Ray Davies

Emerging talent gets the chance to strut their stuff but since its inaugural event in 1984 the organisers have always secured iconic acts like Van Morrison Amy Winehouse and Burt Bacharach as headliners.

Dark rain clouds circled like vultures above Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College as Ray Davies took the stage.

Following a torrentially unsunny afternoon and with forecasts promising the most monsoon-like of Waterloo sunsets the Kinks legend and Britpop godfather takes to this neoclassical Greenwich courtyard primed for an elemental tussle.

Instead here was Davies making his big summer appearance in the capital city his songs have helped to define with just his solo band.

On top of a special venue and amazingly enthusiastic speakers Hendrick’s Gin had designed 32 different cocktails meant to represent each and every one of London boroughs.

On top of a special venue and amazingly enthusiastic speakers Hendrick’s Gin had designed 32 different cocktails meant to represent each and every one of London boroughs.

It was followed by a quartet of other Kinks hits raucously fun and rowdy the best of which was a beautiful staging of Sunny Afternoon with Irish guitarist Bill Shanley – who adroitly backed Davies all evening – lending pin-sharp vocal harmonies.