While BLONDIE'S place in Rock'n'Roll history was assured long before their official induction into the industry's Hall of Fame in 2006, the legendary New Yorkers could quite easily have sullied their own reputation when they risked making a new album with 1999's 'No Exit'. It helped that said record included a worldwide smash hit with 'Maria', a song with major echoes of their late '70s Power Pop New Wave heyday, but it re-established them as a creative force to be reckoned with almost two decades after the original band split up.
2003's under-rated 'The Curse of Blondie' earned a lot of critical success, but struggled commercially. Yet seven years on here they are again, headlining an enviable number of large European shows on the run-up to unleashing their long-delayed new album 'Panic of Girls' this autumn.
Thus, Blondie's long-awaited Marquee show is perhaps less of a 'greatest hits' affair than the faithful might have expected. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as several of the unannounced new tunes cut an impressive swathe, in some cases sounding like they could quite soon be nuzzling up to the accepted classics. There's no sign of their much-vaunted cover of Michael Jackson's 'Don't Stop Til You Get Enough' or any of the rumoured foreign language songs, but this initial testing of the water suggests their creativity remains on a roll. I still have no idea what the title 'Panic of Girls' means, mind. “It's not about panic,” Debbie reveals helpfully at one point. Well that's good to know.
It's hard to believe Harry is into her 60s. She sports a voluminous black outfit and perma-shades and stalks the stage like she runs fifty laps of Central Park every morning. She's the inevitable focal point, though from where I'm sitting, drummer Clem Burke is equally compelling. Not only does he turn in a breathtaking percussive display, but the smart bugger even catches every single drumstick he tosses up into the air without as much as blinking.
Blondie's other 'senior partner', guitarist Chris Stein, is a lot more reserved and introspective. He provides some of the memorable guitar hooks (not least that instantly recognisable spy theme figure launching 'Atomic') but he's often happy to play second fiddle to second six-stringer Tommy Kessler, who recently 'amicably' replaced Paul Carbonara. Kessler was clearly born for big stages like this, taking any opportunity to leap into the spotlight and peel off a solo like the extended one he indulges in at the end of the Big Rock version of 'Atomic'. Bassist Leigh Foxx simply keeps his head down and gets on with it like the professional he surely is, while keyboard player Matt Katz-Bohn proves to be an adept live replacement for Jimmy Destri.
|
Although we get a viciously lean 'Hanging On The Telephone' early on, The Hits punctuate the new songs in the main. 'Maria' comes early-ish too, sounding as loud, proud and hooky as ever and provoking the first of many mass crowd sing-alongs. The taut Giorgio Moroder disco thrum of 'Call Me' comes back to back with the brash urban funk of 'Rapture' and as always the latter reminds me of NYC on the cusp of the '80s, absorbing the early Hip-Hop sounds and unleashing The Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash on the wider Rock populace.
It's mostly triumphant, life-affirming stuff, though there's the occasional duff moment. 'The Tide Is High' sounds as naff as ever and even allows for a bass solo for Gawd's sake, while there are a few too many crowd sing-alongs for this writer's liking. However, there's no denying the transcendent brilliance of the encore featuring a spine-tingling 'Picture This' and a nigh-on divine 'Heart of Glass' accompanied by a glorious mirror ball display.
“Hey, thanks very much you guys, we'll see you again soon,” beams a delighted Debbie after a job well done. Thirty years on from their heyday, Blondie seem to be getting their second wind. I wouldn't bet against their new album turning a few heads and winning a whole new generation of fans into the bargain.
|
