Godlike Geniuses Blondie play career-spanning set to close NME Awards 2014 with Austin, Texas
Band play eight song set as 2014 ceremony ends in style
nme.com
By David Renshaw – 26th February 2014
Blondie brought the NME Awards 2014 with Austin, Texas to a close by performing a career-spanning set including UK Number One hit singles ‘Call Me’ and ‘Atomic’ plus a cover of Beastie Boys’ ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’.
The band were honoured with the Godlike Genius accolade at tonight’s ceremony, performing a set which as well as the classic hits and the surprise cover also featured newer material, including last year’s single ‘Sugar On The Side’.
Debbie Harry and her bandmates were honoured for their contribution to music and accepted their award from Best Solo Artist winner Lily Allen. Collecting their gong, Debbie Harry said: “Hey hey! Thank you NME. I’m very happy to be here tonight.” Guitarist Chris Stein said: “Thank you guys. Back in the old days, we had an adversarial relationship with NME. They used to rake us over the coals. But Karl Marx once told me there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
Arctic Monkeys dominated the NME Awards 2014 with Austin, Texas picking up five awards including three of the biggest awards of the night: Best British Band, Best Live Band and Best Album.
Other big winners at the ceremony, which took place at the O2 Academy Brixton in London included Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn, Belle & Sebastian, Lily Allen and Haim. Performances came from The Horrors and Drenge plus Metronomy, who opened the show by performing ‘Love Letters’, from their forthcoming new album of the same name, with MKS.
Damon Albarn was in attendance to receive the NME Award For Innovation whilst Paul McCartney was on hand to pick up the Songwriters’ Songwriter Award. The Teenage Cancer Trust Outstanding Contribution To Music was awarded to Belle & Sebastian, who also performed, playing ‘Legal Man’ and ‘The Boy With The Arab Strap’.
Blondie played:
‘One Way Or Another’
‘A Rose By Any Name’
‘Atomic’
‘Mile High’
‘Rapture’/'(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)!’
‘Sugar On The Side’
‘Call Me’
‘Heart Of Glass’
