Latest news with #SunnyAfternoon
Glasgow Times
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Cast revealed for The Kinks musical at Glasgow theatre
Sonia Friedman Productions and ATG Productions have announced the principal cast for the 2025/2026 UK tour of the multi-Olivier Award-winning musical Sunny Afternoon. This show, which tells the story of The Kinks, will come to Glasgow's King's Theatre from October 28 to November 1, the only Scottish dates of the tour in 2025. At the heart of the show will be Danny Horn as Ray Davies, Oliver Hoare as Dave Davies, Harry Curley as Peter Quaife, and Zakarie Stokes as Mick Avory, who will form the iconic band at the heart of Sunny Afternoon. Further casting for the show is yet to be announced. Read more: Outlander star to perform in this play at Glasgow Theatre Royal Ray Davies said: "I'm pleased that Danny and Oliver are rejoining Sunny Afternoon after their brilliant run in Chicago and look forward to Harry and Zakarie joining the band. "Well done to everyone involved in making this wonderful Sunny Afternoon musical." Sunny Afternoon celebrates the raw energy, passion, and timeless sound of the Kinks, telling their story through a back catalogue of chart-toppers including You Really Got Me, Lola, and All Day and All of the Night. The show was a recipient of four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in [[[[Music]]]] for Ray Davies. Set against the backdrop of Britain in the rebellious '60s, Sunny Afternoon is an exhilarating and moving celebration of the music, life, and the band that changed it all. After a sell-out run at Hampstead [[Theatre]], Sunny Afternoon opened to critical acclaim at the Harold Pinter [[[[Theatre]]]] in London's West End, where it ran for two years ahead of its sensational sell-out tour of the UK and Ireland throughout 2016/17. Read more: Exciting event to be held for the first time in Glasgow this weekend The show has music and lyrics by Ray Davies with a book by Joe Penhall and an original story by Ray Davies. It is directed by Edward Hall and designed by Miriam Buether with choreography by Adam Cooper. Lighting design is by Rick Fisher, sound design by Matt McKenzie, and musical supervision by Elliott Ware. Musical and vocal adaptations are by Ray Davies and Elliott Ware based on original Kinks' recordings. Casting is by Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher Casting. Hair, wigs, and makeup are by Carole Hancock. Associate direction is by Christopher Chase Carter, associate set design by William Fricker, associate costume design by Deborah Andrews, associate lighting design by Eric Watkins, and associate sound design by Ken Hampton.
Telegraph
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Kinks frontman Ray Davies: We came back from US tour just to watch Arsenal
Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks became part of the national psyche, taking the coveted No 1 slot when it meant something, during the early stages of the 1966 World Cup. 'We were touring during the entire World Cup,' explains a frustrated Ray Davies. 'But we managed to see the final on TV. The band all came to my house, we were supposed to leave and drive to Exeter where we had a gig but the match went to extra time which made us late'. Songwriting, family and football are inseparable for Sir Ray Davies, who turned 81 last month. Prior to owning a television, the radio and live matches were vital cultural touchstones. 'Before we got a TV, we would gather around the Bush radio in the kitchen when the Arsenal were playing'. He adds that his future hits were not crafted to achieve success but to soundtrack Saturday night. 'A lot of my songs were written for my family to sing along to,' he explains. 'When I heard my dad singing Sunny Afternoon, I knew it would be a hit.' When not in the North Bank or the East Stand for games at Highbury, Davies was attending William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School alongside fellow football fan and budding musician Rod Stewart. As he explains: 'I remember 'Rod the Mod' as we used to call him; he was a formidable tackler. We didn't play together as we were in different school houses, although we did play games in Los Angeles at the park.' Growing up in the deprivation of post-war London, Ray suffered from poor health. Along with his brother Dave, the only other consistent member of The Kinks, they absorbed music-hall culture and the melancholic crooner Al Bowlly. The upright piano in his front room – and his banjo-playing Arsenal-supporting father – provided a window to another world. 'The [football] result would always determine the mood around the house on a Saturday night. When the match didn't go our way, Dad would even sometimes give the front room a miss and have a few drinks on his own in the pub. This would allow Dave and me to play the music of our generation, such as Buddy Holly.' His father, Fred, was a notable and direct influence on his son's writing. Released later that year in 1966, Dead End Street challenged the idealism of the era and Swinging London. 'My dad talked about the stock-market crash and subsequent mass unemployment before I was born, and this probably rubbed off on me,' Davies recalls. Poetic character studies of English daily life, such as on Autumn Almanac and particularly the line 'I like my football on a Saturday' could have been about Davies. 'Arsenal was part of our family background, Dad was a big supporter and would go regularly to matches. My brother Dave and I were taken to games as soon as we could walk. Dad would pass on memories to us of players who were around before our time. My sister, Gwen, would sometimes go because she had a secret crush on the goalkeeper Jack Kelsey.' The seventh of eight children born into a working-class family, Davies remembers one player stubbing a cigarette out on his hand before running on to the pitch and another downing a half-bottle of whisky before the second half of a cup final. The sense of anticipation on match day has never faded. 'Dave and I would get on the 212 bus at the top of Muswell Hill and ride to Finsbury Park, get off and then walk to the ground, hearing the crowds chanting in the distance and feeling that sense of expectation.' Football remained part of the backdrop when The Kinks became a success. 'We even came back for a game when we had a few days off during a US tour, and we managed to play a match with the Showbiz XI before returning to America.' The charity side, established in 1957, raised money for a range of causes and featured well-known public figures, musicians, actors, ex-players and industry insiders. Davies says: 'In the early days of the Showbiz XI, it was televised live. I started playing in the late 1960s; it's fair to say that most of the players were frustrated footballers, including myself.' At one notable game, Dave was sent off for calling the ref 'fatty'. I was captain for the day and protested to the ref, who promptly sent me off as well.' The Kinks were at their most potent when, much like Oasis, the brothers combined forces and turned their grievances away from each other. Another British No 1 You Really Got Me (1964) is credited by some as having invented heavy metal and punk while shaping the output of subsequent generations. 'I would agree to a certain extent,' suggests Davies, 'because it's a simple riff that can be adopted by many genres'. Much like Noel and Liam Gallagher, who love Manchester City, or Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, who adores Wolverhampton Wanderers, staying loyal to a childhood football club retains an active link to bygone days. Davies also celebrates modern aspects of the game as much as its cherished past. 'Football has become multilingual and multinational, which is a good thing.' He adds: 'Highbury was magical, the atmosphere was unrivalled. It was a tough act to follow but the Emirates is getting close and the toilets smell better! When I've been to the Emirates, I sometimes go to the guest box and find myself sitting there next to ex-players, for example, Liam Brady and Tony Adams.' While David Bowie was not a football supporter, he did develop a fleeting obsession with England's national team during the 2002 World Cup and was once photographed wearing the 1996 edition England grey away shirt in New York with his daughter Lexi (around 2006). 'We did Carnegie Hall together', Davies says of meeting Bowie in 2003 for a live rendition of Waterloo Sunset. 'When working out who should sing what, we agreed to impersonate one another on the solo parts, and it went very well. We became good friends after that and would message each other regularly.' We finish where it all began, even now he views the club with his father in mind. 'Declan Rice would have been one of my dad's favourites, he had all the qualities that Dad would have appreciated, a hard-working and skilful player.'
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Classic Rock Band Releases Never-Before-Heard Live Version of Iconic Hit
Classic Rock Band Releases Never-Before-Heard Live Version of Iconic Hit originally appeared on Parade. A legendary classic rock band has released a never-before-heard version of one of their greatest hits. On Thursday, June 12, iconic British rock band The Kinks released a live version of their 1966 hit "Sunny Afternoon" that was recorded at their 1993 Royal Albert Hall show in London. It has never been released before, so unless you were there, you've never heard this version. Listen here. This live version of "Sunny Afternoon" is part of the band celebrating its 60th anniversary with a trilogy of albums called The Journey. The Journey — Part 1 and The Journey — Part 2 came out in 2023; now the final chapter in the trilogy, The Journey — Part 3, is being released on July 11, 2025, and will feature two discs of special 1 features 11 classic tracks from the band's Arista period, remastered from the original production tapes. Disc 2 is a very special release featuring recordings previously never released and discovered in the Kinks studio archive, selected from their July 11, 1993, Royal Albert Hall show. 'As far as performances go, it was a high point achievement of the Kinks,' founding member Dave Davies said of the Royal Albert Hall show. Pre-orders and pre-saves can be made here. Disc 1: Catch Me Now I'm Falling (2025 Remaster) (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman (2025 Remaster) A Rock'n'Roll Fantasy (2025 Remaster) Sleepwalker (2025 Remaster) Living On A Thin Line (2025 Remaster) Come Dancing (2025 Remaster) Around The Dial (2025 Remaster) Do It Again (2025 Remaster) Better Things (2025 Remaster) Destroyer (2025 Remaster) Low Budget (2025 Remaster) Misfits (2025 Remaster) Disc 2: One of Our DJs Is Missing (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Till The End of The Day (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Where Have All The Good Times Gone (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Low Budget (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Apeman (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Phobia (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Only a Dream (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Scattered (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Celluloid Heroes (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) I'm Not Like Everybody Else (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Dedicated Follower of Fashion (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) The Informer (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Death of a Clown (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Sunny Afternoon (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) You Really Got Me (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) Days (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993) 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Classic Rock Band Releases Never-Before-Heard Live Version of Iconic Hit first appeared on Parade on Jun 12, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Nigel Farage serenaded in the street on campaign visit
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was serenaded by a potential voter as he visited Runcorn to campaign ahead of the by-election. The politician spent about 15 minutes walking along Church Street in the Cheshire town with the party's candidate, Sarah Pochin, on Monday afternoon. Reform UK is hoping for victory in the previously safe Labour seat of Runcorn and Helsby, where a by-election was called after MP Mike Amesbury stood down following his assault conviction for punching a constituent. Mr Farage stopped to shake the hands of passers-by and posed for selfies as he walked along the shopping street. Resident Alan Ayres got out his guitar after speaking to Mr Farage and he and a friend launched into a rendition of The Kinks song Sunny Afternoon as the delighted politician clapped along. The song, which begins with the line 'The tax man's taken all my dough', was released in 1966 and referenced high levels of tax introduced by the Labour government of the time. Mr Ayres told the politician: 'I love what you do, mate, and I love the stuff you say and what you're saying. It's what Britain needs. 'I don't mean to be rude but we don't need Keir Starmer, we don't need that.' As Mr Farage walked along the town's promenade to do media interviews, one passing driver shouted: 'Go on Farage, lad. Send the f****** back.' The former I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! contestant said he did not trust early polling which predicted a win for his party, but told the PA news agency: 'All I can say is it's Labour's 16th safest seat, they're only nine months in to a landslide government, it's a must-win for them. 'We are, by our estimates at the moment, maybe a little bit behind but it really is a little bit. 'It's going to be very very close and, boy, if we win this, this will be one of the most dramatic by-elections of modern political history.' Candidate Ms Pochin was previously a Conservative councillor in Cheshire East. But Mr Farage said there were as many former Labour supporters standing for Reform UK as ex-Tories. He said: 'We've got people from the centre-right and the centre-left that support this party. 'The reason we're doing so well is there are many millions of us who think that economically and societally this country is going downhill and it needs a change of direction.' The by-election is the first Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Government has faced since coming to power and will be held on May 1, along with local elections across the country.
Axios
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
New Kinks musical lights up Chicago Shakespeare stage
Chicago Shakespeare Theater's new show strays a bit from what theatergoers may expect. The big picture: "Sunny Afternoon" tells the story of The Kinks, from brothers Ray and Dave Davies working class roots in England to the toll fame took on them and their band. At two hours and 40 minutes, the ensemble, donning English mod costumes and treating the entire theater as a dance hall as they move throughout the audience, belt out more than 25 songs from The Kinks' deep catalog. Zoom in: Ray Davies was very involved in the U.K. premiere of "Sunny Afternoon" in 2014. "He would speak about the character of Ray in the third person, I think, to help him deal with the emotional experience of dramatizing some of the harder moments in his life," director Edward Hall tells Axios. "He also worked to help us ensure that all the instruments and equipment used in the production are authentic and exactly what they used at the time." Fun fact: The Kinks' music stands out from some of their fellow British Invasion peers for a harder, louder sound, but also their musical influence on a range of artists. "I was stunned by the musicians who came to see the show in London because of their love and admiration for The Kinks — Brian May from Queen, the Gallagher brothers from Oasis, Brian Johnson from AC/DC, and all the members of Fleetwood Mac. They all spoke about the influence of The Kinks on their own work," Hall says.
