Express & Star

The Pretenders, Symphony Hall, Birmingham – review and pictures

Ultimate rock chick Chrissie Hynde proved that she and her band The Pretenders are still a great guitar group with an exciting and exuberant set featuring most of their classic songs.

Published
Last updated
Chrissie Hynde in great voice on stage at Symphony Hall. Pictures by: Andy Shaw

Sporting a shimmering golden jacket, she took to the stage with the 2017 edition of the band to deliver an opening of Alone, the brilliant title track from the latest and10th studio album, and Gotta Wait before delivering a thrilling Message of Love.

Chrissie was in relaxed mood and keen to chat to fans and engage with her audience. She perfomed Back on the Chain Gang for all her female fans and singled out a man in the front row to sing the opening of Hymn to Her directly to.

I'd last seen The Pretenders live 38 years ago in the intimate surroundings of the much-missed The Village in Newport, Shropshire, and the sell-out show in Birmingham proved that they were still a powerful live force and Chrissie, incredibly now 66, still has all the vocal skill and strength she ever had and her rhythm guitar playing is undimmed.

Symphony Hall is a great venue to hear music but lacks the atmosphere for a great rock concert.

There was some sporadic dancing by a brave few in the early part of the set, but it was not until Chrissie, as sassy and smart as ever, urged people to get on their feet and dancing with Talk of the Town that the concert really took off.

Guitarist James Walbourne, who also plays with support band The Rails, was in superb form delivering the trademark Pretenders riffs that gave the group such a distinctive sound in their early days.

Original drummer and Herefordian Martin Chambers was, as ever, the driving force at the heart of the band on stage with bass player Nick Wilkinson and Welsh keyboard wizard – and mean maraca man – Carwen Ellis also in top form.

First single and Kinks cover Stop Your Sobbing really got the audience going, early Hynde original from her time before The Pretenders, Tequila, and Boots of Chinese Leather followed.

The set ended with a thrilling delivery of Middle of the Road, but The Pretenders quickly returned after sustained applause with a three-song encore beginning with the classic single Kid, dedicated to sadly lost-to-early band mates James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon.

The second encore included the beautiful I Go to Sleep, Precious and the band ended by delivering the song everyone had been waiting for – Brass in Pocket – to send us home delighted.