Tourists perambulating along the Thames’ South Bank recently had little reason to notice a busker performing on the waterfront next to the Royal National Theatre … until they realised that this impromptu ‘gig’ was being staged by Kinks legend, Ray Davies.
As the sun began to set Davies performed his classic Waterloo Sunset with electric piano, looking straight across at Waterloo Bridge and singing into an AKG C5 microphone.
Davies’ live sound engineer for the last decade, Tristan Mallett, always equipped with AKG mics — from humble solo performances such as this to a major rock event.
Using a simple PA on sticks, he also miked the Crouch End Festival Chorus, who supported Davies, with six of AKG’s classic C414 condenser mics.
"AKG has always been my brand of choice and Ray likes my C5. With the C5 you get great condenser quality, with great feedback rejection, at rock and roll sound pressure levels. I started using it when it first came out … and have been hooked, ever since."
Mallett will typically mic larger shows with the C414’s on overheads and guitars, and he is presently demoing AKG drum mics. "We have a wide selection of AKG mics — including the AKG C416b accordion mic," he says.
The South Bank event was in advance of the release of Davies's new album, The Kinks Choral Collection on which the Crouch End Festival Chorus is also performing and Ray Davies performed his classic song from 1967 not once but twice — to the delight of his fans.
In addition, a new arrangement of See my Friends (first released in 1965), which appears on the new album, was premiered first by the choir and then in conjunction with Davies.
