Blondie Tickets

Short Biography
BLONDIE & THE PRETENDERS JOIN FOR
‘A DAY ON THE GREEN' & THEATRES
DOUBLE BILL CONCERT TOUR LAUNCHES 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

They're two of music's most acclaimed bands boasting two of music's most compelling front women - Deborah Harry leading the wondrous Blondie and Chrissie Hynde fronting the mighty Pretenders. As a double-bill, it's a world first! It's also an absolute cracker and that's exactly what fans can savour when Blondie & The Pretenders co-headline a November/December tour of ‘a day on the green' winery shows in all states and, in conjunction with Frontier Touring, theatre shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

This very s...

Short Biography
BLONDIE & THE PRETENDERS JOIN FOR
‘A DAY ON THE GREEN' & THEATRES
DOUBLE BILL CONCERT TOUR LAUNCHES 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

They're two of music's most acclaimed bands boasting two of music's most compelling front women - Deborah Harry leading the wondrous Blondie and Chrissie Hynde fronting the mighty Pretenders. As a double-bill, it's a world first! It's also an absolute cracker and that's exactly what fans can savour when Blondie & The Pretenders co-headline a November/December tour of ‘a day on the green' winery shows in all states and, in conjunction with Frontier Touring, theatre shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

This very special double header launches the 2010/2011 ‘a day on the green' season, the event's 10th anniversary. A bumper summer of concerts are planned to celebrate this significant milestone, so let's get the partee started!

Both The Pretenders and Blondie have enjoyed great success in Australia, fuelled by a stream of timeless Top Ten hits and the popularity of Hynde and Harry. Both ladies have always escaped the usual clichés of women in rock and are unquestionably two of the most important and influential women to have graced the stage. As co-headliners, the bands will alternate in closing the shows. Blondie emerged from the late 70's New York punk scene and quickly became music, style and pop culture icons selling more than 40 million albums. They scored hits with reggae, rock/disco, hip hop and pop songs bursting with great hooks and brilliant, ironic lyrics. ‘Heart Of Glass' was Blondie's first US #1 in 1978 opening the floodgates to a run of 14 Top Ten US hits including ‘The Tide Is High', ‘Call Me', ‘Rapture', ‘Picture This', ‘Rip her To Shreds', ‘Hanging On The Telephone', ‘Union City Blues' and ‘Atomic' , racking up a phenomenal five US and five UK number one singles.

Debbie, founding member & song writing partner Chris Stein and long-time drummer Clem Burke have just completed their first new album in six years titled ‘Panic Of Girls', set for release later this year, and on June 8 commence a world tour in the UK.
Australia has always had a special place in the band's heart, being the first country in the world to give them commercial success when Ian ‘Molly' Meldrum mistakenly played ‘In The Flesh' (the B side of a single) on Countdown in 1976. After a 25 year hiatus, Blondie toured Australia five years ago and can't wait to get back.

When co-headliners The Pretenders last toured with ‘a day on the green' three years ago, Chrissie Hynde declared the concerts ‘some of our favourite shows of all time'. "I am so excited to be coming back to Australia - some of the most fun audiences we've ever had - and the beautiful countryside! Yes, we can't wait to rock out down under. See you soon you crazy Aussies!!"
The Pretenders are undoubtedly a special band with a special place in history. Their brand new live CD & DVD ‘Pretenders-Live In London' (Liberator) captures one of their many electrifying performances and is a timely reminder of what a great rock band they are. With hits like ‘Talk Of The Town', ‘Kid', ‘Back On The Chain Gang', ‘Don't Get Me Wrong', ‘Middle Of The Road', ‘Message Of Love', ‘ I'll Stand By You', ‘Stop Your Sobbing' and ‘Brass In Pocket', The Pretenders may have been rockin' for 30 years but their authenticity has never diminished.
As always ‘a day on the green' is pleased to showcase two Australian artists as support acts, Melbourne five-piece Little Red and Magic Dirt's Adalita. Little Red boasts three lead singers and a feel-good mix of back to basic rawness with timeless classicism. They've toured the country and played many of Australia's premiere music festivals to glowing reviews and lots of dancing. With a brand new album slated for release later this year and a UK tour imminent, Little Red look set to follow on from the success of their 2008 debut 'Listen To Little Red' in a major way this year. Little Red will perform at all winery shows.

After being at the forefront of the Australian rock scene for more than a decade with iconic rock band Magic Dirt, lead singer Adalita has taken time out to record her first solo album, due out soon. The singer/guitarist played her first ever solo shows last year where she initiated new and old fans with her brilliant new songs and trademark powerful vocals. Adalita will open all shows, winery and theatres.
As we launch the upcoming summer season, promoter Roundhouse Entertainment is pleased to welcome LG as the event's sponsor for the next three years. "For LG, ‘a day on the green' reinforces our "Life's Good" brand values and gives us a chance to share that with hundreds of thousands of our consumers all around Australia. Our partnership with ‘a day on the green' is an exciting opportunity for us, and we are delighted to be a part of it," said LG's Corporate Marketing Manager, Mark Nesci.

After more than 210 shows and 1.5 million happy patrons, Roundhouse Entertainment is proud to be celebrating its landmark 10th anniversary. The ‘a day on the green' experience of good food, good wine and great music is firmly established as one of Australia's most popular concert events. For transport options, accommodation and full show details, please visit www.adayonthegreen.com.au.

In-depth Biography
Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late '70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami, Florida), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. January 5, 1950, Brooklyn, New York) out of the remnants of Harry's previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. November 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. April 13, 1954) joined, completing the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows' 1963 hit "Denise," renamed "Denis," became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear." Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. "Picture This" became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and "Hanging on the Telephone" made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album's third single, the disco-influenced "Heart of Glass," that took Blondie to number one in both the U.K. and the U.S. "Sunday Girl" hit number one in the U.K. in May, and "One Way or Another" hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, "Dreaming," went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, "Union City Blue," went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, "Atomic," became the group's third British number one. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on "Call Me," the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie's second transatlantic chart-topper. Blondie's fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggae-ish tune "The Tide Is High," which went to number one in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented "Rapture," which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band's eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members: Infante sued, charging that he wasn't being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry's gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie's sixth album, was released in May 1982, preceded by the single "Island of Lost Souls," a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. "War Child" also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment.

At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original lineup of Harry, Stein, Destri, and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year. After more touring, this was followed by another studio set, The Curse of Blondie, in 2003, and a DVD of the Live by Request program from A&E was released in 2004. In 2006, Blondie celebrated their 30th anniversary with their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the release of Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision, a best-of collection that contained all their classic videos as well. They also got back to work on original material, decamping to upstate New York in October 2009 to start recording a new studio album. Additional sessions were held in Hoboken, and the resulting Panic of Girls was released in July 2011. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi