Thanks to Hayden's excellent review I was prompted to go buy Smile this weekend. I was quite enjoying it this morning. For knowing all the pieces in a variety of takes and versions, it makes a huge difference having it all flow together seamlessly. The Wondermints do a fantastic job filling in for the Beach Boys.

ION, I saw the New York Dolls last night at the Fillmore. What a fucking blast! It was one of those true believer concerts where every single person within eye and earshot of me sang along to every lyric. People were just so grateful to hear them live - grinning ear to ear.

They sounded fantastic and thoroughly Dollsy. David Jo was in fine voice, and tarted up with long hair, and painted nails and the whole trashy diva aesthetic. Syl Sylvain was the only other surviving Doll. He and David were both really enjoying each other, cracking jokes and grinning. At one point, David pointed at Syl and said, "I have never had sexual intercourse with that woman." Then he cackled and said, "For an old queen, he's learned a lot of new tricks."

When I first got to the Fillmore I went upstairs to the poster room and got a drink.

The bartender saw the foofy scarf tied into a loose bow at my neck and said, "You excited? How long you been waiting for this show?"

I said, "Nineteen years - since I was sixteen years old."

They did most everything from both albums and threw in three new covers which were absolutely splendid and perfect in the way that a Dolls cover often is. In honor of the Fillmore they did Janis' "Piece of My Heart" - it was perfectly attuned with Big Brother and the Holding Company's garage band vibe and turned Janis' big dramatic singing into big diva drama, without disrespecting the original. David announced, "It wouldn't be a Dolls show without a song from our inspirations, The Shangri Las" - and they covered the supremely sad, trashy and melodramatic "Out In The Streets." The Dolls always were huge girl group fans.

And they did a fantastic and perfectly appropriate version of Memphis Minnie's "In My Girlish Days."

So fun.

The Dolls always were huge girl group fans.

Girl groups -- teen angst before teen angst was cool.

I said, "Nineteen years - since I was sixteen years old."

Let's see.... nineteen plus sixteen.... Hey! Wait a minute!

Let's see.... nineteen plus sixteen.... Hey! Wait a minute!

Good point - terrible math. More like twenty seven years.

and they covered the supremely sad, trashy and melodramatic "Out In The Streets."

Bad ass! Sounds like a blast!

Once again, my MIT education pays off!

Bad ass! Sounds like a blast!

Truly. All three new covers were just so apt. The crowd was really into singing all those little girl group bits in the trashy punk context too. The werewolf yelps in "Personality Crisis" and I can't tell you how cool that Memphis Minnie song was in this version. It was perfect.

Now playing at my desk: Smile.

Now playing at my desk: Smile.

Glad you're enjoying it. I've been listening to that and Blueberry Boat exclusively for days on end now.

I wanted to know a bit more about the Dolls guitarist, Steve Conte. He played for The Seatbelts! The band that does the Cowboy Bebop music! Weird. Here's his fanboy report of the London show:

******

NEW YORK DOLLS REPORT!
Steve's Account Of London Show:

just got back from the meltdown festival in london where i played two amazing shows as lead guitarist with the new york dolls. wednesday's show was tight but the sold out friday show was loose, charmingly sloppy and totally rockin' ("filthy" as one fan put it).

both nights the audiences went ape-shit and honored the band with standing ovations. after the first song david johansen would shout out- "that's steve conte on guitar!" (later in the show he put his arms around me and said to the crowd, "not many people could replace the late johnny thunders - but this is steve conte and he's doing a fantastic job!"...then kissed me on the top of my head as the crowd cheered.)

besides the actual music (and on & offstage comraderie between myself, david, sylvain and arthur kane) the highlight for me was the after-party where pretenders' chrissie hynde, one of my all time heroes came up to me and shook my hand saying "you were fucking great - and those are hard shoes to fill". she didn't even seem to care that i had on leather pants and suede boots (she's a militant animal rights activist...)

a few minutes later on my way into our dressing room a geezer standing in the doorway stuck out his hand and said, "you don't know me but i'm mick jones...and i thought you were great". it was kinda surreal to have the singer of the clash introduce himself like that and then proceed to gab about les paul juniors with me for a half hour.

morissey, who is responsible for getting the dolls back together told me how much he appreciated it while bob geldof (remember Live Aid?), sex pistols bassist glen matlock and shane mcgowan of the pogues came over to say how much they dug my playing too (well, shane just sort of slurred and mumbled.)

Hee! Total fanboy. What a thrill it must be for him. Adorable.