Ray Davies at Bloomsbury Theatre, London

"It's been a very difficult year for everybody," Ray Davies admits, the nearest he gets to acknowledging his being shot in the leg by muggers in New Orleans, and the recent stroke suffered by his brother and co-Kink, Dave. But 2004 has been a year of revival for Davies, too, as the reissue of The Kinks' 1968 album, Village Green Preservation Society, has given focus to the British public's lasting affection for his band. The format of his solo show, though, remains untouched: to lead his fans in cheery singalongs to some of pop's most deathless, deeply ambiguous lyrics.