Gig review: New York Dolls

Published on Tuesday 21 July 2009 19:30

NEW YORK DOLLS **** THE GARAGE, GLASGOW

WHERE once they sneered and strutted, now the New York Dolls can afford themselves the odd moment for nostalgic reflection. The glorious You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory seems always to get them reminiscing, like war-wounded raising a glass to their fellow fallen vets. At this Glasgow show, they dedicated this nugget of sincere sentiment to Michael Jackson and also, as always, to their late colleague Johnny Thunders. Original bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane was also remembered.

But the remaining Dolls are also in the business of celebrating life, with their jubilant performance. Guitarist Sylvain Sylvain is perpetually impish, while the louche, charismatic, Jaggeresque David Johansen is just remarkable – there cannot be many 59-year-olds who could get away with that turquoise diaphanous blouse either.

Although a shock to the system in their day, these proto-punks were simply re-animating classic rock'n'roll influences, and the early bluesy part of this set leaned heavily on music which was 50 years young.

Later, they broke out their patented spin on rock'n'roll with uncomplicated goodtime garage sounds, such as Pills. Their low-slung style hasn't changed in almost 40 years, but they still do it so well. These days they generate affection rather than outrage, but they don't play it too safe – at one point Sylvain cheerfully challenged his fellow guitarist Steve Conte not to take the comfortable option.

Their one senile choice was to trash Trash with a pointless cod reggae workover. Jetboy was given a more sympathetic shake-up and Personality Crisis was delivered as belligerently as ever. Almost everything else in their set was a variation on this evergreen gutter-rock theme, dispensed with verve and heart, and received with much vociferous love from the delighted audience.