NEW YORK DOLLS LIVE IN NYC - APRIL 2005

THE NEW YORK DOLLS – IRVING PLAZA
April 28, 2005

I saw what’s left of the New York Dolls last night – Just David & Syl.
Well, I guess David & Syl can still call themselves the Dolls (plural)
since there are technically 2 of them left...but it's so sad that there
are four of them gone. There were three big floral arrangements on the
stage (in memory of Johnny, Jerry and Arthur) but they've forgotten
about Billy whose band it really was from the beginning. Oh well, the
Stones did the same thing to Brian Jones.

The audience (mostly big bald bearded guys) were so old and ugly! Far
from the glittery pretty-boy crowd at the Dolls show I went to in
1974!!! The security guys up front were determining how to handle
stage-divers before the show. I asked them, "Aren't these people too
old to be jumping onstage?" The head of security said, "Once in awhile
somebody thinks they're 20 again and goes for it!" How pathetic!

Johansen was in fine form. He's so emaciated and looks so trashy and
sick - I love it! He's so funny and ridiculous. They did every killer
song from the 2 Dolls albums (except for Showdown). I was really
diggin' Frankenstein, Personality Crisis & Puss in Boots. They did a
Janis song and one from the Shangri-Las, and one alled We're all in
Love". But it sounded like David Jo with a cover band. These guys could
actually play coherently - they weren't high as kites out of their
minds. I missed Johnny so much! The drummer was good, but Jerry was a
lot more punchier and on target. David had a book in front of him with
lyrics and he'd turn the pages once in awhile. What was he reading,
"Frankenstein, Frankenstein, FrankenSTEIN!!!" He didn't need no book
when he was high - he remembered all the words then, but NOW he needs a
book?!

They opened with Looking For A Kiss, Puss In Boots, Subway Train, You
Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory/Private World, Trash, Pills, “Take
Another Little Piece Of My Heart” the Shangri La’s song “Heart in the
Street” “Who Are The Mystery Girls” and “Jet Boy,” and the encore was
“I’m A Human Being”

People at work said, How was the show? They probably thought I was
seated at some normal venue seeing a traditional concert...and I just
said, "I can't explain it."