Legendary New Wave band The Pretenders have announced a surprise set at Glastonbury this summer. The band will feature on the Park Stage on Saturday, 24 June and be joined by special guests.
“It’s always been there for most of our lifetimes. There has never been a festival like it anywhere else.” – CH.
Saturday, 19:45 BST, The Park. And they’re bringing friends, too….
@KiPricePhoto pic.twitter.com/j7xwE6C8AV
— The Pretenders (@ThePretendersHQ) June 20, 2023
The Pretenders announced the news via social media accounts and comes amid an exciting time for the band-having just released new single “I Think About You Daily.” The new music features a collaboration with Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead and is the second song that the band have debuted from an upcoming LP that will be released in September. The new album will be the group’s 12th studio full length.
The group will be hoping to capture the same spirit and attitude that previous smash hits achieved such as, “Back on the Chain Gang” and “I’ll Stand By You” with the new material and fans will undoubtedly be eager to hear the new songs played live. Sharing the news and referring to Glastonbury, Chrissie Hynde, frontwoman of The Pretenders said, “it’s always been there for most of our lifetimes. There has never been a festival like it anywhere else.”
Despite the band gaining massive popularity in the late 70s and early 80s, The Pretenders have remained on the scene, albeit with a changed lineup and last released an album in 2020. The Pretenders notably performed with Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters at the benefit concert for Taylor Hawkins in September of last year.
It has become somewhat of a tradition now, for Glastonbury to announce last minute or surprise acts each year. In previous years, Lady Gaga and The Libertines have been announced and the secret additions have always been guaranteed to ramp up the excitement for festival goers.
See you tomorrow…#Glastonbury2023 by Alister Sieghart pic.twitter.com/0zWHqyyWND — Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 20, 2023
The Pretenders are both an English and American band with Hynde herself, originating from Ohio in the US. After moving to London in 1973, she worked in Malcolm McClaren and Vivienne Westwood’s infamous shop where the Sex Pistols got their start. She then joined Pete Farndon, James Honeyman-Scott and Gerry Mcilduff to form the original version of The Pretenders.
After the untimely deaths of Farndon and Honeyman-Scott, the band decided to carry on with somewhat of a revolving door of musicians coming in and out of the band, although The Pretenders went on to release some of their biggest hits in the 80s including “Hymn to Her” and “Back on the Chain Gang.”
Besides The Pretenders’ surprise set at Glastonbury, the band have also been supporting Guns N’ Roses on their European tour, which will include an appearance at British Summer Time in Hyde Park. You can find tickets here.
The Pretenders dates in UK:
30/06/2023 – BST – Hyde Park, London
17/09 – BBC Radio 2 in the Park – Victoria Park, Leicester
