In the beginning of it all, the difference between now and then...
For me it started in 1969 at the Filmore East on October 17th and 18th when I saw The Kinks for the first time I went to early and late shows both nights so that was the 4 shows that started my approximetely 300. Between those shows and 1971 I saw a whole bunch more at every small club, dive bar, gym, college you name it, I saw them high and low in front of crowds no bigger than a high school dance. Then in 1971 I took over from Gene Davidson in Ohio The KinKs Society and changed the name to The Kinks Appreciation Society and around 1973 when Preservation Act One was due out changed it again to The Kinks Preservation Society.
Quite a few years ago there was a book out on The KinKs by Johnny Rogan called " John I'm Only Dancing " on page 127 starting at the top there is a mention of my all time favorite KinKs show ever the August 23, 1972 Central Park, Schaeffer Music Festival show at the Wolman Skating Rink in NYC. This is the same show that Melody Maker had a big review that was titled " Kinks Mania Would You Believe in Central Park " a link to this review that I sent to Dave Emlen is on his page and can be viewed at this address;
http://kinks.it.rit.edu/misc/articles/wollman.htmlanyway back to Johnny Rogan's book on the Kinks, at the top of page 127 here's what is references about that particular show and about other shows in NY and East coast area of the US during the 72 tour...
" The audience response that the kinks generated during their stateside tour was encouraging, but the reviews were mixed and sometimes contradictory. Only the central Park gig that was recorded for their next album was greeted with universal praise by the critics. Some of the reviews were so partisan that they spent paragraphs raving about the outbreak of Kinksmania and relating apocryphal tales of near riots. Apart from the tracks that were destined to appear on their album, several other numbers were hailed as classic, including a driving version of " Milk Cow Blues ", and a particularly moving rendition of " Waterloo Sunset ". Davie's showmanship was apparently reaching new levels of camp excess as he wiggled around the stage, hands on hips, pouting at the crowd. At one point he climbed the stage scaffolding followed by a white spotlight which revealed him tip-toeing his way between the monitor speakers. Abruptly he opened a can of beers and sprayed it over himself and most of the front row of spectators. Soon, this routine during the Kinks elongated version of 'Alcohol' became all too familiar to the audience who reacted in kind. At one concert, the Valley Stream branch of the Kinks Appreciation Society came armed with confetti, paper plates, and cans of beer and succeeded in transforming the show into a near carnival. New York Rock scribe, Lillian Roxon noted the proceedings with interest and spent much time describing the reactions of the attendant cult figures including Bette Midler and Candy Darling"
There was also another similar article and mention in the NY Sunday Daily News by Lillian Roxon in her " Top of the Pop " column..the article was titled " Glamour, Chaos, and the Kinks " that can be view here again off Dave Emlen's site at this link;
http://kinks.it.rit.edu/misc/articles/glam.html
however here is a brief piece from that " There were two concerts this time, two nights in a row, and not only were both completely sold out but they were also pure insanity and chaos. The Valley Stream branch of the Kinks Appreciation Society, for instance, came to both armed with confetti, paper plates and cans of beer, so that the minute Ray Davies started squirting the front rows with beer, he got as good as he gave. Soon great fountains of it were gushing everywhere. From start to finish, both nights, the audience was up on it's feet. No one was about to miss any of the fun and Ray Davies really is one of those performers whose every gesture and nuance you just have to see and enjoy. Bette Midler, whose new album has already established her as a superstar to those who have not yet seen her in person, was there taking it all in with an expression of delight on her face. She had never seen the Kinks in action before and I can tell you right now that she's gone off to buy all the records and that her big New Year's Eve concert the Philharmonic will have to include "Lola." By the way, you haven't lived if you haven't seen Candy primly joining in with the chorus of the song that just has to be about her." Lilian Roxon , 1972
I was sitting with Lillian, Bette Midler and Candi Darling those nights, also a few other Saturday night Live stars at that time, too and around us up front were many of the members who were part of The Kinks Appreciation Society...this may be the first show we brought the plates and beer too for Alcohol and the rest was KinKs KinKdom history...
FranK still One of the Survivors formerly residing in The Valley Stream, NY Preservation Society now a Montvale, New Jersey Hillbilly Boy
