Why Were The Kinks Banned To Perform In America?

It's true, as I answer another of your great Rock questions below!

Q: I understand the Kinks were banned from America in the 60's. Is this true?

A: It's speculated it was because of their onstage fighting.....and these guys seemed to always be fighting or arguing; at least, if you believe everything you read in the papers. Brothers Ray & Dave Davies seem to always be arguing or disagreeing about something – ANYthing, even threatening to leave the band (but neither ever has, at least for very long). But as far as actual fighting – there have been some real whoppers during their career! For instance, there was an on-stage fight between drummer Mick Avory and guitarist Dave Davies at the Capitol Theater in Wales: after the band performed their very first song of the night – YOU REALLY GOT ME - Davies shouted insults at Avory and kicked over his drum set. Avory got up and hit Davies with his hi-hat stand, knocking him out right there onstage. Avory ran offstage and out of the building, thinking he had killed Davies. Davies' head took 16 stitches and Avory was picked up by the cops. Avory wormed his way out of it by saying it was “all part of the act” where the band members would hit each other with their instruments. Later, after an American tour, the American Federation of Musicians refused to let the Kinks perform in the U.S. for four years. This happened around 1966 during the height of the “British Invasion” and prevented the Kinks from having any more Top 40 singles in America. Their last Top 40 of the 60's was SUNNY AFTERNOON (#14, 1966) and sure enough, exactly four years later to the month (August) the Kinks finally got another American Top 40 hit, LOLA (#9, 1970). Nobody ever gave an 'official' reason why the Kinks were banned in America for those 4 years but most everyone feels it was because of their onstage fighting.