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The first New York punk band, the last proto-punk band, freaks, transvestites, heroes -- call them what you will, but the New York Dolls need no introduction. David Johansen seemed to agree as he took the stage at the Melkweg, barely pausing to grab the mic before opening with those oh-so-familiar words: “When I say I'm in love you'd best believe I'm in love, L-U-V!” From that moment, it was easy to tell this would be one hell of a show.

Sure, there are only two original members left. Sure, Johansen is close to 60. But when they blazed into “Looking for a Kiss,” the crowd forgot all that and just took in an incredibly energetic show from one of the most influential bands of all time -- certainly the most important band I've ever seen. Their immensely dirty rock and roll, which so many bands revered within the punk community were created by, sounded incredible in person. The only nod they made to their egos was after their second song, when Johansen declared “They say the New York Dolls influenced a lot of people. Well, I dunno about that, but our favourite band is Janis Joplin” before launching into a staggering cover of her “Take Another Little Piece of My Heart” (it was the 26th anniversary of Joplin's death). This turned out to be only the first tribute to a fallen comrade, as they followed by dedicating “Private World” to Killer Kane and even played Johnny Thunders' “You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory."

All the while, the band seemed to be having loads of fun in their unsurprisingly flamboyant, uniformly pink and black attire. Johansen engaged in his trademark freakily-sexual dancing, Syl Sylvain joked around, and they generally seemed very honest and energetic, especially at downright silly moments like the entirety of “Dance Like a Monkey” and Syl Sylvain's wondering if the crowd's huge applause to the announcement of “Trash” meant they thought his band was trash.

Speaking of the crowd, they were superb -- one of the most energetic I've seen in Holland, and fittingly eclectic for the show they were at. This brought Johansen to reminisce the last time they were in Amsterdam, 33 years prior -- it sounded like he enjoyed himself. It was mutual, as by the last song of the regular set, I certainly didn't want the show to end. Of course, the end of the set brought the obvious encore of “Personality Crisis,” which the crowd naturally loved. They finished on one more encore, consisting of a song from their new album (from which they had been playing quite a lot of cuts, all of which sounded great, especially “Fishnets & Cigarettes”) announced as “Go Fuck Yourself” (not the real title, I'm not sure what it's actually called) and “Human Being.” Then it was finally over, and we left feeling awed. I think I can safely say that I owe Morrissey thanks for getting the Dolls to regroup, as this show was incredible, and deserves no less than a 10/10.

Partial set list (sequential but missing songs):

  • Looking for a Kiss
  • We're All in Love
  • Take Another Little Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin)
  • Fishnets & Cigarettes
  • Private World (To Killer Kane)
  • Plenty of Music
  • Pills
  • Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano
  • Rainbow Store
  • You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory (Johnny Thunders)
  • Gimme Luv & Turn on the Light
  • Dance Like a Monkey
  • Trash
  • Encore: Personality Crisis
  • Encore 2: “Go Fuck Yourself”
  • Human Being




People who liked this also liked:
The Evens - The EvensMission of Burma - The ObliteratiNick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!Dismemberment Plan - !Nation Of Ulysses - 13-Point Program To Destroy AmericaMission Of Burma - ONoffONThe Replacements - TimExplosions In the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead PlaceJoe Strummer and The Mescaleros - StreetcoreThe Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground and Nico



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    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 16, 2006 at 6:47 PM (EDT)

    http://bignewsday.proboards38.com/index.cgi

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 16, 2006 at 4:01 PM (EDT)

    i'm feeling hot,hot,hot!!!! they should have played that song!!

    Posted by hitlerbadzakgood on 2006-10-12 18:27:12

    well i'm sure any show in amsterdam is awesome.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 12, 2006 at 11:52 AM (EDT)

    Morrissey contributed something good to the world? That's a first.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 at 1:32 PM (EDT)

    Alkaline Trio....ughh

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 at 8:48 AM (EDT)

    to SlackMfr:
    You listen to the Alkaline Trio...your opinion doesn't count.

    Posted by grantolney on 2006-10-10 21:34:15
    My Score:

    `tis a message for the author of this review. just saw that you live in utrecht. as do i! just here for a year. i love it, so beautiful. would be fun to meet a fellow friend in utrecht who is into punk rock. i, for one, don't know of any resource for utrecht shows, ways to find good local bands to see, etc. . any advice you have would be most awesome. - g. olney (grant@math.utexas.edu)

    Posted by SlackMFr on 2006-10-10 20:13:03

    and by the way, Hanoi Rocks was hair metal and not "punk" like they sometimes claimed. Fuck hair metal, there's nothing to it.

    Posted by SlackMFr on 2006-10-10 20:10:53

    This band eats armadillo ass.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 4:27 PM (EDT)

    I'll take hanoi over @99% of the bands on this site. Poor misguided children don't even realize what they are missing.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 3:26 PM (EDT)

    WHOA NOW, Sami Yaffa was in Hanoi Rocks, don't start talking shit on him because they were 'hair metal'. They had big hair, yes, but they were never hair metal. Get it straight.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 1:54 PM (EDT)

    morrissey doesnt know music. but the smiths will always rule

    ...hmmm

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 1:40 PM (EDT)

    I got an idea, lets make fun of shit we know nothing about and then pretend we are so fucking punk because we read punknews.org. You are all heroes. If you like good music, check out the dolls. If youre too punk, jerk off to your little sisters afi cd.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 1:32 PM (EDT)

    give me a break. this band has always blown. they never helped start anything but fake, lets dress up, put makeup on and inspire poison punk. i would of made fun of them and mocked them in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and now. that is of course if you are really a punk. morrissey doesnt know music. but the smiths will always rule.

    I want to be punk like you. Do you like have to go to school for that?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 1:30 PM (EDT)

    To the 2 fags below me. DJ wrote most of the dolls material, so you don't know what the fucks going on, and the queer below him, you forgot to mention how great the new fall out boy record is. Is it painful being gay?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 11:50 AM (EDT)

    "$20 to see all surviving members of one of the most influential bands in punk history..I think we could do worse."

    Hahaha, this is exactly why this shit sucks.

    What you described sounds like you're going to the museum. I'm sorry, I love the first two Dolls records, but this shit just proves how irrelevant they are as individuals. I somewhat respected David back when he made his shitty solo stuff... At least a lot more than when he got some hair metal guys to play some music he didn't write and propped himself up in front of them to pretend the NY Dolls aren't in the grave. Fuck that.

    -Will

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 10:54 AM (EDT)

    give me a break. this band has always blown. they never helped start anything but fake, lets dress up, put makeup on and inspire poison punk. i would of made fun of them and mocked them in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and now. that is of course if you are really a punk. morrissey doesnt know music. but the smiths will always rule

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 8:56 AM (EDT)

    $20 to see all surviving members of one of the most influential bands in punk history..I think we could do worse.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 8:52 AM (EDT)

    The dolls kept playing shows after Johnny and Nolan left in the 70s so whats the difference now? Johnny was the shit, but Johansen is the balls of the dolls. I'm sure these shows will be great.

    Posted by Osloboditelj on 2006-10-10 05:09:28

    I dunno, I feel like seeing the Dolls without Thunders was a shame, but then again, given the choice of seeing them without Thunders or not at all, I'll take without Thunders, no question. While I can see the logic behind calling it a cash-grab, the show indicated to me that it wasn't - they seemed really into just making music together, and the fact that they actually put out a new album makes it seem to me like they actually want to be a band together.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 2:40 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    For once I agree with Will. Without Thunders this reeks of hackneyed cash-grab. They might have some good new songs (though I would dispute that), but it's still ultimately crass and sort of soulless. Just one of the many reuinion outfits surfacing now that punk is profitable again.

    Posted by Cos on 2006-10-10 01:31:18

    has there been a review of new New York Dolls album?

    --Cos

    Posted by joeg on 2006-10-10 01:15:58

    ah will...the eternal pessimist. i guess you can surmise all you want about what the old dolls fans are thinking but you'd be wrong. the reality is the response has been very positive and receptive and it's based on the diehard fans i've talked to, reviews i've read like this one, and me seeing them last year and being impressed at how rockin they were. and the absence of johnny thunders hasn't been this dark cloud overshadowing them. maybe you should try catching this show when it comes around. you might even enjoy it for a minute or two.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 12:56 AM (EDT)

    I don't see how anyone who liked the New York Dolls before this reunion could be into these gigs... I mean, no Johnny Thunders? Sorry, guys, but this is as lame as if the Heartbreakers reunited with just Richard Hell or something.

    -Will

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