Captain Joss has provided the following info for your edification. Or edju-macation even....

Noo Yoik Dolls live & on fillum at Meltdown!

"OK, so I've always maintained that Stephen Patrick Morrissey should've been shot in the back of the head after completing woik on his New York Dolls tome (as should've Crapton, after exiting The Yardbirds, but I digress ...). Nonetheless, he remains an innerestin' cove, even if his records have always sucked a weenie (figuratively, and probably literally) - see that quite charming TV doc on him aired a coupla months ago, and recent hilarious innerviews in Grauniad/NME etc for proof of puddin' type stuff ... And anyone who's that obsessed with Diana Dors gets my vote (including PJ Proby) ...

Anyhoo, the time has finally arrived for SPM to fulfill his original destiny, and pay due respects to the band who Creem's readers once voted best AND worst of the year. Yes, peoples, I'm talkin' about those New York Dolls! With Johnny & Jerry pushing up daisies, it's left to the infatigable Sylvian, chief drongo Johansen, and a surprising still respiratin' Arthur Kane (who's now apparently living in Beverly Hills - how??? Dunno!) to do the honours, along wid onetime Axel 'dick' Rose stooge Izzy Stradlin (no' funny then, or now) and Libertines sticksman Gary Powell. Well, whaddya expect, Killer Kane's Beverly Hills neighbour Steve Jones and his old mucker Paul Cook? Well, yes, actually ... No, don't cry ...

There's also gonna be a fillum nite showing of BOB GRUEN's celluloid guff, including a "never before seen" 'Dolls documentary, and the Lipstick Killers flick used to innntroduce the band at their Valentine's Day Massacre show of 1974, plus Live At Max's '76 ... Weeeeeee! So it runs down like this (straight off'a the press release):

Wednesday 16 June at 7.45pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall. Tickets £8 THE FILMS OF BOB GRUEN

Friday 18 June at 8.00pm, Royal Festival Hall. Tickets £22.50 - £25 THE NEW YORK DOLLS

Tickets onsale April 29th: 08703 808 300 www.rfh.org.uk/meltdown

BTW, it's a salute utilisin' big saggy tits to Iggy & The Stooges, as they couldn't be arsed to do a stand-alone show in the UK! And their tight schedule don't allow public pressure to dictate that they play one, neither ... Fuck them ClearChannel folks! Anyway, they're doing Berlin and France, so get yer asses over the water ...

If you wanna meet before the Gruen or 'Dolls shingdiggeries, I'll be in the bar (prayin' to Sam Phillips) ..."

Selah

Joss Hutton

Woke up this morning, more bloody e-mail problems. However, The Rev Dan Penniman would like a word...

Hey Mortals,
A surprise Venus Ray show for you, and a special hot tip – advance notice of Meltdown booking, so you can snap up some Dolls tickets before all those other saps...
Happy dialling, Dan xx

Tuesday 11th May
Venus Ray and Bikini Atoll play The Comedy in Piccadilly
7 Oxendon Street, Piccadilly, London SW1Y 4EE
Enquiries: 020 7839 7261 Box Office: 020 7839 7261
A Pennyblack Music presentation. www.indiemusic.co.uk Tickets £t.b.c.

And on Friday tickets go on sale at the Royal Festival Hall for an intriguing but probably misguided reincarnation of the New York Dolls, and (perhaps a safer bet) an evening of film, including the legendary “Lipstick Killers” and an unseen Dolls documentary. Call 08703 808 300 or book at http://www.rfh.org.uk

Wednesday 16th June
Queen Elizabeth Hall 7.45pm
“New York Rock n Roll”
The Films of Bob Gruen. New York Dolls film premiere and more

Friday 18th June
Royal Festival Hall 8pm
New York Dolls + James Maker with Noko 440

Sunday 20th June
Royal Festival Hall 7.45pm
Nancy Sinatra + guests

Saturday June 5th
The Borderline
Vic Goddard and Subway Sect + Venus Ray
Orange Yard, off Manette St, W1
Admission £7.00 Advance Tickets from the Borderline: 020 7534 6970
www.borderline.co.uk , Ticketmaster, or at The Astoria box office