Chrissie Hynde Requests Ticketholders Move Out Of Front Row For Pretenders Concerts To “Give Local Fans A Chance”

On October 16, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde took to social media to address her seeing the same fans in the front row at several concerts during the band’s ongoing UK tour, urging them to “give local fans a chance.”

NME reports that Hynde opened the post by thanking fans for their support before explaining “When we go on tour, the whole point of it for the band is that we are playing to a different audience every night. That’s why we go on tour!”

“So if we’re in Edinburgh (like we are tonight), we look forward to seeing local faces. This is what makes it new for us every night. We appreciate those of you who follow us and buy tickets for multiple nights, so please don’t be offended if we request you to move out of the front row,” Hynde continued.

“All we are asking is that you give the local fans a chance. This is what keeps it new for us… especially after being on tour for so many months.” See the full post below:

The post has not been well-received by fans, with some commenting on the post that they would “never attend another show simply because of this letter,” and others arguing that standing in the front is the right of any fan who shows up early enough to the queue. Check out some of the reactions below:

The band is due to play several more shows across the UK this month. Tickets are available here; more information can be found on the band’s website.

Hynde is set to join Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan and Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme as a performer for a Mark Lanegan tribute show in December. Titled “Mark Lanegan – A Celebration,” the one-off show will celebrate the late singer and songwriter who passed away at 57 back in early 2022.

Other musicians set to perform at the now sold-out show include Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, Greg Dulli, The Kills’ Alison Mosshart, Soulsavers and more.

Hynde also explained the reasons why she and the rest of The Pretenders don’t play arenas, although they’re able to, saying they prefer to stick to shows in clubs and theaters because they’re “better for the audience and for the band.”