Blondie Live Review – Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, 7/11/2017

“Stop F*****g the planet”. Debbie Harry steps out in a controversial white cape and proves to Nottingham that she’s still got it at 72.

Blondie played to a packed out Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday night (7th November) and took many of their devoted fans back to the 1970s by playing their classic hits.

Support came from French trio Mustang, whose 50s inspired quiffs and guitar riffs got the crowd enthused for an evening of dancing and reminiscing.

As more people packed into the venue, the atmosphere was feeling more and more party like. Fans all ages were amongst the audience, and you could blatantly spot the parents who had dragged their kids along.

Debbie Harry and the gang stepped out to the loudest cheers and applause I had ever heard. All eyes were static on Debbie’s outfit. A white cape which boldly stated, “Stop F*****g The Planet” and a floral headband… proving she is still a style icon.

Blondie Nottingham Debbie Harry

Opening with One Way or Another, everyone stood up out of their seats and chanted the lyrics back to the band. Hanging on the Telephone saw Debbie swish her cape around and run up and down the stage, interacting with the crowd.

As well as playing all of their hits, they treated the audience to tracks off their new record Pollinator. Although many were not completely familiar with the new album, tracks such as My Monster and Fun went down like a treat as everyone carried on dancing.

Rapture saw Debbie remove the cape and Leigh Foxx’s groovy bassline, which sounded amazing live. The popular rap was done so effortlessly and sounded similar to when it was first released in 1981.

Debbie took a moment to talk to the crowd but was constantly interrupted by fans screaming “I LOVE YOU DEBBIE”. She mentioned how she used to hate her last name but J.K Rowling created Harry Potter and which she believes has made her last name seem cool and popular.

Fragments followed and she explained how guitarist and original member Chris Stein found the song online and joked that Chris is never offline. The song which stated the lyrics “Do you love me yet” with my fans again shouting “YES”.

Blondie Nottingham Debbie Harry

The wind machines came out for Maria and Picture This with a spotlight shining down on Debbie throughout.

Atomic; the penultimate track, which featured an elongated ending where Debbie sang I Feel Love by Donna Summer. A very impressive guitar solo by Tommy Kessler where he played the guitar behind his neck.

Heart of Glass was the best moment of the night for me. The last song of the set sounded incredible and Debbie’s voice still perfectly fits. She was encouraging fans to get involved by getting them to sing “oooooh ahhhhh” back to her.

Although her voice is not that same as it was back in the 70s and 80s, the queen of punk-rock still put on an amazing, entertaining performance with lots of energy and charisma.

Fans that had followed the band since their heyday were provided with lots of nostalgia from their youth. Blondie certainly does not show any sign of retiring anytime soon.

You can check out Blondie’s new album Pollinator here.

 

By Becky Lumbard

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