Dave and Mick Avory had a love-hate deal. They shared a house for much of the sixties, partied together all the time, and had regular punch-up's onstage and off. The problem in 1983 was with only three original members left in the band, Avory found himself playing mediator between the two quarreling brothers. Mick was and is Ray's best friend and Dave understandably felt he was being ganged up on in every band vote. On the verge of the tour behind STATE OF CONFUSION with "Come Dancing" giving the band their biggest hit since "Lola," Dave presented an ultimatum...fire Avory or he would quit the band. Ray stuck with his brother and lead guitarist and Dave replaced Mick with Kinks bassist (since 1979) Jim Rodford's Argent bandmate Bob Henrit (who had already played on two of Dave's early eighties solo albums). Henrit was as good a fit as could be desired, but it was a terrible end for a truly talented drummer who was an original band member. As for your Bobby Graham question, I think the Hal Blaine comparison is a valid one. I believe Bobby, like Hal, worked for a specific studio as a session drummer. Someone else around here likely knows the details. Clem Cattini, incidentally, also played drums at some early pre-Charlie Stones gigs.

Rocky Dijon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dave and Mick Avory had a love-hate deal. They
> shared a house for much of the sixties, partied
> together all the time, and had regular punch-up's
> onstage and off. The problem in 1983 was with only
> three original members left in the band, Avory
> found himself playing mediator between the two
> quarreling brothers. Mick was and is Ray's best
> friend and Dave understandably felt he was being
> ganged up on in every band vote. On the verge of
> the tour behind STATE OF CONFUSION with "Come
> Dancing" giving the band their biggest hit since
> "Lola," Dave presented an ultimatum...fire Avory
> or he would quit the band. Ray stuck with his
> brother and lead guitarist and Dave replaced Mick
> with Kinks bassist (since 1979) Jim Rodford's
> Argent bandmate Bob Henrit (who had already played
> on two of Dave's early eighties solo albums).
> Henrit was as good a fit as could be desired, but
> it was a terrible end for a truly talented drummer
> who was an original band member. As for your Bobby
> Graham question, I think the Hal Blaine comparison
> is a valid one. I believe Bobby, like Hal, worked
> for a specific studio as a session drummer.
> Someone else around here likely knows the details.
> Clem Cattini, incidentally, also played drums at
> some early pre-Charlie Stones gigs.

It must have been the tour after that. I saw the State of Confusion tour in Nashville, Summer of '83, and Avory was behind the kit.
Happy New Year
Tommy

Father Christmas...can this be true? God Save The Kinks!

It was in the Fall of '83. The Kinks scheduled short legs for their arena tours. They never reached the Stones' level of mammoth stadium tours.

for what it's worth, Nico has Tony Chapman on drums for that first Rollin' Stones gig at the Marquee, not Mick Avory.
all due respect to Mick A, but from what i've read Chapman did the drumming for the pre-Stones and early Stones
at least as regularly as Mick Avory did, and in that sense it's more like they didn't really have their own drummer
until Charlie finally agreed to join them in january 63.

Mick Avory played at the Art Wood tribute gig in march and it was very cool to see him.

ps: sorry for this digression but ... what was the name of that bizarre and charming film
about a 60s band undertaking a comeback tour ... the original line-up featured two brothers
named Brian and Keith, and Keith had died and Brian was a recluse and the vocalist had a semi-valid solo career
and although there were (obviously) allusions to a lot of 60s bands, the Kinks were among those alluded to?
sorry sorry sorry but that question's been haunting me ever since this thread started.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-12-28 19:20 by with sssoul.

I don't agree with BV at all and frankly I don't care if they're regrouping just for the money...as if the Stones and most other bands don't enjoy their enormous paychecks!! PLEASE!! I love the Kinks and of course,they've had more than their share of personal and health related issues but so what? I agree with TATTERS, and if they do go on tour, you can be sure of seeing a wonderful, high-energy, show.

glimmerman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Father Christmas...can this be true? God Save The
> Kinks!


Oh yes. Just for one concert to hear those simple songs and astonishing lyrics that made the fortune of a lot of bands in the past years

I saw the Kinks here in Atlanta in the fall of 1984 (Word of Mouth tour), right after Mick Avory had been replaced. They were great, but we had balcony seats right by the side of the stage, and had a great side view of Dave to the right and Ray to the right (up at the front of the stage). We had a full view of Ray any time he turned his head to look at his brother, and just about every ten minutes Ray would look back at Dave with a "death stare" and angrily scream out "NO!!!" Dave would just grin back at him. For the life of me I have no idea what Dave was doing to irritate him so, because he sounded great! (Who knows....maybe it was volume, or maybe tone.....playing it differently than rehearsals?) All I know is that my wife and I were ready any minute for the two of them to just drop their guitars and start punching each other out!

Despite all of that, it was still a great concert! Saw Ray solo here last year, and it was a much more friendly environment!

i have seen the kinks twice (1982 and 1993), Ray Davies twice and Dave Davies once.

If they tour in any form or Ray does another solo tour, I would highly recommend going.

I also saw Ray solo back a few years and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen! The highlight for me was a fabulous rendition of " Waterloo Sunset". It brought tears to my eyes!

This was a very talented band. Ray and Dave's solo gigs have been excellent over the years, but to get THE KINKS back together and out on the road would be a genuinely cool thing to go see. This prospect of a Kinks tour is really exciting news. Gonna go upstairs and put on the track Plastic Man and turn it up loud.

Second concert of my life.....Kinks New Years Eve Palladium NYC 1980. Unfreaking believeable----this was in between One For The Road (Quite possibly the most underrated live record, ever) and Give The People What They Want. Just a killer show, I was already loving Low Budget and the Live record, but the show was so great, so much fun, so much energy, so obviously a band hitting on all cylinders and everyone there knew it---a real celebration.

Saw them another 6 times after that. Just a great band.

Also saw Ray Davies in a theater in '97. Remember being happy to go but somewhat tempered by the fact that it was not the Kinks. Well......w/o doubt, the greatest one man (actually 2; another guy played guitar also) show I have ever seen; great storytelling, performing,everyone who left that show probably felt like they knew Ray since they were a teenager.

Pulling off that kind of intimacy with your audience is reserved for the very best.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-12-29 05:28 by Glass Slide.

Glass Slide, that was the tour I saw! You described it perfectly!

Great news! I saw the Kinks in 1980 (I think)...following a release of a live album and before paranoia did destroy ya... great show! I remember Ray Davies as a master showman and highly entertaining.
I'd see them again.