Matt Connarton Unleashed: The Pretenders

There's always things, interesting things going on that we can talk about, and we always have something we I'd like to keep something kind of in my back pocket in case something like this happens with a guest, especially as we move into cold and flu season, these things will happen. There's a story involving the Pretenders rock Legends. The Pretenders, Uh, they've been around for decades and decades of course, and uh there's a little bit of controversy around the band now, and it's by the way, it seems like these days controversy in the music industry.

It stems from well, either either AI related issues, which is what we talk about a lot, or issues in terms of the live touring business. We've done a couple of segments on the Oasis tour and some of the issues around that. And then of course there's the limp biscuit lawsuit for two hundred million dollars against UMG Universal Music Group, and I thought about maybe talking about that today and maybe, you know, maybe we will. If the guys from Dead By Winds they don't get here, you know, maybe we'll we'll go to that after we finished talking about this.

But so the Pretenders, they they have done something controversial, but it has nothing to do with ticket prices or the availability of tickets and all that goes wrong there. This is what's going on with the Pretenders, and I think this is interesting, and this is from what website is this americansongwriter dot Com. And I don't know how far we'll get into this because the guys could arrive at any time, But the Pretenders are dividing fans over new live music policy. So here's what it says. With decades long career.

With a decades long career under their belt, the Pretenders are no strangers to the dynamics of live performances. But in October twenty twenty four shakeup prompted by frontwoman Chrissy Hind has left many wondering if she's lost touch with the proper relationship between fans and musicians. Hind made her announcement ahead of The Pretender's October sixteen performance at USh Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland, and in true online fashion, the Internet seems wholly divided over whether Hine's comments were just or unfounded.

By the way, I intentionally avoided pre reading this, so I'm learning about this with you. If you're not already aware of it, because I want to give you my unvarnished, shall we say, gut reaction to this, So it says here. The Pretender's embarked on an almost exclusively sold out tour of the UK in October. Stops include Oxford, Bristol, Portsmouth in London, among other large cities cities. But just before the band made their way to Scotland's capital to perform at Usher Hall,

Chrissy Hind shared a message on social media that angered many fans, and here's what she said. Quote. First of all, thank you to everyone who's come to see our shows. We're in the home stretch of this year's tour and it's been a real pleasure. Fantastic cities and fantastic audiences. We've had a great time playing for you. One thing we feel a blit to explain when we go on tour, the whole point is for the band. 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. 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. Unquote Okay again, I did not preread this.

I didn't know this is what this was about. My gut reaction. And by the way, I'll open the phone line too if you have a reaction to this six oh three two five oh six oh seven, if you'd like to chime in, or of course you can chime in the chat room, but the studio line is open. Six oh three two five six oh seven. My gut react action of this is what are you doing? Why would you This is weird to me for a couple of reasons. Number one, why would you go out of your way to alienate your your fans that way, your die hard fans, Because obviously, if anybody is actually going and following the band around buying tickets to multiple shows, you're only doing that unless you're a scalper.

You're only doing that if you're a die hard fan. So why would you want to alienate your most dedicated fans like that. That's bizarre and I think really self sabotaging. It's really strange. Another thing that I find very odd about this is are you trying to tell me that when you're on stage and you look out at the crowd. First of all, I mean, you know the pretenders they're I mean they've they've got to be in their seventies at least, right, Well, I shouldn't say at least. I'm sure they're not in their eighties, but but they have to be in their seventies, if not late sixties.

I mean, are they actually able, like is Chrissy Hind Maybe she wears contact lenses in a correct or vision to twenty twenty. I have no idea, but I'm just saying, is she able to actually look out at the crowd and see as she's performing, look at the faces, look at the people she sees in the front row, and look at them, see their faces clearly enough to identify, Hey, these are all the same people I saw at the previous show. And even if she can do that, I find it really hard to believe. Look, I know they're a legendary band.

But is this really a problem, Like is it actually all the same people in the front row of every show? I just find that hard to believe. Yes, there are people who will, if they really love a band, if they're a die hard, if they're a super fan, they'll buy tickets and try to go to as many different shows as they can. I mean, you know, look, I'm a Kiss fan. Kiss is my favorite band of all time. I know plenty of I never did it, but I know plenty of Kiss fans who you know, when Kiss would go on tour, especially the Farewell tour because it was in theory the last time you'd see them, right at the end of the road tour, you know, people would, people who had the money because it's expensive, you know, people would buy tickets for multiple shows and kind of follow the band, you know.

And of course there's bands that are legendary for having those kinds of fans that would do that kind of thing, Like The Grateful Dead is probably the epitome of that, right, the classic example of you know, you had all these dead heads who would who would actually sort of go on tour with the band, and that they would follow and the band would go on tour, these people would follow I don't know how anyone affords it, but how you know, would follow the band on tour and go to all the shows, and you know, it gets to a point where the band gets to know the fans, gets to know these super fans, knows them by name, develops relationships with them because they see them so much.

You know, but do the pretenders as they're doing these shows? Is it literally the same people in the front row? I just find that hard to believe. Isn't that a little that seems like a stretch. Again, I'm not knocking the band in terms of, you know, their place in music history and their fan base I'm sure is even in twenty twenty four. Obviously these shows are selling out, so obviously their fan base is enormous. But I find it, I just find it hard to believe that Chrissy hind is actually looking at the front row and seeing the exact same set of people every night.

And even if she is, why do you want to why do you want to do this to those people? Why do you want to talk to them that way? Why do you want to alienate them? You know? It's bizarre to me, And and what in her mind would make her think that this was a good idea to say this publicly and to I mean, you're chastising people. Really, it's very I mean not to sound cliche, but if this even still means anything in twenty twenty four, but it's very unrock and roll. I would say, you know, telling telling people, well, you know, if you buy a ticket, you know, I don't want I don't want to see you in the front row more than once.

I mean, it's just I find this very bizarre. I find this whole thing very strange. Let's see. So here's the next part of the article. This ought to be good. Fans react to the band's request. Uh uh. Now, I again, I did not preread this. So I'm going to make a prediction, and I'm going to predict that the reaction was not positive. But let's see. Well again, if you're if you're just learning about this as I am, will learn together. But so it's not a spoiler, but I'm guessing that there was a bit of a negative pushback on this.

Okay, it says Chrissy Ian's announcement divided fans across several social media platforms. While some praised the singer and guitarists for her thoughtfulness and willingness to prioritize local crowds. Others condemned the message, saying it was disrespectful to her most devoted fans. These fans, the dissentered argues, deserved top priority. By the way, let me stop there for a moment. I don't even think of it in those terms. I don't think of it in terms of who deserves Nobody deserves top priority.

This is uh. You know, touring is a business operating in a free market. You know, whoever buys the tickets buys the tickets. Whoever's going to the show is going to the show. If you buy a front row ticket, you get your front row seat. That's it. There's no, it's not a matter of priority. It's a matter of first come, first serve. Now. I know that it's not a perfect system. And we've talked a lot on the show again with the Oasis debacle, with the tickets and the dynamic pricing, which is very controversial.

I don't want to take that side street right now, but I get it. But look, it's not a matter of I mean, if you really, if you really want to quote unquote prioritize local crowds. Then maybe maybe if you can, maybe you devise something. This might be too convoluted and complex, but you could do it. Devise a system where when you buy a ticket, if you show residency. It sounds like I'm talking about voting, but we don't. We don't do politics. But if you show residency, maybe if you're buying a ticket to that local show, then you get a free meet and greet.

Right, that's part of the you know, because that's a big thing now with these and I don't know if the Pretenders is doing anything like that, but you can, you know, on a lot of big tours, you can buy a meet and greet package and you get to meet the band and have them sign things and say a few words to you.

I don't know, I mean, you could do something like that. You could do something special. If somebody proves their local residency, they get to meet you. I don't know, I mean, if you're really that serious about this, but this is just strange. This is just strange. Okay, So here's an example. Here's some examples of some of the reactions. One angry fan posted on Facebook quote talk about how to kick your biggest supporters in the teeth, and I suppose you don't want your photo taken either. Get off the stage if you can't appreciate the people who have kept you there.

I just found this statement really insulting. Talk about taking your biggest supporters for granted. Sorry, we're bored of your quote. Sorry, we're bored of your faces unquote Yeah, I mean again, Chrissy hind is not clearly it is not her intention to kick pretenders fans in the teeth. But uh, she just doesn't want to have to see your teeth. You know, she doesn't want you close enough. She doesn't want to have to see your teeth on more than one night. I guess other self described uber fans stood by Heine's request.

Okay, so there's an example of a supporter. One commenter said, quote, It's not always about you at this point in time. It's about the band who wants to keep things fresh at the end of a long tour for the benefit of all those who attend, and for local fans, ninety nine percent of whom this is their only and maybe last chance to see the band. You don't own the band and shouldn't own the front row experience, and well done Chrissy for having the guts to courteously point that out unquote, but the commenter says here, this commenter is saying, well, you know, ninety nine percent of these people this will be their only chance to see the band, So that kind of undercuts the point, doesn't it.

Okay, dead by Wednesday is here,

Matt Connarton Unleashed: The Pretenders

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