After Moby called “Lola” “transphobic” in an interview with the Guardian, The Kinks' Dave Davies hit back bluntly. His brother Ray even asked, “Who the fuck is Moby?” »
The Kinks are not the type to let themselves be criticized without responding. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Moby cited the Kinks classic “Lola” (1970) as one of the songs he could “no longer listen to” due to its content. “It appeared on a Spotify playlist, and I found the lyrics rude and transphobic”he declared. “I like their early music, but I was really shocked by how backward the lyrics were. »
Dave Davies defends 'Lola' with support from Jayne County
Kinks guitarist Dave Davies first responded on Twitter, saying “deeply insulted that Moby would accuse my brother of being “backward” or transphobic in any way”. He also shared a previously unpublished essay by pioneering transgender artist Jayne County, written for the 50th anniversary box set of Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One in 2020, in which she described “Lola” as “one of those songs that “broke the ice” for me! A song that breaks down barriers and shines a light on a once-taboo subject, making it completely natural.”.
“Who the fuck is Moby?” » —Ray Davies
Contacted by WECB, Dave Davies revealed that he had just spoken on the phone with his brother Ray, singer of the Kinks and author of “Lola”. “Ray said to me, 'Who the fuck is Moby?' » »says Dave. “I said, 'He's someone who's doing pretty well.' I don't know anything about the guy. » »
After that conversation, Davies sat down to listen to Moby's hit “South Side” (2000) and a few other tracks. “I don’t like to criticize anyone”he declared. “But I didn’t particularly like his music. And I don't like him because he's spouting all this crap about something that shouldn't bother him. »
Marc Almond of Soft Cell also defends “Lola”
Davies also pointed out that Soft Cell singer Marc Almond defended the song on Instagram. “Oh, please.”wrote Almond, “a brilliant, funny, loving, tender and truly pioneering song that tells a Soho story of a naive city guy — one of my favorite songs of all time. Relax. »
Dave Davies prepares his return to the stage
The Kinks guitarist, very discreet in recent years, hopes to schedule a few concerts in the fall. “But rather than a straight rock show, I want to do something more intimate”he specifies. His partner Rebecca Wilson adds that he had breakfast with Dennis Diken, the drummer of the Smithereens, and that he also jammed with another guitarist. The concerts will be closer to the MTV Unplugged format.
A booking has already been confirmed: the Gene Simmons Legends of Rock Expo in Las Vegas at the end of September, alongside Gene Simmons, Disturbed bassist John Moyer, and drummers Carmine and Vinny Appice.
As for a possible Kinks reunion, Dave remains cautious: “I don’t think so, no. But who knows? I can't answer that. » The Davies brothers, however, collaborated with the British painter Christian Furr on an artistic exhibition dedicated to the Kinks in London.
