I`d planned a night on the sofa before a call at around seven pm from my old boss Jim saying that he`d got a spare ticket for the Pretenders and he`d pick me up in ten minutes. So off we went to the magnificent Symphony Hall to join the other two thousand souls who have waited eight months to catch these legendary alternative new wave rockers.
Support tonight are The Picturebooks an energetic genre-defying duo from Gütersloh, Germany who consist of Fynn Claus Grabke and Philipp Mirtschink whom the editor of Maximum Volume christened primal yet original. MVM`s editor has championed the band since catching them supporting The Answer in March 2015 and has seen them numerous times since. I sadly had not caught up with them since that musical awakening nearly a decade ago so was looking forward to their short set.
They hit the stage with the almost hypnotic `PCH Diamond` before sharing a kind of sleazy version of Depeche Mode`s `I Feel You` and a fairly haunting take on Bruce Springsteen`s `State Trooper`. Fynn described how `Why Mother Why` from their latest release `Albuquerque` came to him in a dream and after awakening he contacted friends from the band Black Stone Cherry and recorded this number in their studio with a gospel choir whom they`d managed to acquire.
A video of the number was planned but while Fynn`s father Claus was scouting locations he was hit by a truck and left for dead. Amazingly he recovered after only two weeks and was in charge of the guys sound this evening. The track I have to say is immense. They close out this all too short visit with `The Rabbit and the Wolf` which Chrissie Hynde caught live and became friends with the guys, hence their presence tonight and `Your Kisses Burn like Fire` both from their `Imaginary Horse` album. The fellas are back in Brum at the O2 Academy on 20th March next year so a date worth setting aside.
The Pretenders’ 2024 UK tour was rescheduled from February / March due to Chrissie Hynde’s knee injury but has enabled the band to add three new shows in November to the existing thirteen shows. The band released a new album `Relentless` last year and shared a few cuts from this along with tracks from across their lengthy career. I first saw The Pretenders in February 1980 with UB40 and Ten Pole Tudor in support. I saw them four years later at the Odeon but don`t think I’ve caught up with them since then.
The introspective `Losing My Sense of Taste` and `A Love` from the latest release kick us off before heading back in time for the rolling `Turf Accountant Daddy` and `Back on the Chain gang` which has everybody singing along.
I have to say that Chrissie has lost none of her powerful silky vocal skills as songs like `Junkie Walk` and the ballad like `You Can`t Hurt a fool` ring out.
The singer deals quite firmly with the distraction of people recording through their phones as she shares the wonderful `Talk of the Town` which has me reminiscing on seeing the band back in the mists of time and `Private Life` whose reggae vibe was every bit as good as the powerhouse of Sly and Robbie were on Grace Jones`s cover of the song.
The home stretch included wonderful rock n roll tracks such as `Thumbelina` and `Night in my Veins` with hits like `Kid` and `Don’t Get Me Wrong` sprinkled in before closing out with the blistering `Hate For Sale`.
It didn`t take long before the band who includes James Walbourne on guitar, Dave Page on bass and Kris Sonne on drums who’s side band `His Lordship` I’ve seen a couple of times return and share a four-song encore. Amongst the numbers are the contemplative Ray Davies cover `I Go to Sleep`, heartbreaking `I`ll Stand by You` and the thumping `Mystery Achievement`.
I`ve managed to catch nearly eighty gigs this year, mostly up and coming groups but I have to admit that the two shows that have stood out head and shoulders above all have been Paul Weller last week and The Pretenders tonight.
Two artists that have stayed with me for over forty years and long may that continue.
