The Kinks' 1965 US tour
English rock band the Kinks staged their first concert tour of the United States in June and July 1965. The sixteen concerts comprised the third stage of a world tour, following concerts in Australasia, Asia and the United Kingdom and before later stages in continental Europe. The US tour was plagued with issues between the band, their management, local promoters and the American music unions. Promoters and union officials filed complaints over the Kinks' unprofessional conduct, prompting the US musicians' union to withhold work permits from the band for the next four years, effectively banning them from US performance.
| Tour by the Kinks | |
| Associated album | Kinks-Size |
|---|---|
| Start date | 18 June 1965 |
| End date | 10 July 1965 |
| No. of shows | 16 |
| The Kinks concert chronology | |
The programme was in the package-tour format typical of the 1960s, with one show per day, several support acts on the bill and the Kinks' set lasting around 40 minutes. The concerts were often poorly attended due to a lack of advertising and promotion, leaving local promoters sometimes unable to pay the band the full amount. Disagreement over payment with a California promoter led to the band refusing to perform at the Cow Palace near San Francisco. The band were often at odds with American unions; during a week of promotional work in Los Angeles midway through the tour, lead guitarist Dave Davies's refusal to sign a contract with the US performers' union before a television appearance led to a physical fight between bandleader Ray Davies and a union official.
The relationship between Ray and the Kinks' personal manager Larry Page was marked by continual friction. Bothered by Ray's behaviour, Page departed to England in the tour's final week. On their return to London, the Kinks sought to dismiss Page for what they saw as an abandonment. The dismissal took three years to litigate in English courts. Unable to promote their music via subsequent tours or television appearances, the Kinks saw a decline in their US record sales. Cut off from the American music scene, Ray shifted his songwriting approach towards more overt English influences. Ray resolved the ban in early 1969, and the Kinks staged a comeback tour later that year.