The Pretenders Are Real!
By Sharon Crosby, Waterbury
The Pretenders Are Real!
By Sharon Crosby, Waterbury
The newly renovated Warner Theatre opened its doors to the legendary punk (and once referred to as "New Wave") rock band The Pretenders on February 3. This was The Pretenders' first appearance at the Warner. It was an evening filled with great music reminiscent of an earlier time in our lives.
The opening act, All Mighty Senators, a band from Baltimore, caught the audience's attention with their funk/ punk music backed by horns and trombones to a down reggae beat. It was clear that the audience, ranging in age from 30 to 50-something, was there to see The Pretenders; however, an encore from the All Mighty Senators was demanded by the crowd.
The Pretenders' opening song, "Lie to Me," is the first track from their newest CD, Loose Screw. Released last year, Loose Screw expresses Hynde's authentic voice, her honesty, emotion, insight and playfulness. It underscores Hynde's and The Pretenders' singer-songwriter roots, but also ventures into new territory with its funk, rock and reggae-inspired rhythm and the catchy, toe-tapping melodies of songs like "Complex Person," "Clean Up Woman" and "Walk Like a Panther." Other songs in their hour and a half performance at the Warner included "Message of Love," "Don't Get Me Wrong," "Back on the Chain Gang," "Brass in Pocket" and "I'll Stand By You" (to mention a few).
Chrissie Hynde is originally from Akron, Ohio. She moved to London, England in the early '70s, when she was in her 20s. From an early age Hynde knew she would form a rock band, and after attending a Rolling Stones concert at age 14, her dream was reinforced. Hynde initially wrote for the New Musical Express, sold hippie handbags in a street market, and modeled for an art college. Towards the end of 1977, while living in London, Hynde met Tony Secunda, band manager for Steeleye Span and The Move. Hynde, along with Fred Berk (Johnny Moped) on bass and Nigel Pegrum (Steeleye Span) on drums, recorded a few demos which included the hit song, "The Phone Call."
In March 1978 Secunda arranged a meeting with Dave Hill of Anchor Records. Hill was setting up a new label in the United Kingdom, and after a rocky first meeting signed Hynde up as the first artist on Real Records. Later that year, Hynde formed The Pretenders with drummer Martin Chambers, guitarist Jim Honeyman-Scott, and bassist Pete Farndon. The Pretenders recorded a version of Ray Davies' "Stop Your Sobbing," and this single made the British Top 40 in early 1979. Their debut album, Pretenders I, was released in early 1980 and climbed to number 1 in the U.K. Their success caught on in America, with the album reaching the Top 10.
In 1980, Hynde met Ray Davies of the Kinks. During their short-lived relationship came the couple's first and only child together, Natalie. The Pretenders then released their second album, Pretenders II, which did well on the charts. Eventually, however, tragedy would strike. In June 1982, Pete Farndon was kicked out of the band due to his drug addiction. On June 16, Jim Honeyman-Scott died of an overdose of cocaine and heroin, and in 1983 Farndon also died of a drug overdose.
Hynde went into seclusion following the birth of her first child and the death of her fellow band members, but regrouped The Pretenders in late 1983, adding guitarist Robbie McIntosh from the Average White Band and bassist Malcolm Foster. The Pretenders would produce 2000 Miles and Learning to Crawl in early 1984. Hynde married Jim Kerr (lead vocalist of Simple Minds) in mid '84; their marriage would last until 1990, and from this union came Hynde's second child, Yasmin. The band would produce eight more albums from 1986 to the present time. They also performed at the Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, joined the Lilith Fair tour in 1999, and opened for the Rolling Stones' 2002 tour.
In total, the Pretenders have released 13 albums, not counting international cuts. Hynde and Chambers are the only original members of The Pretenders. In 1993, bassist Andy Hobson and guitarist Adam Seymour joined the group.
The Pretenders have crossed the bridge between New Wave/ punk rock and Top 40 pop more than any other band. Hynde is a singer-songwriter and master guitarist not bound by gender. She will always be known for bending the traditional male role of rock n' roll legend to her own image. Hynde attributes her longevity in not only the music business, but her mere existence, to never allowing drugs to become that important, and she refuses to focus on misery. Perhaps motherhood also played a role.
The Pretenders put on a spectacular performance at the Warner in all its gold and glitter, amidst the wall-size murals depicting a time when women had no voice. This lady has a voice in more ways than one, and although she has endured significant ups and downs over her 25-year music career, her signature sound remains intact, as do her powerful lyrics and personal convictions. All this, including her notorious biker-girl look (black eyeliner, fitted blue jeans, T-shirt and cowboy boots), not to mention her two-step shuffle across the stage, is what makes Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders real.
