Blondiefest: One Way or Another surveys and celebrates the cultural legacy of Blondie and their iconic frontwoman Debbie Harry at London’s ICA this weekend.
Events include fashion designer and journalist Luella Bartley, and UK Vogue Fashion Editor Francesca Burns in conversation with Hanna Hanra, founding editor of music and fashion magazine BEAT; a screening of Tales From The Darkside, David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, edited highlights of TV Party, the late 1970s US cable TV show that featured Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. Music writers and biographers Tony Fletcher and David Quantick introduce and critique Blondie and the 1970s New York music scene and Philip Rambow and special guests present key songs and stories from his experience of the ’60s and ’70s music scenes in Montreal, New York and London.
“More than any other act, Blondie represented the synthesis of New York City’s multiple influences. Raised on Village folk and underground rock, the girl groups and glam, they were the only band of the 1970s CBGBs punk scene to embrace both disco and hip-hop. Without Blondie, pop music would have sounded so very very different – and it wouldn’t have looked half as good, either.” – Tony Fletcher, author of All Hopped Up and Ready To Go: Music from the Streets of New York 1927-77.
Curated by Tom Wilcox, Associate Curator ICA and Hanna Hanra, Editor in Chief of BEAT Magazine.
More information and tickets. 5th – 7th July. Attend every event with a Blondiefest multi-buy ticket £60 / £55 Concessions / £40 ICA Members 020 7930 3647
