Kinks Tribute - The Besnard Lakes interview

Ah, The Kinks tribute series continues today with these answers from Olga of The Besnard Lakes. The city is beginning to twitch with excitement about this show, not just because we’re honoured to be the first town in North America to do The Kinks the honour, but because we heart the bands involved, like the epic Besnard Lakes. Here’s a little video of The Besnard Lakes to get you all warmed up for the interview…

Warmer? Ok, ready go…

-Hi, The Besnard Lakes / Olga! Why are YOU doing a Kinks tribute?

For shits and giggles! Well, that’s the short answer anyway… the idea comes to me regularly that it’s always good to pay proper tribute to bands that are great and have been in some way overlooked. I just thought The Kinks were a likely candidate because it’s surely true that a lot of people dig them and would like to play and hear their songs. There’s also a sort of anti-hero quality the Davies brothers have, and a sort of DIY-ness or screw the music bizness behind them that is ever endearing to me in some sort of way. And it’s just mind-boggling how many amazing songs The Kinks have written, lots of which are really obscure. I’m seeing lots of selections for the tribute night that are a bit off the beaten track.

-What period or practices of the Kinks inspire you most? Big leather capes Kinks, or?

Ray Davies in a smart suit or an ascot for sure! I guess I like their late 60’s, early 70’s stuff most: Lola Vs. Powerman, Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire, Face to Face, Something Else, Village Green Preservation Society - I like the hit songs too! I like most everything of theirs.

-Why play covers? Why do you think covers are so popular at shows? If the Kinks could cover one of your songs, which one would you have them cover?

It’s enriching, as a player, to play songs that have had an influence on you and surely it’s a bit of a nostalgia trip hearing those songs covered too! But I think it is more than just nostalgia, I think it’s important to re-play good music and to have it endure… there’s a reason that “classic rock” is referred to as such. There’s nothing wrong with hearing these songs from time to time and hearing how they get interpreted differently is very appealing too.
If the Kinks could cover one of our songs I’d love to hear them do Disaster.

-What sort of kinks does you band have?

I don’t understand, no capice… what does that mean?!?!

(don’t worry about it, it’s kinda silly)

-If you could take the Kinks out on the town for one night in Mtl…?

A walk through Mile-End and Outremont, ice-cream at Bilboquet, go to the Mountain, go to St-Laurent for a food/drinks sorta thing, meet some friends, end up at the Mountain, get liquored on a sunny afternoon…

-If the Kinks hadn’t been banned from the US for 4 years in the ’60s how would the world be different?

Maybe they would have been The Beatles and The Beatles would have been the Kinks! The Kinkles?! The Beanks !?! :o)

The Kinks Konvention
May 10, 2008
Les Saints
30 Ste-Catherine Street West, Montreal, QC [MAP]
514-875-5757
Tix are 7$ available at lots of places including Phonopolis and Admissions.com