Glastonbury 2023: Watch Blondie perform ‘One Way or Another’
As part of their set at Glastonbury Festival 2023, Blondie played their fan favourite track, ‘One Way or Another’.
Performing on the Pyramid Stage from 17:00 to 18:15, Blondie delivered a career-spanning set that saw them undertake renditions of their classic hits and newer tracks. At one point during the performance, they played ‘One Way or Another’, in its classic style. The track was received to loud applause by the crowd who had gathered to watch them.
Notably, the song features on their 1978 album Parallel Lines and was lyrically inspired by frontwoman Debbie Harry’s frightening real-life experience with a stalker. The music was composed by bassist Nigel Harrison, who introduced it to keyboardist Jimmy Desrti.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2011, Harry explained: “I was actually stalked by a nutjob so it came out of a not-so-friendly personal event. But I tried to inject a little bit of levity into it to make it more lighthearted. I think in a way that’s a normal kind of survival mechanism. You know, just shake it off, say one way or another, and get on with your life. Everyone can relate to that and I think that’s the beauty of it.”
Elsewhere, earlier this month, Debbie Harry confirmed that Blondie guitarist Chris Stein had been a “major contributor” to the group’s forthcoming album, despite taking a step back from touring due to health reasons.
In April 2022, Stein announced he was stepping down from performing with the new wave band due to an issue with his heart. “I’m sad and frustrated to report that I’m not going out with the next bunch of Blondie touring,” he wrote on Instagram Stories. “I’ve been dealing with a dumbass condition called Atrial Fibrillation or AFib which is irregular heart beats and combined with the meds I take for it I’m too fatigued to deal”.
Stein continued: “I’m still all in with recording and other band projects and I should be out for [discussion events, etc.,] later on…That’s it, I’m fine, I’m around here and I love you all.”
Watch Blondie play ‘One Way or Another’ at Glastonbury Festival 2023 below.
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