Concert review: New York Dolls, O2 Academy, Newcastle by Ian Duncan.

PERHAPS it was a coincidence that the Dolls chose Newcastle to kick off their current UK tour but when they took the stage it was like they were returning to their spiritual home.

It is hardly surprising considering they recorded their latest CD, Dancing Backwards In High Heels, at the city’s Blast studios and played a few low-key warm up gigs at the Cluny.

Originally formed in NewYork in 1971 the band drew their influences from the likes of the Stones, the Stooges and Bowie and recorded two highly influential studio albums before finally imploding in 1976.

However their legacy was to influence a generation of punk and new wave artists on both sides of the Atlantic as well as hundreds of sleazy LA glam metal bands throughout the 1980s.

But you can’t keep a good band down. They reformed in 2004 for a reunion gig – shortly before the death of original bassist Arthur Kane – long after most of the bands they had influenced had disappeared into rock history.

They launched straight into Looking For A Kiss from their 1973 self-titled debut album. Despite being older, wiser, and craggier, ageing rock stars they still managed to make it sound as fresh as it did back then.

Frontman David Johansen used new track, Fabulous Rant, to slam the UK’s current smoking ban and the end result was, er, fabulous.

The tracks from the latest album, which the band described as a greatest hits because it is packed full of singles, sounded a lot more powerful live and nestled nicely beside the older, more familiar, crowd pleasers.

Kids Like You featured a crooning vocal which would not sound out of place from Johansen’s lounge lizard alter-ego Buster Poindexter.

Backed by some shambolic drumming which was so laid back that someone even held a lighter proudly aloft swaying in time to the hypnotic beat

Original guitarist Sylvain Sylvain, in trademark red cap, was joined by Earl Slick – who famously worked with Bowie during the 1970s – who looked every inch the elegantly wasted rocker, complete with dark shades and spiky hair, who could still show younger guitarslingers a thing or two.

For me the highlights were the classic 1970s tracks because I had waited so long to hear them live.

Trash saw Slick torturing his guitar with a swirl of feedback and pure essence of rock and roll.

At one point a disgruntled punter ranted that it was self-indulgent rubbish – I am paraphrasing here – but on the whole they won the crowd over

You have to make allowances for age but they managed to rock with a youthful energy and performed songs old and new with panache.

They wound up with a classic version of Personality Crisis before taking a bow to a recording of Baby I Love You. I left with my ears ringing and a smile on my face.

From the Scarborough Evening News on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.