OTTAWA -- Fans of the New York Dolls waited 30 years to see their glam-rock icons camp it up.

Surely they could wait another half-hour.

For the second time this week, a lightning storm threw a wrench into Bluesfest's evening schedule. But in the end, a little light-show proved to be nothing compared to the sparks that David Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain and company kicked up on Festival Plaza for the smallest audience the Main Stage has seen so far.

Not surprisingly, most of the 4,000 fans who turned up were ordinary, upstanding middle-class parents and bookkeepers who, male or female, probably owned a pair of platform shoes, pink satin pants and a feather boa in their wardrobe, looking to relive a little of the Dolls' androgynous rock and roll.

A daunting task after three decades, but for the most part, the original members Sylvain and Johansen, did a pretty good job resurrecting the dead.

Three of the original members, Johnny Thunders, Arthur Kane and Jerry Nolan have all tragically gone off to their great reward.

Keeping their snarling spirit alive, the two surviving members, Johansen and Sylvain, are now joined by second-generation Dolls Steve Conte, Brian Koonin, Brian Delaney and Sam Yaffa.

Johansen and Sylvain looked fabulous, dahlings -- particularly Johansen, a rake thin gender-bender who looks remarkably like Mick Jagger.

In their day, the Dolls were, alongside The Stooges and The Ramones, one of rock's campiest, most irreverent and ultimately, most self-destructive bands.

In the mid-1970s, they were punk producer Malcolm McLaren's first stab at rock-and-roll notoriety.

"I was trying to do with the Sex Pistols what I failed to do with the New York Dolls," McLaren said.

Their setlist pulled from their two albums, 1972's New York Dolls and Too Much Too Soon in 1974 sounded almost as fresh. Raw and barely rising beyond four chords, tunes such as Lookin' For a Kiss, Puss 'N' Boots, Private World and We're All in Love" -- with Johansen on harmonica -- caught much of the energy of the Dolls in their heyday, but little of the thrill.

SHORT SET

And while a cover of Janis Joplin's Piece of My Heart sounded great, their short hour-long set turned out to be little more than self parody. Closing the night with Out In the Street, Trash and Jet Boy, I couldn't help but think that the music's glamour had faded faster than their makeup.

But hey, if The Rolling Stones can get away with it, why not the New York Dolls. Now if only Slade would tour again.

Bluesfest closes tonight with John Prine.

SUN RATING: 2 OUT OF 5