Ray and Dave Davies are taking issue with the new owner of The Clissold Arms, the London bar where The Kinks played their first show in 1963. In a scenario derived from their 1983 hit "Come Dancing," the venue's "Kinks Corner," a shrine including guitars, records and other souvenirs, is about to be removed to make room for an upscale eatery.

"I would urge whoever has bought the pub to retain some reference to The Kinks so fans all over the world can retain it as a sense of 'place,'" Ray Davies reportedly pleaded. His brother Dave echoed his brother's sentiment to form a new variation of the Village Green Preservation Society. "Why on earth can't they have their posh gastro grub and still keep a part of it for tourists, Kinks fans and the curious?" he said. "I am sure that if this had been The Cavern and The Beatles' history that was being disturbed and got rid of, it would have been brought to the attention of the House of Commons, the Lords and the Queen herself." The new owner, Caroline Jones, remains determined to renovate the premises, "The new pub will be quite different and it won't be the kind of place you would expect to see (memorabilia)."

Labels: The Kinks