching the microphone and singing “There’s too much on my mind...” I put my hands in my head, asking myself: “Ray, how can you do this to me?” It was impossible. I couldn’t help throwing one or two tears, I was only praying for the mobile camera which had got me a few times before not to shoot me during this song (remember I was in the centre of the front row). But without doubt this was the best moment of the night and one of the best in my life.

[Iñakink]

But this wasn’t over and the second phase of madness was just about to start. The public went crazy again with Sunny Afternoon, which Ray introduced saying: “If you don’t know this song, learn it!” and in which he made us sing more than ever. There wasn’t anyone in all the FIB who wasn’t clapping his hands, who wasn’t singing, who wasn’t moving or who wasn’t totally given to the genius of Raymond Douglas. Then he announced he wanted to dedicate the following song to Pete Quaife and a few fans in the front row started to applaud. I thought it would be one of the early hits in which Pete had played, but to my surprise the song was The Hard Way, which really worked and was very well received.

Ray Davies encouraged all the young people to investigate and to listen to the Kinks albums. He also said that he had recently released a few solo albums “which also deserve to be listened, After The Fall, The Tourist and Vietnam Cowboys are from them”. Going back to The Kinks, he dedicated the most rocking version of Tired Of Waiting For You I’ve ever heard to them as a band.

Keeping with this slew of hits, it was time for Set Me Free, with the traditional instrumental intro and with the man letting us sing the first verse, which he later repeated. But the moment of biggest madness came with All Day And All Of The Night, which he dedicated to his brother “Dave Death Of A Clown Davies”. We were all jumping like crazy, singing, shouting and replying to Ray’s “weeeoh”. By the end of the song you didn’t know which arms were yours and which weren’t, each of us wasn’t a single person but part of a mass of people covered with emotion, sweat and beer. I was totally squashed to the fence in front of the stage, I couldn’t move a millimetre but I didn’t care. We wanted more and more.

[Iñakink]

The genius thanked us with a big smile on his face and he started to leave the stage, but someone told him that if he left he wouldn’t have time to come back. So he decided to stay to give us two more songs, starting with a song “covered by The Jam, with my friend Paul Weller”. It’s strange that Ray doesn’t play David Watts too often but he always does it here in Spain. Maybe it’s because of Siniestro Total’s cover or maybe it’s because the reaction here can’t be topped. At least this time couldn’t. Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa fa-fa-faaaa!

As I supposed, the goodbye came with Low Budget, including Ray’s show and a beginning of striptease. It was great, I have always said it’s a song whose original version I don’t care too much about but live it’s amazing. We spent the little voice we still had in replying every time he told us “What did you say?” or “Say it again!” To make it even better, Ray was putting on and taking off sunglasses someone had thrown to the stage several songs before. Bravo, Ray.

Again with a tremendous ovation and with great satisfaction Ray and his band said goodnight and left the stage. To get an idea of the situation, it took me about five minutes to manage to get from the first to the second row and about ten more to get a bit far from the stage.

But everything was incredible and the best is that everybody appreciated it. There were only approval gestures and expressions of happiness. It’s amazing the genius we are talking about. Although before the concert I wasn’t too sure about his presence in this festival, Ray knew how to give it the perfect approach. He was happy and in a very good mood and he knew exactly which song he had to play and what he had to say every moment to increase our enthusiasm. And from the first until the last minute, he really got each one of us. He did a very rocking setlist, full of hits but also with a few surprises and he managed to surpass the most optimistic expectations. And most important, he got that special connection with the audience he can only get. Curt defined it as “the best concert I’ve ever been to”.

You only have to read the headlines to all the reviews: “And Lola came to rescue the festival”, “Ray Davies, immortal talent”, “Benicàssim obeys dad”, “Victoria for Ray Davies”… But it’s always possible to find something bad and not everything can be perfect. And this was so close to being perfect that the only thing I can complain about is that it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Ray Davies and I can’t say I was one of the youngest persons in the audience.

[Vivalabeat]

Bravo, Inaki! I can tell it was great night.

[mrlennie]

iDos Orejas y Rabo!

Fantastic Sinver - Wish I had been there

[Kinkcan]

Great review Inaki !

I'm glad you could make your way to the middle of the front row. That's the kind of place you deserve, being such a dedicated fan of Ray and the Kinks.

It looks like it was a very good show and I sure wish I could have been there.
Thanks for taking the time and making us feel the mood of that night in Benicàssim.

[Smiley]

wow...wow..wow..wish I could have been there with you Iña, I miss you both so much.
and all of my kinky buddies all over.
XX Smiley The Floozie Belle

[franklima]

;)INAKI YOU ARE THE MAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT IT WAS GREAT AND I WILL SPREAD IT AROUND

[uncleson]

Jul 18, 2010 8:23:52 GMT -5 Kinkcan said:

Great review Inaki !

I'm glad you could make your way to the middle of the front row. That's the kind of place you deserve, being such a dedicated fan of Ray and the Kinks.

It looks like it was a very good show and I sure wish I could have been there.
Thanks for taking the time and making us feel the mood of that night in Benicàssim.

Thank you, Inaki!! Glad you had such a GREAT time!

[HollyH]

Fabulous review! I almost feel as if I'd been there with you. I love your description of Ray's "striptease." He really is a master entertainer, isn't he?

"There's Too Much On My Mind" would make me cry too.

[franklima]

Jul 18, 2010 11:11:44 GMT -5 franklima said:

;)INAKI YOU ARE THE MAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT IT WAS GREAT AND I WILL SPREAD IT AROUND

Inaki you wonderful review of the show is getting its own great reviews from alot of fans on the Ray Davies forum and The Ray Davies facebook pages;

here are the direct links there to see what people have said about your review!

raydavies.3.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=6067

on the facebook page scroll down a bit to see where I put your review and the commnets;
www.facebook.com/pages/Ray-Davies/14890597643?v=info#!/pages/Ray-Davies/14890597643?v=wall

[complicatedlife]

Fantastic Review Mr. I-Man - what a great week for you - seeing Ray and winning the World Cup!

My question is ... which was the more gratifying experience?