The Pretenders, Omeara, London, review: The band at their very best

“What a great venue, I have to do an arena tour with Stevie Nicks, but I’d much rather do this.” These were the words uttered by Chrissie Hynde as The Pretenders brought their melodic rock sound to Omeara London, a new venue in London Bridge reminiscent of the old dive bars in north London.

The intimate gig was in celebration of the release of new album Alone, the 11th studio album from The Pretenders. Alone is the band’s first album in eight years, recorded in Nashville with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, it is an honest and welcome reminder of The Pretenders’ continued relevance in the world of music. Hynde really is one of the greats.

Opening the night with 'Alone', the new single from the new album, Hynde and co quickly got into the flow of things, setting a precedent for the rest of the set. “Gotta Wait” and “Down The Wrong Way” followed before Hynde stopped to talk for the first time, and as anticipated the crowd were completely enamoured by her from the first moment.

Watched on by a couple of hundred people, The Pretenders showed exactly why they are so heralded and why in 2005 they were inducted into the esteemed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Elvis Presley, James Brown and Buddy Holly. The band led the crowd through a setlist of old and new while retaining the personal conversational approach that makes Hynde so affable. Emotion, humour and honesty shrouded every lyric as they weaved in and out of the charged pop rock sound that is so impossible not to sing along to. Apologies to those standing behind me.

The emotive “Hymn To Her” and “Stand By You” came midway through the set to the delight of the captivated audience, before pitch perfect renditions of “Tattooed Love Boys” and “I Hate Myself”, to which she caveated that she doesn’t, she hates someone else.

Much can also be said of the venue. To take an arena act to a small London basement certainly added to the overall feel and shape of the evening. Hynde’s infamous drawl coupled with the building acoustics created a sense of intimacy and realness that heightened the emotion and authenticity of her lyrics in a way that meant you did not want to miss a moment.

Hynde took to the mic once more, “Let’s play some more old songs” she drawled, before delving in to the archive and playing 80s greats “Brass in Pocket”, “Middle of the Road” and “Stop Your Sobbing” as the crowd continued to sing along.

“It’s good to see so many really old faces,” said Hyde, acknowledging the mostly middle-aged audience. Hynde is funny, she creates a connection with the audience that is real and she is still incredibly cool; dressed in skinny jeans and an Elvis tee it’s difficult to see that this women is 65.

What began as a gig review is quickly turning into an ode to Chrissie Hynde, which means that it was great, right?

The band stuck with tradition and came back to stage with an encore of “Holy Commotion” from the latest album, to send the crowd happy in the knowledge that they had witnessed The Pretenders at their very best.