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2019 The Kinks Pay Tribute To Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman

7th, To Close London Film Festival
August Keyboardist Ian Gibbons

| Following His Death At 67
EXAMINER

IRISH

Martin Scorsese’s new gangster movie, The Irishman, will
close the London Film Festival.
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel star
in Scorsese’s Netflix film.
The 76-year-old Taxi Driver and Goodfellas director said he is
“extremely honored” that the movie will close the event.
“This picture was many years in the making. It’s a project that
Robert De Niro and I started talking about a long time ago, and
we wanted to make it the way it needed to be made,” he said.
“It’s also a picture that all of us could only have made at this
point in our lives. We’re all very excited to be bringing The
Irishman to London.”
The cast and director are expected to attend the Closing
Night Gala of the BFI London Film Festival in October.
Described as “an epic saga of organized crime in post-war
America”, the film is adapted from the book I Heard You Paint
Houses.
BFI London Film Festival director Tricia Tuttle said: “British
Film Institute Fellow Scorsese is one of the true greats of cine-
ma, as both a creator and a tireless champion of preservation and
film history.
“Here he and his creative team have delivered an epic of
he Kinks’ Sir Ray together. cheeky-chappy sense of
Davies, Dave Davies “It’s so sad he had to go so humor and generous grin breathtakingly audacious scale and complexity, exploring rela-
Tand Mick Avory have quickly before anyone could that made you feel it was OK, tionships of trust and betrayal, regret and remorselessness,
paid tribute to former say goodbye.” even though there was an which dominated a period of American history.
bandmate Ian Gibbons fol- Recalling hiring Gibbons eight-hour bus ride ahead “This is a major occasion for film lovers and I cannot wait to
lowing his death at the age 40 years ago, Sir Ray said: after a long show and the air share this film with UK audiences.”
of 67. “When he auditioned for the conditioning has broken The premiere will take place on Sunday October 13 in
Keyboardist Gibbons, who band, he only played a few down. London.
was in the rock group on and chords before I knew he was “Though, somehow we’d The film will premiere at the New York Film Festival in
off from 1979 until 1996, died the right guy to have on key- get over the discomfort, September and is expected to be released on streaming service
last Thursday. board – he seemed to know reach the next venue and go Netflix in the autumn.
Sir Ray said in a statement: the right voicing to musically onstage, fresh again.” The 63rd BFI London Film Festival, with American Express,
“To simply say Ian will be slot in between the other Gibbons joined The Kinks, runs from October 2 to 13. C
missed would be an under- members of the band. And known for hits including ‘You
statement. My first thoughts with The Kinks that took Really Got Me’ and ‘Sunny Noel Gallagher: Liam’s Glastonbury
are for his family and loved some doing! Afternoon’, 15 years after Set Embarrassed Me
ones.” “He was also was a bril- they emerged into the main- Noel Gallagher says he was “embarrassed” by his brother
Dave Davies said: “Apart liant accordion player and, stream, in 1979. Liam’s set at Glastonbury.
from being a great profession- apparently, a bit of a child- The musician stayed with The ex-Oasis frontman, 46, combined solo numbers with the
al, Ian always had a positive hood prodigy on that instru- the group for 10 years, while band’s classics at this year’s festival.
attitude to being on the road ment. In the studio, he would also working alongside the But Noel, 52, told The Guardian: “I don’t think I’ve ever been
and recording. willingly try out the most likes of English rockers Dr. so embarrassed for a man in my entire life.
“In the many years he random musical idea I would Feelgood and pop group The “He’s pulled off the incredible magic trick of making those
worked with The Kinks, he throw at him. Kursaal Flyers. Oasis songs sound weedy and thin.
added great color and dimen- “On the road, he could He rejoined The Kinks in “And he looked like he was having the worst day of his life,
sion to The Kinks’ music and always be guaranteed to give 1993 and remained in the walking around in what looks like a pair of my son’s pyjamas,
he was a good friend. a smile of encouragement band until their split in 1996. shouting into a mic about some perceived injustice … if you
“I’ll miss him greatly. Lots from his side of the stage and Over the years Gibbons can’t sing ’em, don’t play ’em!”
of love to his family and buy a round in the bar after also worked with the likes of And he added: “I reckon if I put my two sons in a room –
friends at this difficult time.” the show so we could have a Suzi Quatro, Mike Vernon, one’s nine, one’s 11 – they could probably muster up something
Avory said: “I’ve known party in Ian’s noisy room. Andy Scott and Maggie Bell. better than that new single of his.”
and worked with Ian for 40 “Being in a band is like In 2008 he joined The Kast Last month, Noel accused Liam of sending “threatening mes-
years and I shall always being in a family and today it Off Kinks, a group comprised sages” via his teenage daughter Anais.
remember him as a good is as though we have lost fam- of former band members He posted a screenshot to Twitter appearing to show a text
friend and great musician. I ily member.” Avory, Jim Rodford, John sent by Liam to the 19-year-old, in which the singer warns: “Tell
will miss him so much, espe- Sir Ray added that he was Dalton and John Gosling, as your step mam to be very careful.” C
cially as we were still working “thinking of his smile, his well as Dave Clarke. C