Who Let the Kinks In?
After four years on the other side of the Atlantic, the Kinks have returned to America. Despite their absence from live here, the British group has built up a following who appreciate leader Ray Davies’ brilliant satiric lyrics. “It wasn’t that we didn’t want to come back,” said Ray Davies. “We weren’t allowed to come back. There were permit problems. We did want to come back a few months after the last tour. Ray didn’t want to discuss what the problems were. It wasn’t because of drugs. In England the Kinks are known as hard drinking bunch. At one press reception they were seen chasing a journalist down Fifth Street after they had gotten into a fight with him at a press reception. The Kinks maintained their reputation of boozing and brawling. British pop music observers say that Ray and his brother Dave often fought on stage. Their angry antics during the first U.S. tour got them in hot water with the American Federation of Musicians who then barred them from further appearances here u
