60s Belfast wasn’t quite Carnaby Street but lots of musicians and celebrities visited here for gigs and appearances. This clip features a 1966 interview with the founders of one of the most famous British bands, The Kinks, Ray and Dave Davies.

Ray and Dave talk to Maggie from UTV music show, ‘Pop Around’. At this time, The Kinks were at the peak of their fame with their hit song, Sunny Afternoon, sitting high in the pop charts. The interview covers Dave’s fashion designs, the inspiration for Ray’s songs and their current favourite songwriters. 

Ray Davies is a prolific songwriter. His music often focusses on social issues and very English subjects such as village greens and the class structure. Sunny Afternoon is a perfect example of the latter with its look at the British taxation system. The Kinks were part of the new style of British music, led by the Beatles. They encapsulated the idea of the ‘Swinging 60s’ with their mod style and modern music sensibilities. Unlike the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, however, The Kinks only had moderate success in the USA with the so-called British Invasion of the 60s. This is partially attributed to the tempestuous relationship between the two brothers who often came to blows on stage. Also, their appeal was more British than international, with Ray’s songwriting focussing on the every day lives of ordinary people and historic British imperialism. 

Today, Ray Davies remains an iconic songwriter. He continues to both write and perform. The music of The Kinks has stood the test of time and the social comment within the songs remains so relevant.

The Kinks were one of many bands to make the trip over to Northern Ireland, which had a thriving music scene at this time. The Digital Film Archive reflects this with film featuring The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones and many others. The huge Irish showband scene and music shows such as ‘Pop Around’ fuelled the teenage appetite for all kinds of popular music and with most towns having at least a dancehall, there were plenty of venues.

Take a look through the Digital Film Archive for more celebrities and pop stars.