Lorne Thomson/RedfernsKinks fans were thrilled when Ray Davies joined his brother, Dave, on stage this past December in London for their first performance together since the band’s 1996 breakup. In a new interview, though, the 71-year-old singer/songwriter doesn’t sound very enthusiastic about the prospects for a full-fledged reunion by his old group.
“I’m still trying to live that down,” he tells The Evening Standard. “I joined him on stage briefly [at the end of a solo concert by Dave] but it would be overly romantic to…start talking about a reunion.”
Ray continues to work on a new solo album that’s expected to be released in 2017, and he also is writing a book that he describes as “a sort of prequel” to his 1995 memoir X-Ray.
Discussing the focus of his book, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer notes, “I’m interested in community and it’s about that and about London. I’m not a political person but I do think we have lost some sense of community. I like working with true stories and elaborating on them.”
Davies also said he was pleased at the continued success of the stage musical Sunny Afternoon, which focuses on The Kinks’ early years and the contentious relationship between him and his brother. The show recently extended its run on London’s West End through October 29, which will bring it past the two-year point.
“You don’t have to be a Kinks fan to enjoy it, it is a universal story,” he says of the show. “I’m really proud and pleased for all the cast, I still go down when the cast changes or there is an understudy to see them perform.”
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