Laurie Lyons

Looking back, my love affair with the music of the
Kinks has taken me places I had only dreamed of . . .
Here we all are on the Information Superhighway - and
members of the KPS!

Give me life on the road!

I had met the The Kinks a few times at Noisy Room
events back in the "Give the People What They Want"
era. The Kinks toured the States almost yearly. It was
Party Time!!! Our first real meeting had me, and best
friend, waiting in the lobby after closing down the
hotel bar of the Park Hilton and being full of liquid
courage (Flaming Green Lizards).  We were trying to
convince the desk clerk we were old friends of the
Kinks. I was barely 18 at the time. Okay, so a young
friend.

I was in a Seattle band with a song on the radio. How
cool was that!? The Kinks entered the hotel lobby and
walked to the elevator, the desk clerk pointed and
told us "go ask your old friends for their room number
then."

Acting as though we were lifelong friends, Ray played
along and invited us to join the party in "the noisy
room."

It had been an unusual concert. A man fell through the
ceiling of the Arena causing some injuries not only to
himself but to the people that he fell upon.  Ray
stopped the concert and asked us all to calmly leave
the building to give these people some room.

The mood was a bit somber on the ride up the elevator.
Ray got off first and I naturally started to follow
after him and was pulled back into the elevator by
someone telling me "You don't want to go with him, you
want to come to the noisy room." Wrong!

I was assured Ray would be coming to the noisy room a
bit later. An he did, with true dramatic flair.  He
blew into the room, wearing the all white "Star Maker"
suit, blowing on a duck caller, and carrying an old
Silver Tone guitar with the amp in the case.  I was in
awe and thrilled!

Ray let me play his guitar and I played an original
song for the room which I believe went over quite
well. Then I made the ultimate faux pas. I DID NOT
leave them wanting more . . . I started playing other
songs instead of giving the guitar back to it's
rightful owner.  I blame this on my mixing Flaming
Green Lizards with whatever Scotch I was drinking in
the noisy room.  Though I really don't remember with
much clarity those days, my best friend reminds me
whenever she can, how Ray asked if we would all like
to hear him play and I started into yet another song -
I think it was Lola.

But I didn't really know how to play it - just the
opening chords.  Jim was nice enough to take the
guitar and show my friend and I the rest of the
chords.  I think I went into a blackout shortly after
that . . . so I take the 5th!!!

And I hate Scotch!

Back in the late 1980's while living in the great
Pacific Northwest of America I listened for our boys
around the dial and looked for them on MTV and VH1.
They hadn't toured this area in some time. I had hopes
of having my Davies-inspired songwriting being
discovered but instead it was my relationship with the
old "Demon Alcohol" that kept me on a barstool in some
cheap dive singing with the radio and telling stories
of how famous I would be someday. And if a Kinks song
happened to be pulled from the vaults of obscurity and
started playing, I would scream and sing along, trying
to Konvert all the patrons in the bar. If they could
only see the genius before them, the songs of
brotherhood, Love and War, Romance and broken dreams.
Weren't we all "Norman"???

"Have another Drink" became my theme song and lasted
until 1992.  I hadn't written any new songs in
years...
I gave up alcohol in 1992.  I rediscovered the Kinks
and they were touring the PNW again!!  I bought my
ticket for the show at the moment the box office
opened.  One didn't have to wait in long lines
anymore, one could order tickets by phone!!

I told all my new friends about the upcoming show. I
did not try to convert them, I just shared with them
my love of Kinks music. I still scream when I hear a
Kinks song being played on the radio!!

As the big day approached the word came over air waves
that Ray Davies had been hurt and the rest of the tour
would be canceled. First I worried about Ray's health
and then I felt such a disappointment, like I would
never get the chance to see them again and to say
"Thank you for the Days".

In 1994 I became involved with a self-proclaimed
computer geek (which translates to "a really good
guy") and he introduced me to the Internet.  It was
his roommate who found the KINKS DIGEST for me.  My
first requested address on the WORLD WIDE WEB was the
KPS!!!  And oh what a tangled web we weave . . .

I have met so many Dedicated Followers, Soul Mates,(we
can have more than one?) Fellow Travelers and Trudgers
online, that have become my extended family.  And in
my case, I needed to find a family where I could fit
in.  A family of Misfits.

Hooking up with KPS and all of Neil O's efforts led me
to places I never had seen.  In 1996, I learned of Ray
and Dave solo concerts here and abroad.  And now we can order the tickets online!!

Front row seats!  I was able to start traveling and I was writing again.

In 2002, I read about the Arvon Foundation Songwriting
course taught by Ray and was able to sign on early
enough to get accepted for the next course.  That was
an experience I am still trying to integrate.  I left
a bit fractured actually.  Just try writing two songs
a day that must also be presented and performed to the
class and RAY.  That's the same RAY DAVIES that I had
idolized since I was nine years old!?  Ray asked me how I
was doing in passing as I was scurrying back to my room, I smiled
and said "It's torture."  We didn't speak much after
that . . . it's okay Ray, I meant "torture" in a good
way.

And here it is getting near to the end of the OO's. And up
to DIGEST 3000!

Neil, You have a made a mark on the hearts and minds
of so many! And I mean "mark" in a good way!

I have left the barstool and now I sit in a ergonomic,
flexible back, contoured seat computer chair!