Blondie Live in Glasgow 1979

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DrCorneliusDrCornelius Frets: 7069
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kymcob7Dw7c&t=539s

The gay Superman thread started making me feel a bit fizzy 'down there' so I needed something to get me back on track.  I was browsing another site on my lunch break and someone linked to this masterpiece.

Even if Ms Harry looked like Ann Widdicombe I would have been a massive fan - the fact she was as cool and gorgeous as she was put the icing on the cake.

Enjoy 

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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    Thanks :).

    Unfortunately this year's Glasgow gig, which was supposed to be next month - a double header of Blondie with Garbage - which I have tickets for, has been rescheduled for next April and is now Blondie with Johnny Marr as support. I do want to see Blondie anyway but I'm somewhat pissed off.

    Maybe watching that will make me feel better...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ICBM said:
    Thanks :).

    Unfortunately this year's Glasgow gig, which was supposed to be next month - a double header of Blondie with Garbage - which I have tickets for, has been rescheduled for next April and is now Blondie with Johnny Marr as support. I do want to see Blondie anyway but I'm somewhat pissed off.

    Maybe watching that will make me feel better...
    Watching it made me happy , lustful, nostalgic and finally a bit melancholy. It was a roller coaster !
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  • StratavariousStratavarious Frets: 3597
    edited October 2021
    Cool.. we do a few Blondie numbers and it is amazing how many of all ages know all the lyrics.

    Class act
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    Cool.. we do a few Blondie numbers and it is amazing how many of all ages know all the lyrics.
    Simply brilliant songwriting that has stood the test of time, and they captured the punk/pop crossover better than any other band.

    Surprisingly, although I will enjoy seeing Debbie at the gig, it's actually Clem Burke I really want to see play - he's one of my favourite drummers ever.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    So it was the postponed Glasgow gig last night...

    Sad to find that Chris Stein wasn't there - he's got heart trouble and isn't well. On the bright side, Glen Matlock was on bass! I didn't recognise him immediately, although I knew he was someone I *should* know, he had an obvious aura about him - and he got a huge response when Debbie introduced him.

    She was great - she's *seventy six years old*. She looks a bit like a crazy old witch now, but she still can sing, although not always perfect on some of the songs... if anything it was the quick-fire punky ones like Hanging On The Telephone which were more noticeably a bit dodgy than her range. And she was jumping around a bit and basically not getting old gracefully. Didn't matter, anyway - she's still Debbie Harry ;).

    Clem Burke not only didn't disappoint, it was possibly the best live drumming I've ever seen, and if anything exceeded expectations. He's no spring chicken either at 67, but it really doesn't show. They played for nearly two hours and he was as good at the end as the start. Just fantastic.

    Of the ones you probably won't know, Tommy Kessler (guitar) can really play, although sometimes I did wonder if his obvious Vai influences - including using a swirly-green Jem on a couple of songs - really fitted with the sound of the band, he did stay just the right side of the line.

    The visuals and back-projection were brilliant too, mostly New York cartoon/street art and old photos from the CBGBs years.

    Johnny Marr was also pretty decent - although it must be slightly frustrating for him that the songs which went down best by far were the Smiths originals rather than his newer material.

    But, on the one negative note... why was the mix so bad? It's a top-flight venue and given the quality of gear and the expertise available it shouldn't have been an enjoyable gig *despite* the sound quality - there's no excuse really, and it was a struggle to hear quite a lot of the parts at times, largely because there was far too much sub bass which turned the whole thing to mush.

    Ah well. That's another band I never got to see back in their day and never thought I would have the chance again, so it's all good :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6595
    ICBM said:
    Surprisingly, although I will enjoy seeing Debbie at the gig, it's actually Clem Burke I really want to see play - he's one of my favourite drummers ever.
    And he's got the best gold suit ever. I want a gold suit now. 
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    I'd seen some pictures on twitter. Glen still looks well, with an ancient Fender stack. Debbie does look 100.
    Birmingham next weekend at one of my son's venues (as it were) so I might possibly get a returns ticket and go as Billy Nomates. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • CaseOfAceCaseOfAce Frets: 1307
    What were the amps on stage?
    Last time I saw them on the telly the 2 guitarists had (I think) 50 or 100 watt Mesa recto heads feeding 2 x 12 cabs - which must have been putting out some volume even though Clem was plexi glass-ed off - much like the drummer in the Pretenders these days (though Hynde and co. are using small wattage 1 x 12 combos these days and by all accounts soundmen love for doing so...).
    It's great to see these classic pop acts are still using valves. 
    ...she's got Dickie Davies eyes...
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  • ElectricXIIElectricXII Frets: 1077
    ICBM said:
    So it was the postponed Glasgow gig last night...



    But, on the one negative note... why was the mix so bad? It's a top-flight venue and given the quality of gear and the expertise available it shouldn't have been an enjoyable gig *despite* the sound quality - there's no excuse really, and it was a struggle to hear quite a lot of the parts at times, largely because there was far too much sub bass which turned the whole thing to mush.


    I'm sorry I had to miss that gig, but any time I've been in that venue the sound has been complete pish. My son says the same thing. It's a big barn with the acoustics of a modern factory.
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6595
    CaseOfAce said:

    It's great to see these classic pop acts are still using valves. 
    This is a lot more asier to  do at their age if you have roadies!  ;)
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  • hollywoodroxhollywoodrox Frets: 4083
    This took me back to 11 & 12 year old me  :'(  how powerful is music  could feel it in my stomach and see it in my mind (not at the gig) just being that age again and these on the radio 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    CaseOfAce said:
    What were the amps on stage?
    Last time I saw them on the telly the 2 guitarists had (I think) 50 or 100 watt Mesa recto heads feeding 2 x 12 cabs
    Marshall 50W (I think) and Soldano SLO 30W, both through 4x12"s. Bass was a Fender Bassman 100 and 4x12".

    That wasn't the problem though - it was the sheer amount of sub bass so you couldn't hear anything else clearly.

    ElectricXII said:

    I'm sorry I had to miss that gig, but any time I've been in that venue the sound has been complete pish. My son says the same thing. It's a big barn with the acoustics of a modern factory.
    This took me back to 11 & 12 year old me  :'(  how powerful is music  could feel it in my stomach and see it in my mind (not at the gig) just being that age again and these on the radio 
    I've heard both - very good (Genesis) and poor (Blondie) so I don't think it's just the acoustics that are the problem, I think it's more likely to be operator error. I think they equate tons of sub (mostly overamplified kick drum) that you can feel through your seat with 'power'... but if you overdo it, it's counterproductive - the music would have sounded more powerful with less of it so the tightness of the drumming was more obvious, and you could actually hear the bass properly.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ElectricXIIElectricXII Frets: 1077
    ICBM said:
    I've heard both - very good (Genesis) and poor (Blondie) so I don't think it's just the acoustics that are the problem, I think it's more likely to be operator error. I think they equate tons of sub (mostly overamplified kick drum) that you can feel through your seat with 'power'... but if you overdo it, it's counterproductive - the music would have sounded more powerful with less of it so the tightness of the drumming was more obvious, and you could actually hear the bass properly.
    I've maybe just been unlucky there. You've definitely got a point about sound men overdoing the kick drum. The Rival Sons gig at the Usher Hall in 2019 was ruined by just that, and you couldn't blame it on the hall acoustics in that case.
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  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    This is great footage of the band in their prime. I wish Clem Burke would calm down a bit. He's doing the Keith Moon thing but I think being new wave I think it would suit something more straight ahead. I find it quite distracting
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