Retrosonic Podcast Lockdown Lowdown Episode 1 with Brett "Buddy" Ascott from The Chords & The Fallen Leaves

Photo by Retro Man Blog

Brett "Buddy" Ascott, drummer with The Chords and The Fallen Leaves (and many more besides...) is our first special guest in a new series of Retrosonic Podcasts entitled "Lockdown Lowdown". Buddy tells us of his earliest musical awakenings, the first record he ever bought, his first gig and what event changed him from innocent fan of Pop music to the dark side of Rock & Roll. Along the way we hear who inspired him to pick up the drumsticks, some of his own memorable experiences as a musician and the favourite tracks from his own recordings. Buddy tells us of his favourite albums and singles and most treasured item of music related memorabilia. The episode is soundtracked by songs by David Bowie, The Kinks, Sex Pistols, The Who, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion, The Auteurs, Dodgy, Lightning Seeds, The Thrills, Arcade Fire, The Clash and of course The Chords and his current band, The Fallen Leaves.

Full Track-Listing:

David Bowie "Jean Genie"

The Kinks "Dead End Street"

Sex Pistols "Problems"

The Clash "Garageland"

The Who "Doctor Jimmy"

That Petrol Emotion "Sensitize"

The Thrills "Found My Rosebud"

The Lightning Seeds "Pure"

The Kinks "Days"

The Who "Baby, Don't You Do It" 

The Chords "I'm Not Sure"

The Chords "What Are We Gonna Do Now?"

The Undertones "Get Over You"

The Auteurs "New French Girlfriend"

The Fallen Leaves "So Much More"

Arcade Fire "Modern Man"

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers "Born To Lose"

Dodgy "In a Room"

You can order The Chords box-set "Re-Chordings 1979-1982" here. For more information on the forthcoming book "Remembering The Chords" by Ray Butler, please check out the link here. Details on how to donate and bid for the signed drum-skin can be found at the Roll Out The Barrel Trust web-site here. The Retrosonic Podcast special featuring the full story of Buddy Ascott's musical journey is still available to download/stream at our Retrosonic Podcast Soundcloud archive here.

Subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast on iTunes for free or download/stream at Soundcloud below:

Retrosonic Podcast · Lockdown Lowdown Episode 1: Buddy Ascott (The Chords/The Fallen Leaves)

Retrosonic Podcast Episode 37: "Songs The Limiñanas Taught Us"

Photo by Alain Bibal

In Episode 37 of Retrosonic Podcast, Steve from Retro Man Blog takes a look at the Blog's "Band(s) of 2019" The Limiñanas and their collaboration with Anton Newcombe and the French actress Emmanuelle Seigner in the project L'Épée. We look at The Limiñanas other collaborations with Étienne Daho, Peter Hook, Bertrand Belin and Pascal Comelade, pick out some great previous and related bands and play some originals of the various cover versions they have recorded over the years. Featuring great songs by The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Gentlemen, Wanda Jackson & The Cramps, The Kinks, Echo & The Bunnymen, Lords of The New Church, Jay Reatard, Michel Polnareff. The Beach Bitches, Les Bellas, Toxic Farmers, The Llamps, Hair & The Iotas & Les Wampas. Here's the track-list, please click on the highlighted links to find out more information on the bands and how to order their records. Enjoy! 

The Limiñanas "Tigre du Bengale"

The Beach Bitches "Crank"

The Beach Bitches "Paranoid Zombie"

Toxic Farmers "Feel Alright"

Les Bellas "I Love You"

The Gentlemen "It's a Cry'n Shame"

Wanda Jackson & The Cramps "Funnel of Love"

The Limiñanas "I'm Dead"

The Limiñanas "Migas 2000"

Hair & The Iotas "The Highest Grounds"

The Llamps "Mon Tour"

Crank "Hard Way"

Jay Retard "An Ugly Death"

Lords of The New Church "Russian Roulette"

Michel Polnareff "Time Will Tell"

The Limiñanas & Pascal Comelade "One of Us, One of Us, One of Us"

The Brian Jonestown Massacre "Vacuum Boots"

The Kinks "Two Sisters"

Echo & The Bunnymen "Angels & Devils"

The Limiñanas with Peter Hook "Garden of Love"

The Limiñanas with Betrand Belin "Dimanche"

The Limiñanas with Emmanuelle Seigner "Shadow People"

L'Épée - Dreams

The Limiñanas with Etienne Daho "One Blood Circle"

Les Wampas "C'est Politique"

The Limiñanas "Funeral Baby"

You can subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast at iTunes or listen direct from Soundcloud...

Retrosonic Podcast has a valid PRS licence. Cover photo courtesy of Alain Bibal, you can check out more of Alain's excellent photography here. Please check out The Limiñanas excellent on-line store Migas 2000 at Etsy for lots of Limiñanas and related albums and merchandise.

Dead End Streets: The Kinks Landmarks Under Threat

Little Green "Dead End" Street

I was up in Kentish Town sampling some fine ales in The Pineapple and The Southampton Arms and suddenly remembered there was one location that I'd missed off my last Kinks North London walking tour. Luckily it just happened to be handily situated right between both pubs. Little Green Street was the location for one of the first ever music promo videos, “Dead End Street”, which The Kinks filmed to promote the single back in 1966. The short black and white film is packed full of black humour, intercut with various scenes of slums and poverty, it has the band hamming it up dressed as undertakers trying to carry a coffin under the railway bridge along the cobbled street and into the doorway of number 4. The street has hardly changed at all, it’s a small and beautiful row of unspoilt Grade II listed Georgian terrace houses with bow windows and colourful doors, just off the main Highgate Road, it looks far less depressing in real life than it did in the video.

The street is still cobbled, well, apart from the terrible eye-sore of a huge blotch of tarmac put down by some council contractor with a total lack of regard for the street’s character or history. I was bemoaning this fact when I noticed a large colourful banner and some posters hanging in resident’s windows declaring that the street's future was in danger due to a new property development. When I got home I checked out the web-site address on the banner to find out more and discovered the depressing, but not unfamiliar, news that the residents have been fighting a long battle with Camden Council in opposition to plans to build a gated development of 30 luxury homes with an underground car park. So, this lovely little street, that survived the Blitz, may not yet survive the property developer’s bulldozers and our Government’s obsession with smashing a wrecking ball through any last traces of individualism, local history and heritage. So, please do try and check out the “Save Little Green Street” campaign’s excellent web-site and share it around to help raise awareness and show some support to the residents.

Sadly, Denmark Street, or Tin Pan Alley as it is more commonly known, is another famous musical London landmark with a Kinks connection that finds itself under threat from property developers.

“Down the way from the Tottenham Court Road

Just round the corner from old Soho

There's a place where the publishers go

If you don't know which way to go

Just open your ears and follow your nose

'Cos the street is shakin' from the tapping of toes”

That brilliantly evocative verse is taken from The Kinks’ track “Denmark Street” which featured on the 1970 album “Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One”. It was also performed in a stunning scene in the “Sunny Afternoon” musical which we saw at the Hampstead Theatre and previously reviewed on the Blog here. The Kinks recorded some early demos at Denmark Street's Regent Sound Studios in 1963 including “You Really Got Me”, and some of those demos can be found on “The Great Lost Kinks Album” compilation. The studio, which was situated at number 4 Denmark Street, is long since gone and is now home to a guitar shop at street level and the Alleycat Club in the basement. As well as The Kinks, many iconic bands and artists such as The Who, Mott The Hoople, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and The Yardbirds recorded at Regent Sound Studios throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Ray Davies’ lyrics to “Denmark Street” allude to the Music Publishers that were crammed into the Street and as it was rare at the time for singers or bands to write their own material they all flocked to Denmark Street to hustle for the best available songs to record. Of course this influx of some of the brightest musical talent around made it a magnet for Agents, Managers and Promoters all trying to snap up “Clients” that would hopefully make them a fortune in the charts. One of the main meeting points for all these movers and shakers was the Gioconda Café at number 9, which is now also sadly closed after a re-birth as the Giaconda Dining Rooms an there is now a Blue Plaque above the doorway highlighting the importance of the place. 

The Blue Plaque in Denmark Street

However, Denmark Street’s history and relationship with music goes back way further than The Kinks of course. This small side street, located in the parish of St. Giles, was once home to a leper colony and then became a slum area called the Rookery with stocks and gallows for public executions. There were some good times though, for example in 1687 the street was improved so much so that it was described as “a fair, broad street, with good houses, and well inhabited by gentry” and there are still eight properties on the street that date back to that time. Due to it’s proximity to  Soho's many theatres, Denmark Street became a prime location for printing companies specialising in the publication of broadside lyric sheets which then developed into the sheet music trade. In 1926 the composer and publisher Lawrence Wright started the music newspaper Melody Maker from his offices on Denmark Street and as the music related activity increased the nickname Tin Pan Alley, borrowed from Manhattan, started to appear. In the 1950’s the New Musical Express opened its offices on Denmark Street and the first recording studios appeared in the 60’s. The Sex Pistols recorded some early demos at Number 6 and there’s still some rather amusing graffiti preserved on the walls as can be seen in the DVD extras in Julien Temple’s “There’ll Always Be an England” movie. Denmark Passage is also home to Enterprise Studios where many well known bands have rehearsed over the years, in fact I have just seen it mentioned in Viv Albertine’s new autobiography "Clothes Clothes Clothes, Music Music Music, Boys Boys Boys".

The 12 Bar Club Denmark Street

So, this historic and atmospheric street is also under threat from property developers and the Cross Rail work that has already seen destruction of The Astoria, the Metro Club, the LA2 and the St. Martin's College of Art where the Sex Pistols once played an early gig. Why we need yet more identikit soul-less shopping malls packed with chain coffee stores and restaurants I will never understand, it is a disgrace. Most depressingly of all though, Retro Man Blog’s favourite London club, The 12 Bar, is one of the buildings under most threat and it will be a crying shame to lose this truly independent venue which promotes and supports unsigned bands 7 nights a week. As regular readers will know, the 12 bar has been the scene of some truly memorable gigs, and I’m sure you will be familiar with the neon bull-horn logo and the old forge behind the stage from many photos featured in the Blog. The Fallen Leaves legendary “Minimum R’n’B” club nights on the first Wednesday of every month are always highlighted in the diary and have become a fantastic social event for musicians and fans alike to relax, mingle and enjoy the great line-ups that The Leaves put on. The main room of the 12 Bar is a historic building in it's own right and as you can see from the two pictures below hardly anything has changed since the top photo was taken 100 years ago!

The Medhurst company forge photographed in 1914

The Fallen Leaves on stage in the forge room, 12 Bar Club 2014 - Copyright Paul Slattery

The producer, writer and DJ, Henry Scott-Irvine has started up a “Don’t Bin Tin Pan Alley” petition on Change.org in the hope of gathering enough signatures to force the Council to think again about allowing planning permission for the re-development of the area. He told Mojo Magazine “This should be stopped. Denmark Street and the surrounding St. Giles area should be given full heritage status like Covent Garden Market, Hatton Garden, and Savile Row.” At the moment the numbers signed up in opposition stand at just over an impressive 11,000 and only 4,000 more are needed to reach the required target. You can add your support to the campaign by signing the petition at the link here and we would encourage anyone to please kindly share both Henry's campaign and the “Save Little Green Street” details to help raise awareness and support. Please remember this is not just for fans of Rock music, it’s for anyone who values our culture, history, architecture and heritage and wants to continue to enjoy some sense of individuality on our streets and in our towns.

The Kinks "Sunny Afternoon" by Ray Davies & Joe Penhall at The Hampstead Theatre, London

Photo Copyright Dominic Clemence

A musical about The Kinks put me in a bit of a dilemma, I mean I love The Kinks yet I have a serious aversion to musicals, what to do? Well, I decided to go along once I heard that Ray Davies was involved in the initial story and in the end I am very glad that I did. In fact the only annoying thing about the whole experience was that the run at the excellent Hampstead Theatre is now completely sold out so I have no chance of going back to see it again. So, rest easy music fans, this stunning production by Director Edward Hall is no cheesy “Mamma Mia” song-and-dance show, it’s more like a gig with The Kinks own story weaving through it. Of course, as per all bands with a fanatical following, I am sure that "Sunny Afternoon" will be mulled over, holes picked and authenticity questioned. But this is Ray Davies’ own version of events turned into a sparkling, witty script by Joe Penhall. Settling in to my seat, I have to say that the set by Miriam Buether is absolutely stunning, the stage walls are adorned with hundreds of speaker cabinets all bathed in a warm orange glow, it’s visually very impressive. Hall has assembled a small but multi-talented cast of actors and musicians who swap effortlessly between various roles and instruments. 

Photo Copyright Shaun Webb

Ray is played brilliantly by John Dagleish who captures the slightly downbeat demeanour and vocal mannerisms of The Kinks front man very well, although his resemblance to Paul McCartney is a bit disconcerting at first! It would appear that Dave Davies hasn’t endorsed “Sunny Afternoon”; in fact it probably wouldn’t be in the grand Kinks “tradition” if he had, but it is rather a shame as George Maguire, who plays Dave, steals the show with his exuberant performance and superb musicianship. Somewhat ironically, the crowd seem to warm far more to Dave’s lovable rogue than they do to Ray’s cautious, serious nature. The Kinks are completed by Ned Derrington as Pete Quaife on bass and Adam Sopp as Mick Avory on drums. Adam in particular is a quite phenomenal drummer and together the four recreate The Kinks sound in spectacular fashion and there is a genuine buzz when in the opening scene the band kick in with a powerful version of “I Gotta Move”. 

Photo Copyright Dominic Clemence

The fast flowing action takes in most of the important scenes in Kinks history. We are taken to the lively Davies family home in Muswell Hill with name checks to Ray’s beloved Arsenal and local pub The Clissold Arms. The brothers are in their bedroom working on the riff to “You Really Got Me” but they can’t get the grungy sound they are after until they take a knitting needle to Dave’s amp and finally that famous fuzzed-up distorted sound is born. "What we want is raw sonic violence". Stockbroker Robert Wace, and his equally upper class friend Grenville Collins, played with comic perfection by Dominic Tighe and Tam Williams, become the band’s well respected joint managers and they tie up the band in a head-spinning contract and publishing deal. Then set about trying to create an image for the band, “with your looks you need a gimmick” and there follows an amusing scene as they rummage through a wardrobe of outlandish costumes. They finally settle on outfits with thigh-length boots, Dave grabs a whip, “You look like Kinks” says Grenville, “We look like perverts” dead pans Avory and they burst into a rousing version of "Dedicated Follower of Fashion". 

Photo Copyright Dominic Clemence

We see the different effects of fame and success on the two brothers, whilst Ray is shown to be uncomfortable with the trappings of stardom, prone to homesickness and depression. He meets Rasa, a confident girl with a broad Yorkshire accent and a love of the Blues and they fall in love. Rasa is played wonderfully by Lillie Flynn and her and Dagleish have a real chemistry, especially during a moving duet of "Strange Effect". Ray confides in Rasa that he is haunted by the  tragedy of Rene, his beloved sister who passed away on his thirteenth birthday from a heart condition, on the very day she bought him his first guitar. Meanwhile his younger brother takes to the Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle with gusto, living up to his nickname "Dave the Rave". This is where Maguire excels, whether he is swinging across the stage on a chandelier dressed in a pink nightdress clutching a bottle of bubbly or crashing an axe in a Hotel's reception desk.

Photo Copyright Dominic Clemence

Despite the success, tensions surface within the band, and at a gig in Cardiff they play “Where Have All the Times Gone" which is sizzling with barely controlled aggression, the lyrics seem to perfectly sum up the mood in the camp. Mick snaps and attacks Dave with his hi-hat stand knocking him out. Suddenly there's chaos with Dave lying unconscious on the stage, flashing lights and sirens going off all round and Mick being chased around the auditorium by the police. Ray is left alone on the stage bewildered. “Only a mad man would tour America with this lot". But off to America they go, only to be met by a wall of red tape and raised eyebrows over the band's name and appearance "you guys make the Rolling Stones look like US Marines" quips a Policeman. There’s pressure from all angles as the band refuse to pay their dues, “Are you communists?” one journalist asks, "No, we're working class socialists from Muswell Hill" says Dave and they launch into a sinister "I'm Not like Anybody Else". This stand-off with the unions sees The Kinks refused work permits and they are banned from performing in America for the next four years. They return home to Ray's dad telling them "sod's law, the most working class band in the business get brought down by the unions!"

Photo Copyright Dominic Clemence

Allen Klein replaces Grenville and Robert as the band's new manager and "the couple of old Tories having the time of their lives" bid farewell with a lovely acapella version of "Days". As the song draws to a close grown men clap that little bit louder to drown out the sound of lumps in throats being cleared. There's a lightening of the mood and we're in the studio with the band as they work on a new song and a familiar descending bass line rings out. "The songs were always about us" says Ray and they launch into a stunning version of "Waterloo Sunset" with Dagleish capturing Ray's voice with it's slight lisp perfectly. Then we switch to Madison Square Garden, and with their huge hit "Lola" The Kinks have finally cracked America, revenge is sweet. We are treated to a medley of "All Day and All of The Night” and "You Really Got Me" and the crowd really get into it, leaping to their feet and singing along at the top of their voices. "Lola" raises the roof and ends with the cast basking in a  huge round of rapturous and well-deserved applause.  

The Pete Quaife Foundation has been set up in memory of The Kinks bassist and co-founder to give children on dialysis some means of enjoyment, interest or entertainment while undergoing treatment. For more information on how to make donations please visit the site here.

Denmark Street, London's iconic Tin Pan Alley and home of Regent Sounds Studio where The Kinks, Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix once recorded, is under threat from developers. Lets fight the "Powerman" and ensure this historic street is not bulldozed into another soulless shopping mall. There is a fast growing campaign centered around Denmark Street's legendary 12 Bar Club, so please join in, sign the petition and spread the word! Check out more details here.

You can still see our very own photographic walking tour of some of The Kinks' north London landmarks including The Clissold Arms, the Davies family home, Konk Studio, Fortismere School, Les Aldrich Music shop, Lane Cafe, The Archway Tavern and more in our Blog archive here.

Photos by used by kind permission, with many thanks to Becky and Jess at the Hampstead Theatre.

London: The Modern Babylon a film by Julien Temple

Julien Temple's remarkable portrait of London takes his now trademark documentary approach of juxtaposing witty and surprising historical archive footage against contemporary film of his subject. He has already successfully used this technique in his supreme portraits of the Sex Pistols in the "Filth & The Fury", along with Dr. Feelgood and Canvey Island, in "Oil City Confidential". This time round, the subject is not a band though, but the City of London. He creates a wonderful aural and visual assault on the senses with a kaleidoscope of images and music. Exciting and chaotic, but most of all uplifting and positive, just like London itself. The movie starts with a colourful montage soundtracked by the slashing chords of The Clash's "London Calling", and then flashes back to amazing flickering black and white footage of late Victorian London with horse drawn carriages and trams packing the dirty streets. The main premise of the movie is based on how London has dealt with the influx of immigrants into it's communities following the collapse of the British Empire. It's that multicultural London that Temple loves so dearly, and we meet various residents of all ages, faiths, colours and creeds, talking about their experiences of life in the Capital. 

Photo by Steve Worrall

One of those residents turns out to be the star of the film, 106 year old Hetty Bower, a Hackney resident, recalls some vivid scenes from her long life. Her childhood treat consisted of a trip to the River Thames to watch the drawbridges of Tower Bridge being raised and lowered. She also poignantly remembers waving off the troops as they left for the First World War and later, resisting Oswald Mosley's Nazi Black-shirts in the Battle of Cable Street, "...they did not pass", she proudly exclaims. Hetty also provides a note of common sense when, somewhat unexpectedly, instead of admonishing the recent Anti-Capitalist protesters, she praises them for their courage in questioning our society. It's another main theme of the film, that cyclical nature of London's history. As Madness singer, Suggs, announces as he walks through his home turf of Camden Town, "...there never were any 'good old days'". After all, there has always been that divide between rich and poor, always been traffic congestion, pollution and civil unrest. We see footage of the Suffragettes, neatly soundtracked by X-Ray Spex's "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!", and there is Winston Churchill in the midst of the Sidney Street siege in 1911. Of course London is also no stranger to riots, from Notting Hill in 1958, Brixton in 1981 right up to the looting and arson of last year's riots. London has had to deal with some terrible acts of devastation, from the Blitz, to the terrorism of the IRA and the sinister threat of the suicide bomber. Temple expertly brings all these situations sharply into focus and we realise that every generation has to deal with such issues.

Photo by Steve Worrall

Music of course, is key to the movie and Temple's beloved Kinks play a large part in the soundtrack, most effectively with the beautiful "Waterloo Sunset" playing over stunning images of the River Thames. Ray Davies is featured in footage from Temple's documentary "Imaginary Man", the programme that inspired my own little Kinks Walking Tour, which you can read about here. Then of course there's the Sex Pistols, the band with which he made his name as a film-maker. He cleverly puts images of old Music Hall against the scenes of Punk Rock, showing the historic lineage of London's knack of producing rebellious, bawdy and irreverent music. The Q & A session after the screening was very interesting as Temple talks about the Olympics and how the movie probably would not have happened without it. He also pays tribute to his late father who passed away this year, and who was once attacked and injured by one of the right wing Nazis featured in the film. 

I bumped into JC Carroll of The Members after the screening, which was a nice surprise. We had recently interviewed JC for a special Edition of our Retrosonic Podcast, in which he talked about his involvement with the soundtrack music of "London: The Modern Babylon". JC has also worked on previous Julien Temple films and you can hear him talking about this, along with a fascinating trip through his career with The Members and as a solo artist, in the Retrosonic Podcast Episode below: 

 

"London: The Modern Babylon" will be shown on BBC2 on Saturday August 11th at 9:20pm.

The Kinks Night at The Clissold Arms November 12th

I went along to a Kinks fan get together at The Clissold Arms on Saturday night, apparently it was a warm-up for the real Kinks Konvention being held on the Sunday at the Boston Arms, and it turned out to be a really enjoyable evening. 

We arrived quite early, around 6:30 pm and already people were up dancing and singing along, I must admit it took me a couple of pints before I dared to join in! The band, Geoff Lewis and the Kinksfan Kollektiv, comprising of fan/musicians from America, Holland, Spain and the UK enthusiastically went about performing a huge selection of tracks from The Kinks back catalogue. I'd already visited The Clissold Arms, which you can read all about in my previous feature on my little Kinks Walking Tour excursion, and it really is a great pub. The owners have done a fantastic job in paying tribute to the important part it played in The Kinks story and have made it a place that any fan of the band should be proud of.

There was a superb atmosphere and despite the large presence of die-hard fans, a lot of whom seemed to know each other very well from similar get-togethers, it was very friendly and welcoming to us more casual visitors. We spoke to a lovely father and daughter from Biarritz in France and to Bruce, a charming American proudly wearing his "Number One Kinks fan" T-Shirt. We also encountered fans from Scandinavia and Spain too, it would have been interesting to know how many countries were represented. 

I would definitely go again next year and hopefully also get along to the full blown Kinks Konvention too. You can keep up to date on future arrangements at the Kast Off Kinks site here.

Here's a few photos taken on the night, sorry for the poor quality but singing juggling pints and taking photos at the same time proved a little difficult...!

Geoff Lewis (keyboards) and the Kinksfan Kollektiv - photo by Steve Worrall

Fans sing along to covers of all the hits and a few more obscure tracks too - Photo by Steve Worrall

Come dancing in the aisles of the Kinks Room - Photo by Steve Worrall

Geoff Lewis and the Kinksfan Kollektiv - photo by Steve Worrall

Geoff Lewis and the Kinksfan Kollektiv - photo by Steve Worrall

By the end of the evening The Kinks Room is jammed by happy fans.

The chap on the left is Bruce from Washington, USA, proudly displaying his Kinks Fan of The Year T-Shirt

The Kinks North London Excursion - Text and Photos by Steve Worrall

Inspired by the recent showing of Julien Temple’s “Imaginary Man” documentary about Ray Davies on BBC4, I decided on a DIY excursion of Kinks related landmarks in North London. The film followed Ray strolling through locations from his life and being interviewed in venues that had played some part in The Kinks story. The fact that most of these venues seemed to be pubs made it a quick and easy decision to try and re-trace his steps! So a little band of trusty Kinks (and pub) appreciating friends and family joined me and my meticulously planned itinerary on a lovely sunny afternoon, no time for lazing though…

We started off at East Finchley underground station, which is in itself a wonderful Art Deco design. In the film you can see Ray walking underneath the stunning sculpture of a kneeling archer on the station’s roof. Just up on the opposite side of the road, Ray is interviewed in front of another 1930’s Art Deco masterpiece, The Phoenix cinema. This was one of the first in the country to be built specifically to show films, as opposed to the usual concert halls or ballrooms.

It’s then a walk up the High Road and a right turn onto Fortis Green and after a short stroll we come to the first and probably most important landmark, Number 6 Denmark Terrace, the Davies old family home. What strikes me first is that the house is tiny, and considering Ray and Dave had six older sisters, it’s hard to imagine how they all squeezed in. The documentary features some great old home-movie footage shot in the house showing a happy, boozy family gathering around the piano on which Ray would later write the riff to “You Really Got Me”.

Directly opposite is the Clissold Arms, the pub where Ray and Dave made their first public appearance as musicians. I’d heard that this had been turned into a gastro pub and was expecting the worse, but it was excellent. 

There’s no hiding away a couple of old snap-shots of the band in a back room to avoid upsetting the rather well-heeled clientele, no way! The first thing you see when you walk in is the Kinks Room, a whole room dedicated to and decorated with all things Kinks, it was fantastic, more of a gallery or museum than a bar in a pub.

The room is decorated with loads of old posters, record sleeves, vinyl and memorabilia – there’s even a marvellous Kinks sofa that you can sit on to enjoy a pint. Yes, the pub is pricey and more geared towards the food, but it was very well done and I was impressed with the way they had embraced the Kinks links and provided an excellent destination for fans of the band.

It would have been very easy to have stayed there all afternoon enjoying the great food and yet another pint in the sunshine, but there was no time for rest, onto the next location. Straight down Fortis Green and a left turn onto Spring Lane is Fortismere School, or the William Grimshaw as it was known at the time. This is where Ray and Dave first met Pete Quaife and started their first band together named The Ravens. Actually, Rod Stewart also attended the same school and was once considered as a singer for the new band before Ray had the confidence to take the lead vocals.

Then we reach a fork in the road and take the right turn onto Fortis Green Road where you will soon come across Les Aldrich Music at number 98. In the documentary Ray is seen going into the store and explaining that he came in here and bought a copy of his own single “You Really Got Me” on its’ release.

Then follow Ray’s route past the church and left onto Muswell Hill Broadway, stopping at the top of Hillfield Park with the HSBC bank on the corner. Here you will get a spectacular view down onto East London. You can see the new Olympic Stadium and Canary Wharf and understand how, living in this elevated position, the views of London from Muswell Hill, Hampstead and Primrose Hill must have had such an effect on Ray’s song writing.

Then at the end of Muswell Hill Broadway go right down Muswell Hill, cross over and take the 144 bus past Alexandra Palace to Tottenham Lane. Get off before the railway bridge and walk down to the bottom where you will come across Konk Studios. It’s a very unassuming building and there’s a big For Sale sign outside, although I understand that that there might yet be a reprieve. Opened in the early 70’s as the band’s own private studio, Konk later opened its doors to other acts as diverse as The Bee-Gees and Thin Lizzy to Stone Roses, Suede and Arctic Monkeys amongst many others.

Here we had a bit of a dilemma as we had to make a choice between going on further down to the Hornsey Town Hall, main focal point of the documentary where Ray is interviewed on stage playing guitar and piano, or having a breather and another beer. We settled on the latter and at the Lane Café, which could have been an inspiration for “Working Man’s Café”, we got on the 41 bus to Archway.

The Archway Tavern, famous location for the Muswell Hillbillies album cover is a bit of a disappointment, the interior has changed a lot from the well known photo on the record’s sleeve and you might want to move on to the next destination quickly. Cross the busy road and catch the number 210 bus from the stop opposite the Tavern towards Highgate. 

We pass Dick Whittington’s cat monument and, as if by magic, the bus stop is perfectly located right outside the Prince of Wales at 53 Highgate High Street. Ray is interviewed in the back bar of this excellent pub recounting tales of drunkenness and affairs with the Landlord’s wife. It’s a great boozer, with some wonderful ales, friendly staff and a nice little terrace outside at the rear. 

So, that’s where we ended the North London leg of our little Kinks excursion, just a shame that we had to miss a few places out. However, it does mean that we have a reason to go back and fill in the few gaps left – or just stay and enjoy the beers at the Clissold Arms and Prince of Wales!