Yesterday, I had the good fortune to be invited to see the Pretenders do a very special, intimate gig at Irving Plaza where later that night they’d be playing to a sold out crowd. The show was for XM Radio’s Artist Confidential series. The format was a question and answer session led by a dj with audience members allowed to walk up to the front of the stage and ask questions as well. In between questions, the band would take shouted requests for songs. It was sort of like VH1 Storytellers but with cursing. Before the band came out, the audience was told to ‘go crazy’ and to not hold back since it was satellite radio. The audience, by the way, consisted of mostly middle aged people, contest winners supposedly, some of whom sported MULLETS.

It was an interesting experience. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, unfortunately, but I did take plenty of notes.

During the entire event, Chrissy Hines looked bored as shit. I wish the dj didn’t come off as such a suck up, I think it would have been more relaxed. The band has a new guy on bass named Nick. He’s British (from the sound of it from London), freaking cute and has been with the group for only a month. Bit old for me at 35…

At Chrissy’s prompting, the audience shouted out song requests. The band ended up picking a couple of well practiced songs though, ‘Precious’ and ‘Tatooed Love Boys.’ Both were fucking awesome. After seeing so many indie bands the past few weeks, I had sort of forgotten about how down and dirty old school rock is. It was refreshing to hear.

After the songs, Chrissy confessed that she is a big fan of the Kings of Leon. Apparently, they helped her back into what music is really all about. Interesting.

To end the show, the group played ‘Day after Day’ and ‘Cuban Slide.’

I found it odd that Chrissy kept going on about how XM satellite is the new pirate radio. When Chrissy was first getting started, she was heavily influenced by European pirate radio and somehow her and the XM people kept comparing themselves to that. I wonder if that is how XM got the Pretenders to do this, because they sure didn’t seem very happy to be there. Sure, XM can play what music they want and don’t have to follow playlists but forgive me if I am wrong, wasn’t pirate radio free?

The band is on a short tour promoting a new box set, not a new cd. Chrissy says there are no future plans at all for a new album. Anyone out there go to the Irving show that night?