Nancy Boy Tips Its Hat to Bowie’s Glitter Days

Oh, how Donovan Leitch likes to tease. Fronting the band Nancy Boy on Tuesday at the Dragonfly, the son of ‘60s hippie troubadour Donovan flaunted his fashion-plate style sense, playfully tweaked the crotch of bandmate Jason Nesmith (son of former Monkee Mike Nesmith) and sang such wink-wink lyrics as “Funny ha ha, funny as in queer.”

Well, why not? Androgyny is among rock’s great traditions, embodying the confusion of youth and the mystery of sexuality. The problem with Leitch, though, is that every time he sings, both on stage and on the band’s debut album, “Nancy Boy,” he reminds us of rock’s all-time great androgynous tease, David Bowie.

A good two-thirds of his vocal mannerisms and the quintet’s songs are spot-on copies of Bowie’s mid-’70s sound--and the rest clearly recall Gary Numan, who himself channeled Bowie’s icy alien persona into ‘80s new wave stardom.

Lacking, though, is Bowie’s theatrical flair and audacity as well as his musical invention--the band is solid, especially lead guitarist Nesmith, though he’s no Mick Ronson. Still, it’s an affectionate homage, delivered with heart and spirit, and enough sense of perspective to avoid both pretension and camp. But to paraphrase Bowie himself, who needs Nancy Boy when you’ve got “Hunky Dory”?

Those who stayed late were treated to more sounds from the past, but this time the real thing: a short set by the Buzzcocks. Re-formed a few years ago by original members Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, the quartet showed Monday that its brainy, melodic punk has lost little from its late-’70s, early-’80s heyday.