She may not be the oldest rock chick in town, but Chrissie Hynde still has to prove that there's a spring chicken in her step. The comeback kid hasn't had as spectacular a resurgence as Debbie Harry or Cher, but last night's gig at the Olympia showed that Hynde can outperform any of rock's dowager duchesses.
Coming onstage with a new band at her heels, a shiny guitar at her hip, and a slight chip on her shoulder, Hynde introduced her boys to the crowd, then opened with the snide Popstar, a riff-heavy dig at a younger pretender to her throne.
Nails In The Road was Chrissie's own Road Rage, a story of love getting stalled in emotional traffic, but Message Of Love was a warm-hearted return to a romantic past when The Pretenders were the real McCoy, and Hynde was the leather-clad girl of our dreams. Talk Of The Town took the illusion of youth even further, mesmerising us with its twirling chords and cascading chorus.
When Hynde put down the guitar and picked up the mike for Love Me From The Heart Down, however, she suddenly became Venus in Chelsea boots, flexing her charms and oozing a decadent sexuality. Phew, steady on there, she's old enough to be my big sister.
Original drummer Martin Chambers is still the backbone of The Pretenders, while guitarist Adam Seymour, who joined in 1994, delivers the familiar guitar lines with panache.
