Mott the Hoople '74 at the Beacon Theatre

A British band formerly known as Silence became Mott the Hoople in 1969 when Ian Hunter joined as vocalist and pianist. The new band name was taken from the title of a Willard Manus novel about an eccentric who worked in a circus freak show. Lacking commercial success, Mott the Hoople was on the verge of splitting in 1971 when a fan, David Bowie, offered the band "Suffragette City" from his then yet-to-be-released Ziggy Stardust album. The band passed on the song. Bowie then wrote "All the Young Dudes" for Mott the Hoople and it became the band's biggest hit; Bowie also produced the accompanying 1972 album, likewise called All the Young Dudes. Keyboardist Morgan Fisher and guitarist Luther Grosvenor joined Mott the Hoople in 1973; for contractual reasons, Grosvenor changed his name to Ariel Bender for his stint with the band. About 1974, Hunter left to form a duo with Mick Ronson, so the remaining members called themselves first Mott and later the British Lions, but did not achieve commercial success and split in 1978. Hunter and Ronson worked together until Ronson's death in 1993; Hunter then launched the Ian Hunter Band and later Ian Hunter & the Rant Band. The original Mott the Hoople reunited for seven concerts in 2009 in the United Kingdom and five concerts in 2013. Mott the Hoople '74 formed in 2018, featuring Hunter, Bender, Fisher, guitarists James Mastro and Mark Bosch, keyboardist Dennis DiBrizzi, bassist Paul Page, and drummer Steve Holley.

The Mott the Hoople ’74 that performed a tour-closing set at the Beacon Theatre tonight consisted of three members of the band's 1974 lineup plus members of Hunter's band. Hunter is the sole remaining member from the All the Young Dudes recordings. Nevertheless, it was the first time in 45 years that Hunter, Bender and Fisher performed together in New York City. Together the musicians and the audience celebrated the band's glam rock era, yet gave the vintage songs a fresh workout. A highly animated Bender frequently stole the spotlight with his flashy leads and dynamic movements, but Hunter was in fine voice, Fisher was masterful at the keyboards, and the rest of the band created a healthy new environment for the treasury of old songs. After a 1972 audio recording of Bowie’s introduction of the band, Mott the Hoople '74 started with a cover of Don McLean's "American Pie: leading into "The Golden Age of Rock ‘N’ Roll," and from there it was two hours of solid, old-fashioned rock and roll, so much so that the closing medley consisted of 11 classic tunes. Finally, the last song of the encore was "All the Young Dudes," which included cameos by Jakob Dylan of the opening act, the Wallflowers, and Hunter's son, Jesse Hunter. All these dudes are not so young, but they sure did rock.

Setlist:

1. American Pie (Don McLean cover)/ The Golden Age of Rock ‘N’ Roll
2. Lounge Lizard (Ian Hunter song)
3. Alice
4. Honaloochie Boogie
5. Rest in Peace
6. I Wish I Was Your Mother
7. Pearl ‘n’ Roy (England)
8. Sucker
9. Sweet Jane (The Velvet Underground cover)
10. Rose
11. Walking with a Mountain
12. Roll Away the Stone
13. Marionette
14. Medley: Jerkin' Crocus / You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover) / One of the Boys / Rock and Roll Queen / Crash Street Kidds / Death May Be Your Santa Claus / Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (Big Maybelle cover)/ Mean Woman Blues (Elvis Presley cover) / Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry cover) / Violence / Cleveland Rocks (Ian Hunter song) > New York City Rocks

Encore:

1. All the Way from Memphis
2. Saturday Gigs
3. All the Young Dudes (David Bowie cover, with Jakob Dylan and Jesse Hunter)