The Pretenders at the Electric Ballroom review: the iconic rock band are as raw and raucous as ever

“We really take rock 'n' roll more seriously nowadays,” said Chrissie Hynde onstage at London’s Electric Ballroom. The Pretenders had just charged through Tequila, an urgent deep-cut from 1984’s celebrated third record Learning To Crawl that felt as vicious as it did 40 years ago. Hynde’s grin was unmissable from every corner of the packed-out venue.

The Pretenders are undeniably a legendary rock group. When they performed a last-minute set at Glastonbury’s The Park Stage earlier this year, they were joined onstage by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, The Smiths’ Johnny Marr and Paul McCartney like it was the most normal thing in the world. The following weekend, they played just before Guns ‘N’ Roses at London’s Hyde Park.

Their status as icons hasn’t stopped them from spending the majority of 2023 playing sweaty club shows across North America and the UK, however. “It’s just more fun,” Hynde explained when the band first announced the tour. “You can see everyone, they’re right in your face and it’s a laugh.”

While the 1,500-capacity Camden venue didn’t allow for much in the way of rock 'n' roll excess, the band still brought the theatrics via playful instrumental breakdowns and flamboyant guitar solos. Hynde’s voice still sounded incredible, capable of both delicate beauty and thundering power, while the band was tight but never rigid. It gave the 100-minute set a wondrous sense of unpredictability, with the band constantly chasing excitement.

There was a lot of heart amongst the chaos, though. Tributes were paid to late friends Joe Strummer from The Clash and The New York Dolls’ Johnny Thunder, alongside beloved covers of The Kinks’ Stop Your Sobbing and I Go To Sleep.

Refusing to rely purely on nostalgia, though, the set pulled heavily from The Pretenders’ more recent efforts. Tracks from 2020’s snarling Hate For Sale were delivered with a fiery lust for life while the hammering songs from 2023’s Relentless sounded like a renewed mission statement from a band with plenty left in the tank.

“We didn’t do any hits at all but you didn’t care,” Hynde beamed before the first of two encores. Moments later, she was back onstage performing timeless rock staples Back On The Chain Gang and Don’t Get Me Wrong alongside early hits Precious and Tattooed Love Boys.

Throughout their lengthy career, The Pretenders’ ability to deliver free-spirited rock & roll has never wavered. It doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon, either, with this gig offering a seriously good time for everyone in the room.