I saw The Pretenders at Edinburgh's Usher Hall and Chrissie Hynde's vocals left me in awe

But you would never know it - with her impeccable voice and seductive stage presence, she is the eternal rock chick who never fails to deliver.

She was joined by Kris Sonne on drums, bass player Dave Page and lead guitarist James Walbourne when they played Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, and her ‘fellas’ gave it their all. In particular, Walbourne, in his own unique entertaining style, performed dazzling guitar solos. 

The band started with Losing My Sense of Taste and A Love, both from their 2023 album, Relentless.

The Pretenders had the audience in the palm of their hands when they played at Edinburgh's Usher Hall | Ruth Morrison

Despite the Usher Hall being a seated venue, from the first guitar strum, several fans couldn’t resist getting up for a dance. The next sequence included several songs from the 2020 album Hate For Sale, which were scattered between pre-nineties hits. 

Talk of the Town,  Kid and My City Was Gone were slotted in between Turf Accountant Daddy, Hate for Sale, The Buzz and You Can’t Hurt a Fool, with The Losing making a welcome appearance also.

Hynde hadn’t had much interaction with the audience up until this point, but when the lights were raised,  she explained how her Scottish friend, Shirley, had asked her to “take care of her people”.

And that she did. Having asked the crowd which song they would like to hear next, she gave them what they wanted with Back on the Chain Gang followed by Don’t Get Me Wrong, during which even the seated guests felt the need to shimmy their shoulders and jiggle their legs.

Hynde then chose to drop her guitar for a front stage spotlight during the slower Private Life, Think Daily and Biker - a distinct and intriguing variance to her usual performances.

The Pretenders took to the stage at Edinburgh's Usher Hall | Ruth Morrison

But the tempo was quickly lifted yet again with Thumbelina, Night in My Veins, Junkie Walk and finally Let the Sun Come In which left the audience whooping and whistling before the band reappeared to perform Precious and, of course, I’ll Stand By You.

As The Pretenders effortlessly alternated between the classic oldies and the modern goldies, I found it fascinating that a band, after almost five decades and numerous member swaps, could maintain the exact sound and style of their early days. 

Singing live, the star sounds exactly as she does on her albums, which should have come as no surprise given that Hynde was - deservedly - named in Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. 

A special mention has to go to the support act, The Picture Books, who started the evening perfectly with compelling music, comedic remarks, and an anecdote of how they first met Hynde “head-banging on a beach” in St Tropez.

It may have been almost 50 years since The Pretenders first burst onto the music scene, but from the very start of their show they proved that great things only get better with time.

And the dedication of their fans - or ‘old faces’ as Hynde put it - is a testament to that.