On a miserably cold spring evening in Melbourne, a pack of die-hard punters stood outside shivering in the icy wind, waiting to hear a band that was first put together forty years ago. The Globe headquarters in Port Melbourne is a venue that would normally play host to skaters, not what can only be described as a group of glam punksters. The New York Dolls hold wide appeal still. Some folks stayed on in inclement conditions for the curiosity factor, and others were there because punk was such a part of their youth. Many in the crowd belonged to the subculture that was once the ultimate outlet for anger, and the ultimate opportunity for rebellion, but is now more about the music than the lifestyle. It was an eclectic bunch of punters who were united in their proclivity for ‘The Dolls’ music, even after all this time.

Such iconic groups highlight just how influential the New York music scene was (and still is). We tend to forget that without the ‘Dolls’, the bands we know and love would have existed in a different form, or may never have existed at all. Blondie may well have been performing Beach Boys covers and The Ramones may have taken a shine to the style of The Beatles…Imagine! (Perhaps not.) It was with a sense of awe that we witnessed The New York Dolls take the stage. If you haven’t seen them live then picture something visually akin to the Rolling Stones dressed in the garb of Marc Bolan. David Johansen, dressed in a pinkish sequinned top that didn’t quite cover his belly and tight black jeans, hammed and glammed it up. He’s as camp as a row of tents, but masculine enough to get away with the edgy and sometimes absurd lyrics. During his rendition of “Dance Like A Monkey” Johansen contorted his face to the point where he actually looked like a monkey, and it’s quite easy to imagine that he spent much time practicing his theatrics. At the end of the song he proceeded to pick fleas off himself and eat them...It was that kind of show.

Surprisingly the New York Dolls back catalogue isn’t as extensive as one might think. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that they disbanded in 1976 and didn’t re form until 2004 or because the members of the band began to dally in other musical styles, but maybe it’s more to do with the fact that in the 70’s music was crafted and not usually mass produced. This allowed us to hear most of the ‘Dolls’ well loved efforts except for the 5 minutes or so of the set when there was a mic malfunction and we missed hearing most of a song. Sylvan Sylvan entertained the crowd with witty banter while Johansen lip-synced into the faulty microphone.

They saved the crowning glory of their set ‘till the encore. The punters were well lubricated by this time and fully into enjoying the moment, so there were many whistles and air punches when the first bars of “Personality Crisis” launched into the stratosphere. By the time the ‘Dolls’ finished their generous set the skaters were dancing maniacally and snapping photos through the windows near the indoor skate ramp. If there’s any indication of how well the set went down, this was it. Classic!