Ray Davies - Storming Bristol's Colston Hall

Going off to see a statesman of rock - Mr Ray Davies - could have been a bit of a hit and miss affair - would it be any good? would he still have 'it'? could the great man pull it off?

We went off with some trepidation having been refused permission to take a couple of pictures by Ray Davies' promoters - we thought we might be en route to one of those 'prima donna' affairs - you know the type - I'm a great rock star - don't you just love me' type touch - so it was with some trepidation we winged our way to Bristol's Colston Hall on Sunday night for the overdue concert that had been postponed from last year.

A cold wet and thoroughly miserable night is not the sort of evening that makes you look forward to a gig as much as perhaps you would otherwise - and certainly we were well prepared to yawn our way through the support act - well - how often do you go to a gig and the support isn't really up to much? and I have to be honest - your heart sinks a bit when a guy comes on stage clutching guitar and no band in tow.

Well - were we in for something of a pleasant surprise - the support came from a guy going by the name of David Saw - a British born singer/songwriter who certainly knows a thing or two about how to command a stage! The most refreshing thing about David was that he wasted no time in getting a rapport going with the audience - never underestimate the number of artists who fail to do this - nor the impact that not knowing who the heck you're listening to can have. The first number was The Boyfriend Song - delivered with great humour and panache. A bit more banter with the audience and we learned that the next song was born from a young fan's obsessive contact on MySpace - Savannahs World - this was followed by another couple of tracks which were both witty and insightful - a quality that only really clever singer/songwriters can achieve - a fact that was not lost on the audience - both Buy My Record and How Can I Tell You were great numbers that certainly got our attention and left both us and the audience wanting more.

That David is a great people watcher becomes very clear when you listen to his work - he is able to translate what he sees and hears into his work in a way that brings it to life. While David picks up song ideas while people watching- he does have a favourite arena for this . “Airports are my favourite.” He laughs, “I love imagining who people are, making up stories about their lives.” So beware - you never know when you'll be being watched and a bijou snippet of your life may well make its way into a rather clever song!

David has been inspired by some of the greatest singer/songwriters around - besides the lot of Taylor/Simon musicians he hails as inspirational, he credits Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Chet Baker for his musical style. He writes about relationships, the marrow of love and the innocents of every breath - and his observational take on life connects to us all.

But don't just take our word for it - this hugely talented singer/songwriter is already making big waves - David met James’s son, Ben Taylor, at a Pub in London and this led to him becoming the third recording artist on the younger Taylor’s record label. His aspirations had never reached such heights when as a 16 year old, injured and unable to play football, he wrote his first song “Quiet Evenings,” (Now recorded by one of his roll model’s Carly Simon on her “Lullabies” Album). Let's face it - you don't get that kind of recognition unless you have something special to offer.

We think you'll hear more about David Saw whose wit and ingenuity come across in his music - a man with a very big sound - and most certainly a quality performer - check him out on MySpace and listen to the music - we think you'll like it - he's also playing the acoustic tent at Glastonbury - so those of us lucky enough to get our tickets will get the opportunity to hear him again - well done to this talented man.

To the credit of all those organising this event the whole thing ran well to time - which meant that we weren't left hanging around waiting for something to happen (we all know how boring that is!)

Bristol's Colston Hall is a well established venue that has played host to some great events over the years - in fact it's been in existence for nearly 140 years.

Over the years the Colston Hall has played host to such legends as The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John, Thin Lizzy, Roxy Music, Bob Marley and Lou Reed - in the 80's the great Bob Dylan also played the hall - and in 2005 the legendary Brian Wilson played 'Pet Sounds' at the venue.

Bristol's Colston Hall is the premier venue for those of us in the South West and without doubt it certainly attracts the premier artists - something it has done very successfully throughout the years and continues to do today.

Aside from bringing us great artists and entertainment the hall also contributes significantly to the artistic culture of Bristol. It has a well established Education Team who together with REMIX, Bristol’s Youth Music Action Zone bring a range of opportunities to experience and get involved in music to young people across the city. Song writing weeks, dj-ing workshops, schools performances and special projects with visiting artists are just some of the diverse range of activities that young people can enjoy. There is also a well established programme in place to introduce young people to classical music - so Bristol's Colston Hall reaches out into the community and involves it - drawing it into the magic of music in all its forms.

The venue seems to be a little short on facilities and there doesn't seem to be enough loos - but hey - you can forgive them that after all what venue does have enough? It feels like a safe venue being small and intimate with plenty of staff on duty. We noticed that there were St John's in attendance and very visible, there was also access for people with different abilities - but with so many stairs in the venue we weren't sure how easy it was for them to access facilities. We were denied permission to take in a camera but we were not searched and there were a number of people with cameras in evidence at the venue - no action was taken by staff - another common problem with many venues.

It wasn't a difficult gig for staff at this specific gig though - the audience demographic was a much older and quieter crowd than you'd get at many gigs - we'll certainly be going back for another look at a more lively gig - but we do think they seem to have it quite well sorted in Bristol and would be very surprised to find any significant problems with what is a great venue and a part of Bristol's musical history! Colston Hall Website

And so to the great man himself! sorry - we know it's the same rather dreadful photo - blame the promoters!

Ray Davies may well have hit his 60s and he may well have had to cancel last years shows - but this is a man with extraordinary energy and dedication. One of our iconic figures who has given us a legacy of songs that will still be enjoyed for generations to come. Ray Davies is a man with a history - a hugely influential pop giant who clearly loves what he does, something of a raconteur who approaches his audience without hesitation - a skill honed through years of experience.

The set list was well thought out - we got all the songs we wanted interspersed with the newer music not so familiar to all of us. Still, the newer tracks were so skillfully interwoven into the set and of a standard you'd expect from the likes of a statesman of his genre. The new single set for release soon - Imaginary Man - is well worth a listen - debuted on this tour. The set managed to stay away from pure nostalgia and songs such as The Tourist and After the Fall showing the breadth and depth of Ray Davies's songwriting abilities.

But what we all really, really wanted was THOSE songs - and in the Ray Davies did not disappoint - the hits kept on coming - Where Have All The Good Times Gone, Autumn Almanac, Dedicated Follower Of Fashion were all wheeled out for the first half of the show.

After the break the man was back with a vengeance and we got what we came for - Come Dancing, The Village Green, Sunny Afternoon, Deadend Street, So Tired, All Day And All Of The Night, all in quick succession - the disappointment of the evening? it had to be the very restrained and tired audience who were really flat and lifeless - seemingly unable to respond to frequent urges to join in - this didn't seem to daunt the man himself who put as much oomph into his performance as if he were playing a really big venue - good on you Mr Davies!

A full two hour set was finished with a stonking version of Lola and a superb rendition of Days - a huge favourite of this particular fan - and when it was all over did he leave the stage in a hurry having played to a rather subdued audience - did he heck - he spent a few minutes shaking hands with the few more lively fans in the audience - in this day and age how many of our truly great performers would do that?

Thank you for the days Mr Davies....