In October, Pretenders bandleader Chrissie Hynde urged listeners following the band on tour not to be offended if they get moved from the front row to "give local fans a chance," and has now acknowledged that it "caused offence in some quarters."
In October, Pretenders bandleader Chrissie Hynde asked that listeners following the band on tour not to be offended if they get moved from the front row to "give local fans a chance," and has now acknowledged that it "caused offence in some quarters."
Hynde didn't quite say sorry to those fervent fans in general admission via a Christmas message shared via Instagram, but she did write, "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. Come one and all…… but be fair!"
However, she did apologize for having "never adjusted to the phone / filming / picture taking culture" that is commonplace at live concerts. Though Hynde hasn't been hit with a device mid-performance that we're aware of, she expressed, "There's no way to explain how distracting it is and why I have a meltdown when I see a phone."
"I've sworn and berated the very audience that is there for us," she explained of her reaction. "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 see I'm not alone and some venues are now banning phones and many acts are banning them too. Dylan famously has phones sealed in a bag throughout his shows. We post signs around the venues saying please do not use your phones, but some people just cannot resist. Anyway, I do feel baffled and bad about it. I know pop acts encourage phones because they want to be on social media. But we are not a pop act. We're a rock band (in case you didn't notice)."
Hynde closed her message by thanking followers for "making it a joyful year for myself and the band ... and our lovely crew," but if you've been following the Pretenders from date to date, and have been snapping pics from the front row, check your stocking for a lump of coal later this month.