In a recent interview with The Guardian, Moby said he can no longer listen to “Lola” by The Kinks, taking issue with the song’s lyrics.
The 1970 classic popped up for him on a Spotify playlist, but the reaction was immediate. “I thought the lyrics were gross and transphobic,” he said, adding that while he still respects the band’s early catalogue, he was struck by how “unevolved” the track feels now.
Kinks guitarist Dave Davies didn’t hold back in response, initially writing on Twitter that he was “highly insulted” by the suggestion his brother — frontman and songwriter Ray Davies — was transphobic. He also pointed to an unreleased essay from pioneering transgender artist Jayne County, who praised “Lola” as a barrier-breaking song that brought a once-taboo subject into the open.
Speaking further on the backlash, Dave revealed he’d since discussed the comments directly with Ray. “Ray said to me, ‘Who the fuck is Moby?’” he recalled. “I said, ‘He’s someone who does quite well. I don’t know anything about the guy.’”
Curious, Davies went back and listened to Moby’s music, including his 2000 hit South Side. The verdict was blunt. “I don’t like to criticise anybody,” he said. “But I didn’t particularly like his music. And I don’t like him because he’s throwing all this shit up about something that shouldn’t bother him.”
Still, he acknowledged Moby’s activism. “I do love animals. I appreciate Moby’s work for animals. But he’s misinterpreting us, really.”
Support for the track also came from Marc Almond, who defended “Lola” on Instagram, calling it “a brilliant, funny, affectionate, sweet and actually groundbreaking song… one of my all-time favourites.”
Beyond the controversy, Davies hinted at a return to live shows, though not in the way fans might expect. Rather than a full rock set, he’s eyeing more stripped-back performances in the vein of intimate, story-driven sessions.
He’s also set to appear at the Gene Simmons Legends of Rock Expo in Las Vegas later this year, with a possible all-star jam alongside fellow rock veterans.
Despite decades of tension, Dave says he and Ray are currently on good terms, with the pair also collaborating on a London art exhibition with painter Christian Furr, based on a vintage photo of the brothers.
As for a full Kinks reunion? Davies isn’t ruling it out entirely — but he’s not promising anything either. “It doesn’t look like it,” he said. “But who is to say?”
