Blondie

O2 Arena, London                                                                        Touring until May 7

Rating:

Soft Cell

*Happiness Not Included                                                                            Out Friday

Rating:

There’s something very special about Blondie. As their distinguished support act, Johnny Marr, recently observed, they’re a band nobody dislikes. And he didn’t mean that they’re bland: inside their perfect pop is a grain of New York grit.

Their hits are timeless but they, alas, are not. Chris Stein, once Debbie Harry’s lover and still her professional other half, is off sick with an irregular heartbeat.

Of the five men on the cover of Parallel Lines, only one remains – Clem Burke, the powerhouse drummer. As a consolation prize there’s a Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, on the bass.

Harry is looking sharp at 76: her outfit is so bright, she’s got to wear shades. But she seems detached and her glorious voice is wobbling. It starts off sketchy, then gathers strength when she removes her sunglasses, before wavering again.

In all, she manages about 20 minutes of magic. Picture This is punchy, Atomic enthralling, Maria serene, Rapture dynamic, Heart Of Glass delicious.

But some old favourites are over-egged – The Tide Is High goes from lilting to lurching, while Fade Away And Radiate disappears up its own guitar solo. The real star of the show is Burke, doing the work of three drummers.

Soft Cell are back with their first album in 20 years.

After track two, a plodding ode to Andy Warhol, you may wonder why they bothered, but then everything falls into place. David Ball brings the chunky synths, Marc Almond the camp intelligence.

The lyrics are contemporary, full of allusions to illusions and delusions, and the single Purple Zone is a bittersweet banger.