Reforming a band is notoriously tricky to pull off, far likelier to leave a sour Sex Pistols taste in the mouth than reap the renewed success The Verve experienced in 1997. Little wonder reformed bands are often self conscious, either burying the past under a glut of new material or clinging nervously to their commercial heyday.
Maybe it was the fact that their comeback single was a global smash, but Blondie nearly succeed, forging memorable new material but remaining comfortable with their past. As well they should be, when they can kick off with a song as justly adored as 'Atomic'. Tonight it's a ragged slice of punk pop, complete with squalling feedback, received rapturously by a crowd split between callow youths and nostalgic thirtysomethings.
'Dreaming' has always sounded overpolished on record, but tonight the band scrape off the gloss to showcase its madcap melodies and angular rhythms. 'Hangin' On The Telephone' is even better, perhaps because its one of the few songs in the Blondie back catalogue to have been overlooked by the nostalgia-mongers who run Magic FM and "I heart the 80s". A certain Mr Casablancas should take another listen to this splenetic concoction of raw energy and priceless hooks, and quietly retire from public life.
Sadly, though time has been exceptionally kind to Blondie's music, the same cannot be said of Debbie Harry. Never the most graceful of performers, tonight she funky dances like an embarrassing bohemian aunt at a wedding. More significantly, her voice has lessened over the years. This could explain 'Union City Blues' absence from the set list - it may be Blondie's masterpiece, but its raw, gut passion requires a vocal power that Harry no longer has.
The newer material is tailored to Harry's diminished range. 'Maria' may veer close to Dire Straits soft rock, but is saved by its irresistible chorus. 'Good Boys' is positively breathy, but is so slinky and playful it should have been one of the hits of 2003. 'Undone', meanwhile, has the rhythmic invention and slouchy cool of vintage Breeders - it sounds wonderful.
The worst moments of the show are when Blondie try to clumsily revise their past. 'The Tide Is High' was always awful, but the sloppy addition of a calypso beat and scratchy guitars sink it to almost Atomic Kitten levels of dreadfulness. Later, 'Rapture''s eerie poise is shattered by a ridiculous guest rap from an untalented lunatic.
Fortunately, 'Heart of Glass' is left in its original shimmering arrangement, one of those singles so famous and loved you know it's forever playing on a jukebox somewhere in the world. Blondie will probably never release anything quite so good again. But then, Blondie have always surprised.
