Pretenders

Photo credit: Jill Furmanovsky at Big Hassle.

Pretenders, an Anglo-American rock outfit fronted by the bold Chrissie Hynde, have been somewhat sporadic in the annals of pop music. Having emerged in the late 1970s, the original line-up succumbed to two tragic deaths, and the band has since been a revolving door of musicians in which Hynde is the only real mainstay. The band has enjoyed a good deal of success nonetheless, and notably scored a UK Number One single early on with Brass In Pocket in 1980. Their 1994 track I’ll Stand By You also performed impressively, and a decade later earned the perhaps dubious achievement of being covered by Girls Aloud, with the girl group’s version subsequently hitting #1 on the charts.

Hynde’s efforts with the Pretenders since the 90s have been fewer and further between than they were in the group’s early days, but in 2017 they are back in full swing. The band released Alone, their first album in 8 years in October of 2016, and the record was well received by critics. This summer they hit up the nation’s favourite Glastonbury Festival, and they have also embarked on a world tour, which will be stopping off at Bristol’s Colston Hall on the 11th of October. Visitors can expect a run through of the traditional greatest hits such as Don’t Get Me Wrong and Back On the Chain Gang, but the new album shall also play a prominent role. Alone, which intriguingly was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, sees Chrissie Hynde back to her good old ways, and fans of the older material will certainly find something to enjoy on the new record.

If you’re keen to see the veteran rockers belt out both old classics and new tunes, their gig at Colston Hall may be your best chance to do so. With tickets still available and Bristol being just a train journey away, you’ll want to catch the legendary Hynde and her band on tour before they pass us by.