boy culture

They Wound Up At MOJO For Hamburgers To Go

MOJO Classic devotes its new issue to New Wave, and particularly to Blondie—and it's a great addition to any Blondie fan's collection. For one thing, it's (The) Jam (Was Movin')-packed with Debbie Harry images and quotes, and offers a lot of history I wasn't aware of.

Check out Debbie's introductory letter:

I love that she says:

"New Wave was seen as a safer way of marketing punk for the record companies. The humble side of me says I should be thankful for what happened but then the ego side of me says, Yes, but I should be much bigger!"

Also loved this image, which is the edition's final page:

It's not all about Blondie—MOJO Classic also has a handy guide to New Wave bands you forgot you loved and even a...crossword? I'm thinking crosswords are even too square for New Wave, let alone punk.

Spotlight On The Visual

With thanks to Kenneth, here's Debbie Harry's "If I Had You," a sweet song off of Necessary Evil that reminds me of earlier ballads like "Strike Me Pink":

Madonna finally posted her "4 Minutes" video:

Like I've said, I think this is a good, crowd-pleasing video with lots to offer new and old fans (though some of the older ones are carping that she's sold out, a joke of an argument for the most commercially savvy of serious artists)—she looks great, though still like latter-day Madonna (the digital help softened her unnatural as well as her natural flaws), the dancing is very fun and in spots quite inventive (I'm sure we'll see more of this at her rumored live shows in New York, London and Paris at the end of the month) and there is a concept to it. The concept distinguishes it from most of her videos of late. I like it and fans seem to be excited by it, too. Nothing wrong with being hot and relevant, and I think she's managed both—the song (check out this survey to help plug it) is at #3 and might very well move up considering it has now been #1 on iTunes for just about a whole week.

If only Debbie could still have hits. I'm a chart baby till the end—hits matter. At least Debbie still tours.

Yes Icon

Tired...tired of being admired...

The new issue of Swindle is the Second Annual Icons Issue. Some of their choices are undeniable (Debbie Harry, Marianne Faithful, David Lynch, John Waters, Deepak Chopra), some are refreshingly offbeat (Amy Heckerling, Naomi Wolf, Betsey Johnson) and some are...fucked up (Dee Snider, Dolph Lundgren, Adam Ant). More bizarre still are some of the taglines—Debbie is a "Timeless Sexpot, Vocalist, Actor" but is she really a "vocalist?" Wasn't Peggy Lee a vocalist? (In her feature, she confesses touring is "really tiring, really hard work. I guess you get the swing of it.")

Lundgren, who I haven't laid eyes on in a decade or more, is called "Action Hero, Olympic Athlete, Ex-Scientist" and admits he suffered from "imposter syndrome" over his sudden '80s fame. He describes Andy Warhol approaching him at Studio 54 to snap a Polaroid of him, asking, "Why don't you take your shirt off?" Lundgren "ended up in shorts or something."

Spaceman Buzz Aldrin is most well known of late for saying he had seen a UFO and then denying it, but there's no denying his recent, take-me-to-your-leader facelift, a procedure that rarely sends me on a man.

We have facelift-off.

Waters claims to "always keep up with the times" and "never look back," but reserves a special hatred for the fans who insist on cellphone pictures. "That's the bane of your existence. A lot of good it did Mel Gibson."

Even with some missteps, it's a compelling issue. And where else would I have learned that we have a bus-accident settlement ($6,000) to thank for Steve Buscemi's acting abilities? He spent the money at The Lee Strasberg Theatre And Film Institute at his dad's urging. That runaway bus carried him all the way to Fargo and beyond.

Touched By Her Presence

Debbie Harry has started a blog called The Oracle Of WiFi. I'm predicting she will not keep up with this, nor will her fans...but we'll see!

She can see clearly.

Call Medo

The blonde leading the blonde.

Edo Bertoglio has shot all the greats of the '70s and '80s Downtown scene, largely thanks to his assignments for Andy Warhol's Interview. I absolutely love this shot of Debbie Harry, which I'd never seen. I believe this was published to promote the DVD release of Bertoglio's film Face Addict, documenting his work with the stars of New York. He was also the boyfriend of stylist Maripol, and as such shot Madonna's first album cover...which was rejected. (A proof of that rejected cover was once auctioned on eBay for a reasonable amount. Pictured is one of his Madonna portraits.)

I Love Saturgays

To the Maxxie.

Yes, this is my third post about a gay magazine, but fuck it—they need the attention. And yes, Attitude (October 2007) has been out forever, but fuck it—I just got it here in NYC and I happen to really like it. It's the issue that introduced me to Mitch Hewer, who plays gay Maxxie (spelling intentional) on a British show called Skins. He shows a lot of skin in a feature entitled "Hot On The Box" that's shot by Ellis Parrinder and also features James Sutton, Ciaran Griffiths and Charlie Condou:

They play nellies on the telly.

There's also an amazing Debbie Harry interview that is part of Attitude's usual "Any Queries?" fan-driven section. Highlights include her answering a question about which Blondie song has made her the most dough with, "Oh wow, I have absolutely no idea!...I'm just happy to get the cheque!" She guesses "One Way Or Another," and I bet that is true overall.

Debbie also admits she's turned down several reality shows (good! her cool evaporates under scrutiny); says, "And yeah, I think Madonna stole my mojo—she wasn't too helpful to me! If I had my time again, I think inevitably there are some things you'd want to do differently..." (hence Madonna "Absolutely no regrets" Ciccone is my #1 and Debbie is my #2); confirms that if "Good Boys" is your fave Blondie song it's a case of "there's no accounting for taste"; and comments on everything from the Spice Girls reunion to the True Colors Tour to her Playboy years.

Another vital part of the issue (which continues after the jump) is this sensational fashion editorial by Lawrence James Thomas:

Debbie Does

Here is an MP3 of the acoustic versions of "The Tide Is High" and "Heart Of Glass" that Deborah Harry is currently performing on her Necessary Evil Tour. These songs (courtesy of Brian at BlondieForum) are the only Blondie numbers she does on the tour, and in this interesting interview, she explains that is because it would be "almost inappropriate" to do lots of Blondie minus, well, Blondie.

The New York Post's Dan Aquilante ungallantly declares that Debbie has "gone from Blondie to gray," but he don't know nothin'—rather, SheKnows better...and KennethInThe212, too.

I Wanna See You, I Wanna See You...Again And Again And Again And Again

Debbie's act is strictly new hat.

After a monochromatic turn on The True Colors Tour, one of my all-time idols—Debbie Harry—is bouncing back with her current Necessary Evil Tour. Hmmm. It seems like the tours should’ve traded names, considering how she trudged through the former as if she had no choice, and how she skipped through her opening-night Necessary Evil gig at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza Thursday, November 8, with playful abandon.

Video and audio snippets are here.

I went with my buddy Joe (of JoeToHell infamy) and was to meet up with blogger Kenneth (of KennethInThe212 infamy) and his boyf Michael, but Joe and I wound up glued to the corner of the balcony and Kenneth and Michael were stage right against the wall. I often like to get dirty and deep into the action, but I for some reason really wanted to see the whole scene, to drink it up. Debbie’s 62 and, while in good shape and in good voice, each live performance could be the “End Of The Run” for me, since she might hang it up unexpectedly or GASP! go on a tour that skips the city.

I’m not a giant fan of her new CD, though I like it well enough and think it’s worth owning. Still, I’m supportive of artists who insist on doing their new stuff because my nostalgia trip need not be theirs. ("I don't really love walking down memory lane.") I was suspecting that this show would be similar to Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour—plenty of oldies sprinkled among the newer, less desirable songs (as opposed to Confessions, where the new stuff was at least as wanted as the old). Overall, I was only slightly disappointed in the set list—but I couldn’t have been happier with Debbie and with her juicy new show.

Opening act Kristoffer Ragnstam eventually set off my charm alarm with his self-effacing Swedish humor, but his limp rock left me cold. Still, he was not a bad choice to open—does anybody remember The Toilet Boys opening at Madison Square Garden for Blondie? It was like every 50-year-old in Manhattan’s heart of glass broke in unison.

While he was playing, Debbie arrived right behind me. Without Joe pointing her out, I’d have missed her. She was hustled through the (tiny) VIP section in a sequined hat like old ladies wear at bus stops, except cool. She paused to peer over the balcony, surveying the fandemonium below. There was a vampiric air to the gesture, like her character in the “I Want That Man” music video. She seemed satisfied and disappeared backstage. I knew she was going on at 9:45 despite the 7:30 doors, but I was hoping for a miracle, like when I used to cross my fingers so hard they’d go white attempting to will any of her amazing solo singles into the Top 10, 20 or 40.

Spotlight On The Visuals/Audioamerican

Debbie Harry's Necessary Evil Tour, opening night at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York City, as seen and heard (or, at times, only heard) by me:

NECESSARY EVIL TOUR: PART 1 OF 3

"Jen Jen," "I Can See Clearly," "Necessary Evil," "The Jam Was Moving," "Two Times Blue" & "If I Had You."

NECESSARY EVIL TOUR: PART 2 OF 3

"French Kissin'," "Rain," "The Tide Is High," "Heart Of Glass" & "Lovelight."

NECESSARY EVIL TOUR: PART 3 OF 3

"Heat Of The Moment," "School For Scandal," "Rush, Rush," "Love With A Vengeance," "What Is Love?" "Whiteout," "You're Too Hot" & "Charm Alarm"

Tide You Over

A full review of Debbie Harry at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza last night—the first night of her Necessary Evil Tour—is to come. Until then, here is a snippet of my very best footage from the evening, a warmly nostalgic "The Tide Is High." With me (among others) on backing vocals...