Ray Davies denies Kinks will reform 'with or without' Dave Davies
Sean Michaels www.theguardian.com
Davies claims he did not make statements regarding the band’s tour plans for 2015 in a recent interview
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the Guardian
Ray Davies has denied plans to reunite the Kinks “with or without” Dave Davies. The band’s co-founder has accused Mojo magazine of fabricating a quote about touring without his brother in 2015.

“Mojo is wrong,” the Kinks wrote on their Facebook page. “There will be NO Kinks reunion without BOTH Ray and Dave Davies. Ray Davies claims to have never said this.”

The Kinks’ statement was triggered by an interview Mojo published in their October issue, where Ray Davies allegedly promised that the Kinks would tour in 2015. “Dave’s invited to the party, but if he doesn’t want to do it, [the reunion] will happen anyway,” he was quoted as saying. “I’d much rather work with him than without him … If somebody can’t or won’t play, there are other players out there.”

According to that article, Ray and drummer Mick Avory have agreed to play some Kinks dates and have even begun recording new songs under that name. Ray defended his right to refer to use the Kinks’ moniker for this amputated duo: “I think it’s all down to the music,” he said.

The Davies brothers’ latest disagreement is an unfortunate coda to a summer in which they seemed primed to reconcile. In June, Ray said he and Dave had met with a view to reforming the band in studio. This was surprising news: just last fall, Dave said that he couldn’t “face the concept of days and days [recording] with Ray”. Despite the Kinks’ forthcoming 50th anniversary, Dave maintained that the odds of a reunion were no better than 50/50. “We’ve negotiated,” Ray told the BBC Breakfast television show. “In sporting terms, [Dave is] talking to his agent.”