Chrissie Hynde always knew the rockstar life was for her. Growing up near Akron, Ohio, she moved to London in May 1973 at just 21 years old. Five years later, Hynde formed The Pretenders with lead guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, bassist Pete Farndon, and drummer Martin Chambers. After nearly five successful decades, the band continues to perform hits like “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and “I’ll Stand By You” in front of live audiences. However, Hynde made waves in October 2024 when she announced The Pretenders’ divisive new live show policy. Now, the 73-year-old rock vocalist has taken to social media to clarify her stance on the matter, as well as share her feelings about seeing phones at gigs.
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Chrissie Hynde Wants to Prioritize Local Concertgoers
The Pretenders kicked off an almost exclusively sold-out tour of the United Kingdom in October 2024. That same month, Chrissie Hynde stirred up quite the controversy when she announced that the band would remove concertgoers from the front row if they attend more than one show.
This message came to the chagrin of many listeners, some of whom accused Hynde of kicking her most devoted supporters “in the teeth.” Taking to social media Tuesday (Dec. 17), the “Brass in Pocket” singer reiterated that she and her bandmates made the decision in the spirit of equity.
“I will reinstate that we love to see people come back for more, but we travel the world to play to a new audience each night, so it’s good to see the locals up front,” she wrote. “Come one and all…… but be fair!”
Why Hynde “Has a Meltdown” When She Sees Phones at Shows
In the post, Chrissie Hynde also explained why she often asks crowd members to stow away their phones during live performances.
“There’s no way to explain how distracting it is and why I have a meltdown when I see a phone,” she wrote. “Every night I come off stage scolding myself and saying it’s just not worth it and maybe it’s time to hang up the guitar and find another vocation. But I love the band and I love playing live for you. I just don’t like being stalked.”
I totally see and respect where you're coming from regarding phones. But personally I love to film a few short clips of my fave songs so I can rewatch and relive the wonderful show I've just seen. It's not for social media or anything like that, just for me.
— This heaven gives me migraine (@DrVanSSteiner) December 17, 2024
Merry Christmas! ❤️
She admitted to feeling “baffled and bad about it.”
“I know pop acts encourage phones because they want to be on social media,” she said. “But we are not a pop act.”
Featured image by Dan Reid/Shutterstock
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