Debbie Harry of Blondie Reflects on Hell’s Angels Disruption During Performance: “I Kept Singing Until Chris Stein Pulled Me Away”

Debbie Harry Remembers Hells Angels Encounter

Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry recalls a time when she was on stage surrounded by a group of Hells Angels.

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In a recent interview with Sunday Times, the star shared how the incident culminated in her being pulled off stage by guitarist Chris Stein.

She explained, “I was on stage one day when it was taken over by a group of Hells Angels. I continued to sing, but suddenly Chris pulled me away. Everyone was worried, but I wasn’t. The bikers were just amazing; they were just into the music.”

Thoughts on Turning 80

Harry also reflected on her upcoming 80th birthday, which she will celebrate on July 1st this year.

“I don’t walk around every minute thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to be 80,’ but that’s kind of how I feel,” she remarked.

“My mother mentally said that she was 25, and I was the same. But constantly thinking about it can be your downfall. And I really don’t want the same life I had when I was young. I did it! That’s the beauty of aging—you know what it’s about. It’s stored in your heart, in your soul, and in your memory bank… or does that sound like an excuse? Should I go out to a party every night?”

Upcoming Album Update

The band is currently in the process of creating a new album produced by John Congleton. Their most recent studio album, Pollinator, was released in 2017. Stein previously informed fans that they can expect a new album to be released sometime this year.

Last month, the guitarist shared a black-and-white photo of Congleton relaxing in a chair with his feet on the mixing desk while Harry stood behind him.

“With John Congleton,” Stein captioned the photo. “New Blondie album next year.”

In 2022, it was announced that Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock would be involved in the recording of Blondie’s next album, having also performed with the band during live shows, including their set at Glastonbury 2023.

In a recent conversation with NME, Matlock discussed the sequel to Pollinator, mentioning how the project was progressing while he recorded his parts. “It sounded good. It was all kind of heavy, a little atonal,” he noted.

“Some of the guys in the group are younger than me and try to be a little more modern. I just think you should get this song across. But I haven’t heard the finished version with Debbie’s (Harry’s) vocals and everything. It will be interesting to listen to.”

Harry indicated to NME in 2021 that Blondie was “setting up a period of time to record some tracks” for another album. “We’re already looking at 10-12 songs, but it’s too early to talk about it,” she mentioned at that time.

The singer also expressed that Blondie’s 12th album will be more band-oriented rather than collaboration-focused like its predecessor (except possibly for another Johnny Marr tune, as Harry previously noted). NME.