The Kinks' 1965 US tour.
The English rock band the Kinks staged their first concert tour of the United States in June and July 1965, following concerts in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore and a tour of the United Kingdom. Initially one of the most popular British Invasion groups, the Kinks (pictured) saw major commercial opportunity in the US, but the resultant 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' conduct, prompting the US musicians' union to withhold work permits from the band for the next four years, effectively banning them from performing in the US. Their American record sales declined, and bandleader Ray Davies shifted his songwriting approach towards more overt English influences. Davies resolved the ban in early 1969, and the Kinks staged a comeback tour later that year, but they did not achieve regular commercial success in the US again until the late 1970s.
