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KEVIN AYERS
Shaw Theatre

28 April 1992

KEVIN AYERS Lady Rachael
Belgian TV
1975



KEVIN AYERS
May I

Palau Gran, Barcelona
1982



KEVIN AYERS
Shouting in a Bucket
Palau Gran, Barcelona
1982

KEVIN AYERS
Run [Take It Easy]
Palau Gran, Barcelona
1982



KEVIN AYERS
Everybody's Sometimes

Palau Gran, Barcelona
1982



KEVIN AYERS
Didn't Feel Lonely

Palau Gran, Barcelona
1982



KEVIN AYERS
Supersalesman

'Tal Cual'
Spanish TV 1982



KEVIN AYERS
Shouting in a Bucket Blues

'Tal Cual' 1982
Spanish TV 1982



KEVIN AYERS
Am I Really Marcel

'Tal Cual' 1982
Spanish TV 1982



KEVIN AYERS
Another Saturday Night

Tal Cual' 1982
Spanish TV 1982

KEVIN AYERS
Flying Start
Spanish TV 1987

KEVIN AYERS
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Spanish TV 1987

KEVIN AYERS
Another Saturday Night
Spanish TV 1987



KEVIN AYERS
Tienerklanken
(Teen Voices)

Belgian TV 1975

Full video here

KEVIN AYERS
Complete show [nearly]
Dortmund 21 April 1992

 

KEVIN AYERS
Musical Express

Spanish TV 1981
With John Cale,
and Andy Summers





Musical Express Spanish TV 1981

John Cale flew in to Barcelona from NYC and wouldn't play a note until he'd been paid. The camera crew had to stop work by about 1400hrs because of union rules, so RTVE had people desperately scurrying out to banks to get cash. It was getting close to time and Kevin was pleading with Cale to get started. I remember him saying 'RTVE is practically a government agency ... it's not going to not pay you' but Cale did not concur and stuck to his position. Eventually, the dosh arrived and I have NEVER seen anyone put a band together as fast as Cale did that day. Heartbreak Hotel was absolutely electrifying. - Jerry Hart

Yes, Cale when told that RTVE was a Government agency, only strengthened his resolve not to budge until he had been paid in US Dollars. I recall him stressing to me that Government agencies were NEVER to be trusted. After the taping of the show I had the job of minding Cale for the next 36 hours or so....Phew!!! - Ian Carpenter

 

Shooting At The Moon: The Collected Lyrics Of Kevin Ayers

The complete Kevin Ayers lyrics plus hundreds of photos including a large number featuring Ollie which you will not hava seen before.

I was gigging regularly with Kevin in the late 60s/early 70s the gigs would be totally unpredictable and that's what attracted me to his music in the first place I guess - the fact that there was no set pattern to what would happen. I recall one gig where I was soloing and spotted Kevin gesturing me to end the solo so I stopped and Lol Coxhill said 'why are you stopping?; I pointed to Kev and Lol shouted 'oh don't take any notice, you carry on!' Since two or three others were also soloing at the time I stepped away!"

- John Altman


Let There be Drums!

'Starvin' Marvin Siau has unearthed a marvellous clip of Kevin Ayers from Belgian TV in 1982.

The members of his touring band decided to play musical chairs with the instrumentation. This resulted in Ollie being reunited with his first love, the drum kit . Whilst girlfriend Zanna Gregmar does a Hendrix impersonation with his Gibson SG guitar.

"Kevin would play on any piece of wood that 's in tune and to save time in between gigs play on the same gear as the band before, " says Marvin.

"It encouraged me to play without pedals on an odd instrument in uncomfortable circumstances sometimes, see how long I would hold out, hihi, learned a lot from that!"

Bassist Bolle Gregmar recalls: " We all switched around on the instruments because Ollie didn't care to pose for a guitar solo he wasn't actually playing, so He's on Drums, Zanna on wicked Guitar, and Pedro Colom [bass player] on keyboard and me [drummer] on bass.

We did the whole thing in one real take and one rehearsal. wish it were better quality. but This is a fun moment in the Bruxelles TV station. On that same Billing were The Jam and they did A Town Called Malice. There was a guitar incident with a forgotten Rickenbacker 12-string for Paul Weller and he refused to even play Kevin's 6-string Rickenbacker which was offered. So the result was that Mr Weller performed in the video sans guitaire."

 

Thanks to 'Starvin' Marvin Siau

Playing with someone like Ollie makes the whole tedious process of going out on the road worthwhile."

- Kevin Ayers

Kevin Ayers memorial

Kevin Ayers memorial plaque laid in the churchyard at Deia, Mallorca, 16 August 2003

The incription along the bottom reads, "Well, that was something, as opposed to nothing."

For more information about Kevin Ayers, please visit:

 

CLICK/TAP TO VIEW ALL IMAGES
Kevin Ayers and The Soporifics • Live 1974-1975

Rainbow Theatre, London 1.6.74
Best bits released as June 1st 1974 album. Remainder poor quality, This is quite good though

Didn't Feel Lonely


Hyde Park, London 29.6.74
• May I

Shouting In A Bucket Blues
Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
Didn't Feel Lonely
Whatevershebringswesing
We Did It Again (with Gong)


Nottingham University 11.74
• May I
• Shouting in a Bucket Blues
• Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
• Didn't Feel Lonely
• Lady Rachel
• Interview
• Sweet Deceiver
• Guru Banana
• Observations
• Whatevershebringswesing
• Stop This Trainl

BBC Radio (Rock On) 11.11.74
• After The Show


Manchester Free Trade Hall 15.11.74
• May I
• Shouting in a Bucket Blues
• Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
• When Your Parents Go to Sleep
• Didn't Feel Lonely
• Lady Rachel
• Interview
• Guru Banana
• Sweet Deceiver
• Observations
• Stop This Train
• Falling in Love Again
• Don't Be Cruel


Paris Salle Wagram 24.2.75 [Radio]
La Ville De Paris
Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
Hat Song
[Interview]
The One Chance Dance
Dr Dream Theme


BBC Radio 27.3.75
• Shouting in a Bucket Blues

Kevin Ayers live
1980-1982

Hurrah's Club New York
24.4.80

• Banana Intro
• Didn't Feel Lonely
• May I
• Shouting in a Bucket Blues
• Stop This Train

• Everybody's Sometimes
• Supersalesman

• Why Are We Sleeping
• Idiots
• That's What You Get Babe
• Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
• Animals
• Ballad of Mr Snake
• Beware of The Dog
• See You Later
• Falling in Love Again

One of the rare live shows with Ollie playing a Gibson Les Paul Junior with an extraordinary 'violin' tone.

LISTEN

New York, New York


Trax, New York 9.5.80
• Didn't Feel Lonely
• May I
• Shouting in a Bucket Blues
• Stop This Train

• Everybody's Sometimes
• Supersalesman
• Why Are We Sleeping
• Idiots
• That's What You Get Babe
• Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
• Animals
• Ballad of Mr Snake
• Falling in Love Again
• See You Later
• Take Me to Tahiti
• The Hat Song

The other rare show! Not as good sound as Hurricanes. Only known live versions of Take Me to Tahiti and The Hat Song

Hurrah's Club, New York, May 1980
Photo: TF

It was the Gibson Les Paul Junior guitar , pictured here, that was responsible for the extraordinary 'violin' tone[previously assumed to be a Fender Stratocaster] present on the New York recordings.

LISTEN

Puerto de Soller, Mallorca
Discoteca El Patio
December 1981

• May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
• Take It Easy [Run]
• Didn't Feel Lonely
Everybody's Sometime
Super Salesman
• Howling Man
• Beware of the Dog

• Animals
• Cocaine in My Brain
• Budget Tours Part 1 [Africa]
• Stop This Train
• Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes

Recording © Miguel Coll

LISTEN

 

Photo: Ian Carpenter


Venlo 5.4.82

Africa

Animals

Everybody's Sometimes

Howling Man

May I

Shouting In A Bucket Blues

Supersalesman

Champagne & Valium

Why Are We Sleeping

German Radio broadcast 11/3/82. Very good quality 'audience' recording. This show has been issued as abootleg CD Sweet Dreamer - so DON'T buy it! - listen online to better quality versions here.

The Teddy Bears Picnic
Romareda, Zaragoza 10.3.81

May I

Shouting in a Bucket Blues

Didn't Feel Lonely

Take it Easy

Everybody's Sometime

Super Salesman

Beware of the Dog

Teddy Bears' Picnic

Africa

Stop This Train

Animals

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes

A rare recording from this period of their career. Featuring Zanna Gregmar on keyboards and vocals and Ollie in spectacularly heavy form!

Listen out for Ollie and Kevin's extraordinary and inexplicable rendition of The Teddy Bear's Picnic at the end of Beware of the Dog.

The Zaragoza gig in March was among the first gigs with Ollie & Zanna in my two years working with Kevin. The TV special with John Cale and Andy Summers was towards the end of the year. During 1981 we did quite a few gigs in Spain including a bullring in Alicante with Dr. Feelgood, the Teatro Martin in Madrid with the Sex Beatles, the Magic in Barcelona and quite a few in Mallorca." - Ian Carpenter

Kevin Ayers live
1986-1988

Deia Parke Municipal
30.8.86

Why Are We Sleeping
Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
Big Bamboo
Didn't Feel Lonely
Animals
Shouting in a Bucket
Steppin' Out
Everybody's Sometimes
Flying Start
Supersalesman
Stop This Train
Do What You Feel Like
Cocaine Blues
Flying Start

LISTEN


Rotterdam De Lantaren
1.3.88

Another Rolling Stone

Didn't Feel Lonely

Everybodys Sometime

May I

Shouting In A Bucket Blues

Steppin Out

The Best We Have

A quite staggering funk version of Didn't Feel Lonely, with an incredibly inventive solo building to a wonderful `chickin pickin' climax.


Amsterdam 4.3.88
Poor sound - not worth listing


Tilburg 6.3.88
[Poor sound - not worth listing]


Zeche, Bochum 8.3.88
May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Didn't Feel Lonely
Steppin' Out
Everybody's Sometime
Supersalesman
Animals
Stop This Train
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Am I Really Marcel


Munich 10.3.88
May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Didn't Feel Lonely
Steppin' Out
Saturday Night
Another Rolling Stone
Everybody's Sometime

[Supersalesman]
Animals
Stop This Train
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Am I Really Marcel


Aachen 13.3.88
May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Didn't Feel Lonely
Saturday Night
Another Rolling Stone
Everybody's Sometime
Supersalesman

Animals
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Am I Really M
arcel?

 

 

Leiden, Holland
19.3.88

May I

Shouting in a Bucket

Stepping Out

Another Saturday Night

Everybodys Sometime

Super salesman

Animals

Why Are We Sleeping

Stop This Train

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes

Am I Really Marcel

Cocaine Blues

Didnt Feel Lonely

A rare complete Am I Really Marcel together. Elsewhere, Ollie throws the Superstition riff into Didn't Feel Lonely.

Recording courtesy of Joerg Reinicke


London, Queen Elizabeth Hall 28.3.88
May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Saturday Night
Everybody's Sometimes
Champagne & Valium
Stop This Train
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Am I Really Marcel
Why Are We Sleeping
See You Later
Stepping Out
Animals
Don't Fall in Love With Me


Kyoto or Mido Kaikan Hall, Osaka
19.12.88
May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Steppin' Out
EveryBody's Sometimes
Decadence
Supersalesman

Animals
Champagne & Valium
Why Are We Sleeping
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Am I Really Marcel


Tokyo 21.12.88
May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Steppin' Out
Everybody's Sometimes
Champagne & Valium

Supersalesman
Decadence
Animals
Why Are We Sleeping
Stop This Train
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Am I Really Marcel
Don't Fall in Love With Me
Stop This Train

Poor sound for most of the recording, but one track [Champagne & Valium] that contains what must rank as one of Ollie's finest ever solos! Tokyo show is Included in the bootleg CD Spanish Troubadour

Japan


Fukuoka 23.12.88
May I
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Steppin' Out
Everybody's Sometimes
Champagne & Valium

Supersalesman
Decadence
Animals
Why Are We Sleeping
• Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
• Am I Really Marcel
• Don't Fall in Love With Me
• Stop This Train

Smile Awhile
Hamburg Fabrik 16.3.88

May I (part)

Shouting in a Bucket Blues

Didn't Feel Lonely

Another Rolling Stone

Everybody's Sometimes

Supersalesman

Animals

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes

Am I Really Marcel (part)

Unfortunately the end of the recording is cut short as is the beginning, but "Smile a while," says Kevin as Ollie launches into his May I solo. And he does.

The first solo in Didn't Feel Lonely manages to reference both Rhapsody in Blue and Sabre dance within four bars

Shouting in a Bucket Blues, which can only be adequately described as the musical equivalent of plate spinning.

Kevin Ayers
1992

Bordeaux 6.4.92
May I
Steppin' Out
Everybody's Sometime
Supersalesman
I Don't Depend On You
There Goes Johnny
Why Are We Sleeping
Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
Ghost Train

© Roy Wood


Paris 4.92
Feeling This Way
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Animals
May I
Thank You Very Much
There Goes Johnny
Everybody's Sometime
Supersalesman
Ghost Train
I Don't Depend on You
Why Are We Sleeping

© Roy Wood

Concert review


The Elderly Brothers
VARA Fm, Hilversum, Netherlands
2.4.92
M16
There Goes Johnny
Thank You Very Much
Goodnight Irene

A rare acoustic session from Kevin and Ollie [on borrowed right-handed guitar]

Thanks to Jorge Souto Bartolomé

Richard Skinner Show (GLR) 30.4.92
I Don't Depend on You
May I
Another acoustic duo session by Kevin and Ollie


Amsterdam Paradiso
3.4.92

Feeling This Way
Shouting In A Bucket Blues
Animals
May I
Steppin Out
Thank You Very Much
There Goe Johnny
EveryBody's Sometimes
Supersalesman
Ghost Train
M16
I Don't Depend on You
Stranger in Bliue Suede Shoes
Irene Goodnight (yes, really!)

Stop This Train

© Roy Wood


Cheval Blabc, Shiltigheim, Strasbourg 14.4.92
Feeling This Way
Shouting in a Bucket Blues
Animals
May I
There Goes Johnny
Everybody's Sometime
Supersalesman
Ghost Train
I Don't Depend on You
Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
Why Are We Sleeping
Thank You Very Much
Two Goes Into Four


Dortmund 21.4.92
Poor sound - not worth listing

VIDEO

 

 

 

Bonn Jazz Galerie
22.4.92

Feeling This Way

Shouting in a Bucket Blues

Animals

May I

Thank You Very Much

There Goes Johnny

Everybody's Sometime

Supersalesman

Ghost Train

I Don't Depend on You

Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes

Why Are We Sleeping

Stop This Train

Two Goes Into Four

Again, basically the whole show but particularly Don't Depend on You. I'm not ashamed to admit to the odd tear during the final notes of the solo on this now exquisitely ironic piece. Not as good a sound as Rennes but my favourite concert overall. By the way, how many of you geetar players have managed to master the deceptively simple riff in Here Comes Johnny.

© Roy Wood

Concert review


London, Shaw Theatre 28.4.92

Feeling This Way
Shouting In A Bucket Blues
Animals
May I
Thank You Very Much
Everybody's Sometime
Supersalesman
Ghost Train
I Don't Depend On You
Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
Why Are We Sleeping

VIDEO

Concert review


London, Shaw Theatre 30.4.92
Feeling This Way
Shouting In A Bucket Blues
Animals
May I
Thank You Very Much
There Goes Johnny
Everybody's Sometime
Supersalesman
I Don't Depend On You
Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
Why Are We Sleeping
Stop This Train
Two Goes Into Four

Concert review

Still LIVE With Guitar
Rennes, France
9.4.92

The obvious companion to the album Still LIFE With Guitar. These live versions are the best quality recordings in existence. DAT straight from the sound desk [how could that happen?] and include the very best 'May I' solo of all - acknowledged by Kevin as The Ollie Halsall Experience! ['Goodnight Irene' is actually from the Amsterdam Paradiso but added to complete this superb show.]

Feeling This Way

Shouting In A Bucket Blues

Animals

May I

There Goes Johnny

Everybody's Sometimes

Supersalesman

Ghost Train

M16

I Don't Depend On You

Why Are We Sleeping

Stranger In Blues Suede Shoes

Goodnight Irene

Recording © Roy Wood

 

Full Ayers/Halsall concert recording list from
Why Are We Sleeping
magazine

Quique Villafañe
 

I was the drummer in Kevin Ayers' band on the 1992 Still Life With Guitar tour and had the privilege of playing with the great Ollie, although it wasn't the first time I played with him (before that, we did a Spanish TV video and some concerts in Spain with Kevin Ayers' band).

Ollie played awesome during the tour, I couldn't believe my ears.The band sounded great most of the time (there was Claudia Puyó on keyboards and vocals and Marcelo Fuentes on bass). Roy Wood, the road manager, recorded all the concerts. Unfortunatly, the tapes were stolen in Paris, while we were having dinner at a restaurant. [The Archive does hold some of the recordings courtesy of Roy Wood - Ed.]

Ollie was such a humble person, he never used to talk about himself or the people he had played with. Actually, I learned all about his career after his death.

We got along very well. He used to come every time we played in Madrid with Claudia's group (Los Románticos de Artane). Kevin's tour finished in London (Bernard Shaw theatre). I remember Ollie (and us) singing some daring lyrics to a famous opera leitmotiv, during dinner at a London restaurant.

 

A couple of days before coming back to Madrid, Ollie took Claudia and I to an Indian restaurant and after that he called a taxi and took us to see London Bridge and Tower Bridge. It was late at night and there was nobody around. It was a foggy night and the scene was very oneiric. Ollie told us about the 1666 Great Fire of London. I think it was his way to say goodbye to us, although he wasn't aware of it.

We were so shocked when he died, we couldn't believe what was happening, we had had great moments playing together during the 30 day tour. Now I can say I feel better sharing these memories with Ollie's fans. I'm one of them.

Quique Villafañe, Madrid 2012

Besides his work as a teacher at the Escuela de Música Creativa, Quique is working in a project with his own compositions, mixing instrumental music, mixing and rhythms from North, Central and South America.

www.myspace.com/quiquevillafane


Kevin Ayers' official site

Facelift magazine archive

Claudia Puyól's website

Why Are We Sleeping

 

 

Ugly Things magazine #30

Shooting at the Moon: The collected lyrics of Kevin Ayers
The complete illustrated lyrics.

Kevin Ayers book

Kevin Ayers: August 16th 2013 Deià by Susan LomasFans, family and friends gathered to celebrate Kevin's life and music. Susan Lomas captures the atmosphere in words and pictures.

Tuning Up At Dawn
Tuning Up at Dawn
A Memoir of Music and Mallorca
by Thomas Graves

Includes a lengthy chapter on Ollie and his association with The Pa Amb Oli Band.


The Way Too Weard
Roy Weard toured with many bands in various capacities from T-Shirt seller to sound engineer, production manager and tour manager. Notably including Kevin Ayers

 

 
Kevin Ayers Live
Kevin Ayers Albums >