Doll By Doll – London Roundhouse

Skorecki writes about the Sunday night at the Roundhouse: though not top of the bill, Doll by Doll were “far and away the most interesting band of the evening”, inappropriately sandwiched between two merely pleasant reggae bands. Their “evocative / provocative” music seemed a bit wasted on a lukewarm, modest-sized audience.

The band had been formed ten months earlier and had been gigging fairly consistently around London for the last three or four. Their reputation for severity is misleading, he says; it is just their serious manner. The music itself is as accessible as the best heavy rock has always been. Their songs contain elements of the “more creative aspects of earlier heavy metal”, an appellation that has since become derogatory as that music decays into tired clichés: “Doll by Doll are the real HM of today, true progressive music of the late seventies.”

Among their assets is Jackie Leven’s voice, which can be “mature and vibrant” as on “Lose Myself”, or soulful as on “Janice”. In vocal partnership with lead guitarist Jo Shaw he sounds rather like a stronger version of Elvis Costello. There are fruitful moments of partnership in the guitar work too. Skorecki singles out “Butcher Boy”, which features all their strong points: excellent double vocals, multitudinous guitar phrases in the intro and Dave McIntosh’s “untheatrical but solid” drumming. Recorded product from this band, he says, will be something to look forward to. (According to the gig listings the show was on 22 October 1978.)