Rockin’ riffs, golden vocals ring true

Sweetness thrown in with a bit of sassiness. They may be the age where they could both pick up gold cards, but Stevie Nicks and Chrissie Hynde can still deliver the goods.

The two hooked in the crowd at Forsyth  Barr Stadium last night. It was a mixed crowd of young and old and most got up on their feet.

• Veteran rockers still fresh in 70th show

The Pretenders kicked it off and they were of top quality.

The voice is the thing that matters at the end of the day. Many of these veteran rockers can still thrust the hips and have the hair standing on end but the voice has long departed the building.

But Hynde and her great vocals came through. She launched into all her hits and got the crowd up on their feet.

This girl is a rocker with the best of them and she played to the crowd, showing her worth.

She bounced around the stage and showed there is plenty of energy despite this being the 70th and last concert of the tour.

Hynde has had a bit of press of late which has not put her in the best of light but she was in a relaxed mood last night.

She skipped through more than a dozen songs and yes, Hymn to Her is still one of the best-penned songs around.

Nicks came in chatty and friendly and she combined with Hynde in Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around early on.

From there she outlined a few of her songs and also belted out some Fleetwood Mac numbers, Gypsy the highlight.

It would be fair to say Nicks is no Michael McIntyre. The yarns seemed to go on a tad too long when we all come to hear that voice to her songs — the voice that shines through even at 69.

But let’s not nitpick — this was a quality show.

As a prelude to other acts coming later in the summer, the bar has been set high.

Now come on lads, rock up and reach it.

 

Stevie Nicks & The Pretenders

• Forsyth Barr Stadium, Friday, November 24