On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, La Maroquinerie was packed to the rafters. The small venue in the 20th arrondissement of Paris welcomes the legendary Anglo-American band The Pretenders for two nights running, after a 6-year absence in France. To promote the release of her (excellent) new opus,"Relentless", Chrissie Hynde has opted for a mini-series of intimate shows in just four European cities.
In Paris, the quartet turned to the small venue of La Maroquinerie. And the fans, most of them with graying hair, didn't hold back their pleasure, smiling broadly at the idea of seeing their favorite band in such a unique setting.
The Pretenders took to the stage at 8.30 p.m., four of them, under the admiring gaze of the audience. In addition to the presence of legend Chrissie Hynde, the band's lead singer since its beginnings in 1978, the line-up also includes bassist Nick Wilkinson and guitarist James Walbourne, The Pretenders' co-pilot, on whom Chrissie Hynde now relies heavily and with whom she displays a real complicity on stage.
Today, at the age of 72, Chrissie Hynde has proved that she still has a lot left in the tank. Chrissie Hynde's rockin' looks start with a tousled haircut that hasn't changed since her early days. Then there are her waders, which she rarely takes off, and her many necklaces, which bear the number 79. But Chrissie Hynde is also, and above all, her unique, magical voice, which at times reminds us of that of Sharleen Spiteri from the group Texas. Chrissie Hynde: a look, a style and a voice that have truly inspired many other great female rock artists such as PJ Harvey and Anna Calvi. Incredibly charismatic, Chrissie Hynde had no difficulty in winning us over and charming us during her 1h20 set, which was, of course, a tribute to rock!
Unsurprisingly, The Pretenders took advantage of their Paris show to present live some of the tracks from their latest opus,"Relentless", produced by David Wrench (Courtney Barnett, The XX, Frank Ocean...) and recorded in London. And one thing's for sure, the new tracks fit in perfectly with the band's rock style, thanks to such effective, catchy numbers as " Losing My Sense of Taste ", " A Love " and " Let the Sun Come In ".
The band's penultimate opus,"Hate for Sale", released in 2020, also took center stage at La Maroquinerie on Tuesday evening, with tracks such as " The Buzz ", " Junkie Walk ", not forgetting " Turf Accountant Daddy " and " You Can't Hurt a Fool ", the only song on which Chrissie Hynde dropped her guitar.
But Chrissie H ynde and her bandmates in The Pretenders also took us back in time with some old favourites, such as " Tequila " (1979), " Thumbelina " (1984), the sublime Kinks cover " I Go to Sleep " dedicated to Ray Davies, and the more punkish " Precious " and " Tattooed Love Boys " (1979). The perfect way to end the encore on a high note! Regrettably absent from the setlist, however, were the hits " Don't Get Me Wrong ", " Brass in Pocket ", " Back on the Chain Gang " and the essential " I'll Stand by You ".
Chrissie Hynde may have spoken her mind (including asking a fan to stop taking photos and videos with his phone), but the rock legend made no secret of her delight at being reunited with her Parisian fans after a 6-year absence. On stage, the singer and musician flashed a huge smile and didn't hesitate to get close to her fans on certain tracks. A closeness that delighted the audience right up to the end of this rocking, intimate and incredibly spellbinding set!
The Pretenders ' second and final concert in Paris this Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at La Maroquinerie. Unfortunately, the concert has been sold out for a long time already.
Losing My Sense of Taste
A Love
Turf Accountant Daddy
The Adultress
Downtown (Akron)
The Buzz
Domestic Silence
Time the Avenger
Biker
Boots of Chinese Plastic
Don't Cut Your Hair
Gotta Wait
You Can't Hurt a Fool
Tequila
Thumbelina
Let the Sun Come In
Junkie Walk
Reminder
I Go to Sleep
Precious
Tattooed Love Boys
Location
La Maroquinerie
23, Rue Boyer
75020 Paris 20
Official website
www.lamaroquinerie.fr
