Chrissie Hynde has issued a partial apology to fans, after sharing a set of rules she has for returning concertgoers for her shows.
The Pretenders frontwoman had previously asked fans who have bought tickets for several of her shows, to not take up space in the front row, so "local" fans can have a chance to get to the front row.
“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!", Hynde wrote at the time.
However, this did not go down well with fans, with many taking to social media to vent their frustration, with several arguing that those who pay for freestanding tickets should be able to watch these shows from the front row if they prefer.
Now, taking to Instagram, Chrissie Hynde addressed several of her previous comments, including the use of phones at shows.
“First of all, I’m sorry that I’ve never adjusted to the phone/filming/picture taking culture. I’ve sworn and berated the very audience that is there for us. There’s no way to explain how distracting it is and why I have a meltdown when I see a phone. Every night I come off stage scolding myself and saying it’s just no worth it and maybe it’s time to hang up the guitar and find a new vocation", she wrote.
The singer also added that she is not the only one who feels strongly about this, saying that several venues carry a 'no phones' policy.
Hynde then referred to her previous comments regarding fans at the front row.
“The other thing I said which seems to have caused offense in some quarters is when I asked that anyone who has seen more than a few shows, move back out of the front row and let the locals have the front", she said.
“I will reinstate that we love to see people come back for more, but we travel the world to play to a new audience each night, so it’s good to see the locals up front. Come one and all… but be fair!”.
Check out this post in full here.
Back in July, Hynde had also explained why her band do not perform at arenas. More on this from Nova here.
