Blondie
Somerset House, London
13/07/2011

What seems like a lifetime away from 1970’s CBGB, Debbie Harry glides to the stage situated in the neoclassical court of Somerset House. Whilst waiting in the wings, flanked by Chris Stein, both of them with matching shocks of ice white hair, Harry is expressionless, sombre almost. But once she’s onstage and the band have ignited ‘Union City Blue’ she is every inch the governing stateswoman of punk-pop.

Dressed in black with a figure-hugging pencil skirt, a tasteful yet knowing ensemble befitting of a 66-year-old enduring emblem of hotness, Harry shimmys and bops through Blondie’s glacial cool hits of ‘Sunday Girl’, ‘Heart of Glass’ and ‘Dreaming’. Charmingly, she thanks the crowd for their “sentimentalism” – but who here is being sentimental? The worth of Blondie’s new wave back catalogue has never been debated, let alone forgotten and then rediscovered.

Despite Blondie’s seemingly faultless track record of success, their so-say ‘comebacks’ are always received as unexpected and surprising triumphs. Why that is exactly is anyone’s guess, but the warm reception 1999’s ‘Maria’ receives, plus their latest disco-pop single ‘Mother’ and toughened album track ‘What I Heard’ show that Blondie are still a band with much to offer.

For the majority of tonight’s set the band stick to playing it straight but when they do deviate the results are mixed. The indulgent, soaring guitar solo which Tom Kessler tag’s onto the end of ‘Atomic’ is something which no one wants or needs, whilst the segue between ‘Rapture’ (the clear highlight of the gig) and Beastie Boys’ ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’ is bizarre but it totally works. Take this as proof that Blondie are yet to surrender their desire to do just about anything they please.

Kate Allen