New York Dolls @ Manning Bar,Sydney (15/10/11)

Thu 20th Oct, 2011 in Gig Reviews

1971 gave birth to a band that had glimmers of glam but a sound that was not a regular occurrence in the Bowery or in many garages back then. Besides that, Johnny Thunders, David Johansen, Billy Murcia, Syl Sylvain and Arthur Kane could simply blow you away with their camp/kitsch look. Back then, it was a slap in the head for the people and it woke some up. We all know they were the leaders. But with Billy, Arthur and Johnny all passed on, David and Sylvain let it all fall apart in 1976.

The New York Dolls are back and they came to The Manning Bar at Sydney Uni (as part of the NY inspired Boroughs Festival) and along with them many people seemed to come out of the cupboard just for this rave up of 14 songs. It was like being on a NYC subway looking around the crowd as the mix of ages, looks and dress sense was not cohesive. Onstage, the rock and roll amalgam that is the New York Dolls now: Syl on guitar and vocals, David on vocals and harp, the immensely talented Kenny Aaronson on bass, Earl Slick joining Syl to produce guitar heaven brought us a sound that was full of life and most of all fun.

Kicking off with Looking For A Love (L-U-V!), We’re All In Love and D_ance Like A Monkey_ had the place jumping and David was beaming out at the crowd with that doppelganger Jagger look that he possesses. Cause I Sez So was a scorcher with Earl and Sylvain taking amazing solos and stretching out this and other songs longer than their recorded versions. David and the rest of the band even stretched into the blues with a bit of Mellow Down Easy and Hey Bo Diddley thrown in amongst the jams. This was rock and roll, maybe not royalty, but a band of gypsies that have paid their dues and made it out the other end.

With a new album, Dancing Backwards In High Heels out now, they covered three songs from this the smoothest of all Dolls records. Fool For You Baby was the strongest with David really pulling out all the stops vocally. Before he kicked into any of the new songs he told us ‘Rolling Stone had named it the number 1 rock and roll record of all time.” But with a pause he told us that was in the Hungarian edition of Rolling Stone; the only one to read!

The triumvirate of Pills, Trash and Jet Boy took us back in time to the peak of their creative talents when punks were punks. With all of our ears ringing and people looking and knowing one song was left these unlikely survivors of the 70s came back for their last hurrah. Personality Crisis turned into a sing along and a few people took to the stage to shake their money makers and no one seemed to care that they did. It was loose, it was loud and it was as close to New York as The Manning Bar will ever be.