Posts Tagged ‘Roger Daltrey’

The WHO – ” Tommy and More ” 2017 dates

Posted: December 2, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The Who announce that 5 UK dates scheduled for April 2017 will include a performance of classic album Tommy in full.
The Who have confirmed they will play 1969 album Tommy in full on their 2017 UK tour.
After postponing five UK dates this year, The Who rescheduled them for April and have now revealed they’ll perform Tommy live in its entirety for the first time since 1989.

They say: “The Who are incredibly excited about performing Tommy and more in April 2017! Marking the first time that the band will play Tommy in full since 1989, it will be a truly unforgettable tour.”

The Tommy element of the shows will include a new video segment produced specially for these gigs.
As well as Tommy, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey’s band will play a set of their greatest hits and some lesser known tracks. The Tommy & More dates follow two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 30th and April 1st, at which they will also play Tommy in full.

Frontman Daltrey recently said he felt rock had “reached a dead end.” The tour has been especially reinvigorating for Pete Townshend, who has for years found playing live increasingly dull. But in the last few weeks of the run – originally dubbed “The Who Hits 50!” and later revised to “Back to the Who Tour 51!” Townshend is looking forward to getting back on the road and, for at least two shows, changing up the set list. On March 30th and April 1st, the Who will present the rock opera Tommy live in its entirety for the first time since 1989 at a benefit gala for Teenage Cancer Trust. The band’s website claims it will be acoustic but, as Townshend says below, that may not be the case.

He said: “The sadness for me is that rock has reached a dead end. The only people saying things that matter are the rappers and most pop is meaningless and forgettable.

 

The WHO – ” Live At The Fillmore East ” New York, October 22nd, 1969

Posted: November 20, 2016 in MUSIC
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Who at Fillmore East 10/20-25/69 by David Byrd

This recording captures much of the third night of a weeklong engagement The Who performing their rock opera Tommy at the Fillmore East, with Bay Area band AUM opening, followed by fellow Brits King Crimson.

Following the band intro, they kick the show off with John Entwistle’s “Heaven and Hell,” their standard opener at the time. “I Can’t Explain” and “Fortune Teller” hark back to older times, as does “Young Man Blues,” but all three are played with a renewed ferocity, not apparent on the studio recordings.

Thundering bass and drumming that’s on the verge of being out of control combine with Townshend’s power chords to create a sound that is unmistakably The Who. It’s remarkable that only three musicians can create such a powerful sound, particularly on the latter song. Following a monologue by Townshend, preparing the audience for the long haul of their new rock opera, Tommy, they launch into a condensed version of the “Overture.” Although shorter than usual, the anchoring musical themes of the piece are introduced before the storyline begins with “It’s A Boy.”

The highlight of what exists here from the opera is probably “Sparks,” where the band really cuts loose into a pulverizing jam. Townshend’s guitar howls through the unique powerhouse rhythms created by Entwistle and Moon. The opera continues with the bluesy “Eyesight To The Blind” which segues into “Christmas” as the first tape runs out. Unfortunately, the recording misses most of the rest of Tommy, resuming as they are reaching the end of “See Me Feel Me” coda’s finale sequence.

The band ends the show with the double whammy of “Summertime Blues” followed by an unusually slow-paced “Shakin’ All Over” that features themes from several other songs drifting in and out, including “Smokestack Lightning.”

Pete Townshend – guitar, vocals; Roger Daltrey – vocals; John Entwistle – bass; Keith Moon – drums

The WHO – ” Live at The Fillmore East ” April 6th 1968

Posted: October 24, 2016 in MUSIC
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The second night of The Who’s first run ever playing at the Fillmore East is an unbelievably great document of the band in its early prime, still full of the punk attitude that they would initially define while beginning to venture off into more artistic and experimental territory. Every minute of this performance is fascinating and much of this material cannot be found, in better quality or at all, on any other Who recordings. This set captures the entire band fully engaged in their music. Although many songs were still short and concise during this stage of their career, the intensity level is undeniable. Opening the show with Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” they immediately set a bar that most other bands could never even approach.

The previous year, two members of The Rolling Stones were arrested on drug charges under questionable circumstances, and were victimized by the U.K. courts. They were harshly sentenced in an attempt to make an example out of them, which immediately caused an uproar that shook London to the core. Following Jagger and Richards’ ridiculous sentencing, The Who quickly recorded two of their more popular songs in support and vowed to record nothing but Stones songs until the two were released. Their second song of this set is the Stones’ cover of the Allen Toussaint penned “Fortune Teller,” which they had just performed for the first time ever the previous night.

They continue with “I Can’t Explain,” one of the few songs American audiences were familiar with at the time, but with a new level of aggression that wasn’t apparent on that early single. Next up is their current single at the time, “Happy Jack,” a tune that found them exploring new directions and beginning to experiment with dynamic changes. Extremely rare live performances of “Relax” and “My Way” follow and continue to explore and expand on the boundaries within the band’s music. “Relax” surprisingly turns out to be one of the heavier numbers on this set and the band takes flight into some inspired jamming following the verses. Unfortunately, the jam fades out and is incomplete.

John Entwistle then steps up for his defining song, “Boris The Spider,” lending his dark sense of humor to the proceedings. At this point, the band launches into “My Generation” and this version is amazing. The improvisational section following the verses is a great early example of the band letting the music propel itself. Although at times it seems like they are on the verge of being out of control, they never are, and early signs of Townshend developing themes within a jam are also surfacing. The approach to their instruments and the sound they create as a unit is utterly unique and unlike any other band at that time. The reels were changed during this jam, so a small part of it is missing on this recording.

This surely must have left the audience breathless, so while they were recovering, the band embarks on their most experimental composition yet, “A Quick One While He’s Away,” which is incomplete and begins in the middle of the song. This adventurous suite of songs, loosely tied together, is a hint at Townshend’s future aspirations that would eventually be realized in his first full-blown rock opera, Tommy. This is a fascinating performance for its entire eight minutes.

Who at Fillmore East 4/5-6/68 by Helen Hersh

They close their set this night with another propulsive jam on “Shakin’ All Over,” again letting the music propel the band through several pulverizing jams, including spontaneous flailing of riffs familiar from other songs. Again, the raw energy is astounding. This and the previous night’s performance must have gone a long way towards cementing their reputation in New York City. This should be required listening for anyone interested in that era of rock music and especially for anyone interested in The Who

The lead guitar Pete Townshend plays on “Can’t Explain” is ridiculously on point. Phenomenal guitar playing

Pete Townshend – guitar, vocals; Roger Daltrey – vocals; John Entwistle – bass; Keith Moon – drums

The WHO – ” Live At Desert Trip Festival ” 16th October 2016

Posted: October 22, 2016 in MUSIC
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THE WHO live at the Desert Trip Festival at Empire Polo Field in Indio, California – October 16th, 2016

Desert Trip rock superstars put considerable sweat into performances in Indio over the last two weekends, and some even inspired tears from fans. But only one appeared to literally draw blood That was the Who’s lead guitarist and chief songwriter Pete Townshend, who managed to cut his forehead to bring forth a trickle of blood over his right eye during the band’s set on Sunday, which he noted also was the final date of their extended 2015-2016 world tour.

The injury became apparent during the mini-set of “Tommy” numbers, as singer Roger Daltrey belted out “See Me, Feel Me” and the show’s high-resolution video cameras made Townshend’s wound visible to all 75,000 festival-goers as his face was magnified on screens around the grounds.

The Who didn’t exactly slow down in a set that emphasized the muscular rockers of their first two decades. “I Can See for Miles” was tuneful hard rock, with Townshend’s riffs of increasing tension and a beat always pushing forward, shattering eardrums for 50 years. The guitarist crouched as he slammed the downstroke attack on “My Generation.” During the Who’s set earlier in the evening, Pete Townshend alluded cryptically to the presidential election, and the day before, Neil Young sang of threats to environment. Waters was more aggressive in messaging as he weaved politics as an essential element of his performance of Pink Floyd classics. He read a poem of rage and protest called “Why Cannot the Good Prevail”

“A thing like this … I don’t know if this is a good thing or bad thing,” said Pete Townshend after roaring through about half the Who’s Sunday evening set, which had already covered a slew of hits including “Can’t Explain,” “Who Are You” and “My Generation.” He concluded, “But I think, as McCartney said, we’ve all been in the business for over 50 years – there’s no competition and it’s all love, peace and harmony.”

In a nutshell, the 71-year-old guitarist acknowledged that, yes, Desert Trip is a big corporate money-maker, but at the crux of it, it’s an important celebration of an era of musicians who are dwindling quickly.

In the case of the Who this night, it was that overarching, last-ditch nostalgia that gave the show its emotional and historical weight. They have seven more gigs scheduled for spring of 2017, but this show marked the band’s final North American date on their farewell tour. Of course, they’ve said their goodbyes several times before, but based on Townshend’s remark “tonight … we’re gonna cry,” it felt like this really could be their last Stateside stand.

Yet the band turned that lament on its head time and time again throughout the 2-hour set, transforming distant memories into youthful vigor. The only noticeable hitch in Roger Daltrey’s higher wails came during “Behind Blue Eyes,” but his voice otherwise soared over the desert winds, which couldn’t stop his carefully choreographed mic whips either. Townshend likewise set out to defy Father Time during “I’m One,” quipping “This song is a song to be sung by a very young snotty little fucker … and I don’t know if I can remember what that’s like, but I’ll [try].”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVcTXjCLaJ4

At some point between that Quadrophenia cut and a mini-set of Tommy tunes, Townshend managed to cut himself – either by his wild guitar swings or some other frenetic antic – above his right eyebrow, which became visible to the 75,000-strong audience via camera close-up during “See Me, Feel Me.” True to his punk-anticipating roots, it didn’t slow him down one bit for set closers “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” In a way, the injury was an apt metaphor to conclude this show: just like Townshend in those final moments, the Who’s catalogue – some of the greatest rock music ever written – will endure far beyond their touring days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYrJe9qmU0k

5:15 – The Who Final US Show of 50th Anniversary tour Live at Desert Trip

The WHO – ” My Generation ” Super Deluxe Edition Box Set

Posted: October 14, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The Who / My Generation super deluxe edition

The Who’s debut album My Generation will be reissued as a five-disc super deluxe edition box set in November and will feature a wealth of material, including unreleased songs, recently discovered album demos and new stereo mixes…

The set comprises five CDs, with the first disc featuring 2016 remastering of the original mono mix of the 1965 album. The second CD delivers a stereo remix which was created using new overdubs from Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. To ensure this was done sympathetically, Pete used exactly the same guitars and amps as the original album and Roger used same type of microphone. Until now, these mixes have only been available via iTunes, so this box set is the physical debut of these mixes (which were created in 2014).

CDs three and four contain 44 bonus tracks in mono and stereo and between them include 27 previously unreleased alternate mixes and a further four that have only been available digitally. Five-CD box delivers demos, mono mixes, new stereo mixes & more

thewho_mgfc

The final fifth disc contains the demo recordings. Pete apparently discovered these demos in 2015 during a break in touring. These include three totally unreleased songs that The Who have never revisited: The Girls I Could Have Had, As Children We Grew and My Own Love.

Of these demos, Pete commented “Gathering these demos for this collection has been enjoyable; it’s wonderful for me to have these tapes made fifty-two years ago to listen to. I hope you enjoy them. They have a naiveté and innocence, a simplicity and directness, and an ingenuousness that reveals me as a young man struggling to keep up with the more mature and developed men around me. What an incredible group of strong, talented, young and engaging men they were!”

Pete Townshend … Leaning on the tape recorder he used for his demos, we are told.

The Who super deluxe editions always deliver excellent books and the 80-page tome that comes with this set looks to be no exception. It features the usual ‘rare’ photos and new notes from Pete Townshend and images of period memorabilia. Have a listen to a teenage Pete Townshend on ‘The Girls I Could’ve Had’, one of the My Generation demos discovered in Pete’s tape archives in 2015. It’s included on the My Generation – Super Deluxe, out on 18th November.

and here’s what Townshend has to say about the song.

I have often said about my early songs that I tried hard to appeal to Roger’s sense of late teenage machismo. Either that, or I attempted to sound like Jan & Dean so that Keith Moon – who was a surf music fan – would get behind the song. Here, a rather machismo and bragging song slipped away because it was more about me than Roger Daltrey, and certainly not a surf number. It’s about my lack of success with girls when I lived at Chesham Place, partly because I spent all my time in my studio. Roger did very well with girls; it would never have worked for him to sing this lyric. The lyric is also fantastical. I make it sound as though I was turning down girls every day. In real life I was probably piqued that rarely happened. My tape machine was my mistress.

This 79-track super deluxe edition of My Generation will be released on 18th November 2016.

The WHO – ” Live at Desert Trip Festival ” October 9th 2016

Posted: October 11, 2016 in MUSIC
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The Who performed a more upbeat set. “Well, here the fuck we are,” Pete Townshend announced with biting good cheer as the band stepped onstage Sunday, also the birthday of their late bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002. With a long history of career-defining moments at events from the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock to the Concert for New York after the attacks of 9/11, he expressed special affection for the young fans in front of him in the Southern California desert venue.

“You young ones, we love you for coming to see us,” he said. “It must be pretty tough out there for the old ones. Why don’t you make a little chair for them, and they can sit down and rest.”

The Who didn’t exactly slow down in a set that emphasized the muscular rockers of their first two decades. “I Can See for Miles” was tuneful hard rock, with Townshend’s riffs of increasing tension and a beat always pushing forward, shattering eardrums for 50 years. The guitarist crouched as he slammed the downstroke attack on “My Generation.”

The Who were always an exceptionally physical band, with Roger Daltrey wailing up front and Pete Townshend leaping with windmill guitar strokes. Few performers in their 70s can maintain that physical presence, but the Who remain a vibrant musical force for other reasons. Like all the acts at Desert Trip, the Who were always as much about ideas and attitude as youthful spectacle.

Daltrey reshaped some vocal parts from the superhuman originals to fit his range, more improvising bluesman than young shouter. And at 71, Townshend often just seemed like a more experienced version of the literary, snot-nosed hooligan from the 1960s.

“Good luck with the election, folks,” Townshend teased his American listeners, without further comment.

Desert Trip 2016

Daltrey and Townshend were supported by a backing band of seven players, including drummer Zak Starkey, who was born the year “My Generation” was released in 1965, and guitarist Simon Townshend, brother of Pete. Midway into the show, Pete told of how his younger brother was at a premiere of Tommy at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968 and was looked after that night by an unknown David Bowie.

The band performed a suite of songs from the rock opera Quadrophenia, beginning with “I’m One,” with lead vocals by Townshend, who closed with the defiant plea, “Why should I care? Why should I care?” the song’s character Jimmy pissed off and thinking hard. They followed with the album’s instrumental of sweeping guitar, piano and an anxious beat called “The Rock,” introduced by Daltrey: “This is as good as any classical piece ever written.”

From the Eighties was “Eminence Front,” mingling a dynamic funk riff with cascading electronics, but it was as much of a guitar epic as anything else in their catalog, sending Townshend into spasms of slicing leads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBIAPiBFfaQ

The Who set ended as they have traditionally for years, with the career-defining songs “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (both from 1971’s Who’s Next), euphoric anthems of rebellion, escape and history repeated. In these final moments, Townshend was moved to emphasize the pent-up rage, frustration and the “teenage wasteland” of his lyrics by sliding across the stage floor on his knees. It wasn’t as graceful as the band’s old movie footage, but Daltrey looked pleased.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80MA7C_yxq4

The Who set list

“I Can’t Explain”
“The Seeker”
“Who Are You”
“The Kids Are Alright”
“I Can See for Miles”
“My Generation”
“Behind Blue Eyes”
“Bargain”
“Join Together”
“You Better You Bet”
“5:15”
“I’m One”
“The Rock”
“Love, Reign O’er Me”
“Eminence Front”
“Amazing Journey”
“Sparks”
“The Acid Queen”
“Pinball Wizard”
“See Me, Feel Me”
“Baba O’Riley”
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”

The WHO – ” Seven Inch Singles Box Set ” Polydor Records

Posted: May 23, 2016 in MUSIC
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Final Who Singles Box Announced
The fourth instalment in The Who’s singles box set series has been released on 6th May. Tracing the final part in The Who’s singles story to date, from the years 1975 to 2015, it contains 15 7”s pressed on heavyweight vinyl, replete with picture sleeves and replica artwork, collecting the group’s A- and B-side releases on the Polydor label.

If The Who’s creative output up to 1975 hadn’t already made the case (they had, after all, released two groundbreaking rock operas, Tommy and Quadrophenia, along with a slew of classic albums, among them The Who Sell Out, Live At Leeds and Who’s Next), the four-decade period covered in Volume 4: The Polydor Singles 1975-2015 is a clear reminder of the group’s ability to evolve and adapt to any situation they found themselves in. As punk attempted to lay waste to the rock bands that emerged in the 60s, The Who more than held their own with the likes of ‘Who Are You’, issued in 1978. After the tragic death of drummer Keith Moon later that same year, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle recalibrated themselves for the 80s, releasing Face Dances and It’s Hard at the beginning of the decade, flexing their hit-making prowess with the likes of ‘You Better You Bet’.

The group remained sporadically active as a live band across the next two decades, but when John Entwistle passed away in 2002, Townshend and Daltrey found themselves having to yet again roll with the punches and reboot their beloved band. The Wire & Glass EP emerged in 2006, a taster of what would become Endless Wire, The Who’s first studio outing in 24 years. Taking as its inspiration the Townshend novella The Boy Who Heard Music, Wire & Glass formed the core of the mini-opera that was itself at the heart of Endless Wire. Though new music wasn’t coming as fast as it had in previous decades, the Wire & Glass EP was followed, in 2014, by ‘Be Lucky’, a new song recorded for the group’s anniversary collection The Who Hits 50!.

A fitting celebration of one of the longest-serving bands to have emerged from the 60s,Volume 4: The Polydor Singles 1975-2015 brings the group’s story fully up to date. Though, as ever with The Who, you’d be unwise to count it as a full-stop on their remarkable career.

Scroll down to see the full tracklist, and purchase Volume 4: The Polydor Singles 1975-2015 

Disc 1:
‘Listening To You’/‘Se Me, Feel Me’/‘Overture’

Disc 2:
‘Squeeze Box’/‘Success Story’

Disc 3:
‘Who Are You’/‘Had Enough’

Disc 4:
‘Long Live Rock’/‘I’m The Face’/‘My Wife (Live)’

Disc 5:
‘5.15’/‘I’m One’

Disc 6:
‘You Better You Bet’/‘The Quiet One’

Disc 7:
‘Don’t Let Go The Coat’/‘You’

Disc 8:
‘Athena’/‘A Man Is A Man’

Disc 9:
‘Eminence Front’/‘It’s Your Turn’

Disc 10:
‘Twist And Shout (Live)’/‘I Can’t Explain (Live)’

Disc 11:
‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’/‘Bony Maronie (Live)’

Disc 12:
‘Join Together (Live)’/‘I Can See For Miles (Live)’/‘Behind Blue Eyes (Live)’

Disc 13:
‘Real Good-Looking Boy’/‘Old Red Wine’

Disc 14:
Wire & Glass EP: ‘Sound Round’/‘Pick Up The Peace’/‘Endless Wire’/‘We Got A Hit’/‘They Made My Dream Come True’/‘Mirror Door’

Disc 15:
‘Be Lucky’/‘I Can’t Explain (Remixed)’

The WHO – ” Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto ” Keith Moon’s Last Live Gig 21st October 1976

Posted: October 24, 2015 in MUSIC
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Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, October 21, 1976 – The final song The Who played with drummer Keith Moon in North America. Includes a guitar smash by Pete at the end! Overall, a fitting finish for Keith’s last stand in America.

Keith Moon played his final tour date with The Who on October. 21st, 1976, at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. It was the final date on the band’s 1976 tour. Within two years, Moon would be found dead from an overdose of Heminevrin, a sedative used to combat his alcoholism. Though Moon would perform with the Who in a couple of special gigs filmed for use in the documentary, The Kids Are Alright, this would be his last official Who date.

After tours spotlighting mammoth works of the rock opera Tommy and Quadrophenia, the 1976 trek was more of a back-to-basics jaunt and by most accounts, a truly rocking round of shows. The tour, however, was not without its share of incidents. The band crossed the U.K. and Europe before heading to the U.S. By the time the tour made it to the States, Moon had become ill, forcing the rescheduling of the opening date. Despite the drama, the band was still capable of the firepower that made it so great.

Keith Moon embodied the spectacle and glory that made the Who such an amazing live act. In the early days, he and Pete Townshend would often try and one up each other’s stage antics. Townshend stated in The Kids Are Alright, “As soon as I started smashing something up, Keith, who’s a great sort of joiner-inner used to smash up his drum kit!”

“A lot of people really, really, really, have never understood how important Keith’s drumming style was to the Who,” said Roger Daltrey in the Classic Albums – Who’s Next DVD. “I kind of describe it as, if you imagine Pete and [bassist] John [Entwistle] as two knitting needles, and Keith was the ball of wool. He would kind of keep it all together.” Townshend added, “Keith Moon’s drumming was an expression of his personality and his ego and his grandiosity and his ridiculousness and his theatricality and his sense of humor.”

The band’s onetime manager Chris Stamp put it best: “He was, in a sense, the soul of the band.” when Keith Moon died on  September. 7th, 1978, at age 32, and rock ‘n’ roll hasn’t been the same without him.

Setlist:

1. I Can’t Explain
2. Substitute
3. My Wife
4. Baba O’Riley
5. Squeeze Box
6. Behind Blue Eyes
7. Dreaming From The Waist
8. Magic Bus
9. Amazing Journey
10. Sparks
11. The Acid Queen
12. Fiddle About
13. Pinball Wizard
14. I’m Free
15. Tommy’s Holiday Camp
16. We’re Not Gonna Take It
17. See Me Feel Me/Listening To You
18. Summertime Blues
19. My Generation
20. Join Together
21. My Generation Blues
22. Spoonful (tease)
23. Who Are You
24. Won’t Get Fooled Again

 

The WHO – ” Live at Hyde Park 50th Anniversary Tour ” Concert Film Trailer

Posted: August 28, 2015 in MUSIC
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJM4IvSmEXM

This Autumn, The Who’s epic 50th Anniversary Tour finale show is coming to cinemas, recorded at Hyde Park this Summer. Come and experience (or relive!) all the greatest hits on the big screen, including ‘Who Are You’, ‘My Generation’, ‘I Can See For Miles’, ‘Pinball Wizard’, ‘See Me Feel Me’, ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’. Plus Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Iggy Pop, Robert Plant, Johnny Marr and others share their stories of the band’s history and influence as legendary pioneers of British Rock.

Filmed on June 26th last year as The Who celebrated their fiftieth anniversary, this stunning show from London s famous Hyde Park this a triumphant return to their home city. On a glorious summer evening the band delivered a brilliant performance of all their greatest hits in front of a 50,000 strong crowd. With a series of stunning backdrops making full use of the huge screens surrounding the stage and an exceptional light show this is a Who concert on a grand scale but as Pete Townshend says at the start of the show You re a long way away…but we will reach you! . He s absolutely true to his word.

In cinemas worldwide from 7 October http://www.TheWhoFilm.com

The WHO – ” Live at Glastonbury ” 28th June 2015

Posted: June 30, 2015 in FESTIVALS, MUSIC
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Sunday at Glastonbury delivered a distinct British flavour courtesy of The Who.  Closing Glastonbury 2015, Pete Townsend took to the stage alongside Roger Daltrey in full arm-swinging glory, brandishing his guitar with intent. He more than delivered with a two-hour set of vintage rock at its best that pleased a crowd made up of almost as many teen faces as those belonging to the over-40s.

The weather was on side for the last, and arguably most important, slot of the weekend. As the sun began its last descent over Worthy Farm, Daltrey and Townsend launched into a set of tracks made to get people singing along. With many here having missed out on more than a few hours sleep, “Pinball Wizard” and “Who’s Next” gave weary revellers one last excuse to let loose. “My Generation” was never going to be anything but a weekend highlight and on tonight’s performance, The Who earned themselves a place in the pantheon of big-hitting Glastonbury greats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn5OSqa_ZYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn8qs3a8gL4

Dedicating “Pictures of Lily” to Paul Weller, who had played an earlier set, Daltrey stamped Glastonbury 2015 with a proud watermark that read ‘British rock’. While 15-minute guitar solos can often come across as self-indulgent, tonight they made for a celebration enjoyed as much by the crowd as the band.

They do this by rolling out the hits in quick succession: Who Are You, The Seeker, Pictures of Lily, Behind Blue Eyes. My Generation now comes with an odd, slow little coda in place of the old explosive, Keith Moon-fuelled ending that’s presumably there to circumvent the inevitable question of what a 71-year-old man is doing singing the line about hoping he dies before he gets old: “My generation, we’re still here today.” From a projection at the back of the stage, the young Moon stares down, doe-eyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a956QT-PCsM

Roger Daltrey can still swing a microphone around with considerable panache, but his voice is rougher than it was. Even so, it still has a powerful belligerence about it that matches the sound of Townshend’s guitar and brings out the distrust and paranoia at the heart of I Can See for Miles. The guitarist seems a bit underwhelmed by the set. “It could have been better,” he says, before a version of Won’t Get Fooled Again that sounds great. The band didn’t get to soundcheck, he complains, although frankly no one would have known if he hadn’t mentioned it.

The Who were unhappy at the sound quality in their headlining set at The Glastonbury Festival

The Sixties band, who are fronted by guitarist Pete Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey, were the main attraction of the festival on the closing night,

Townshend repeatedly complained about the sound, shouting to backstage “it’s f—–g cr-p“, before Daltrey pulled over a plastic screen and knocked over microphones so they could hear the drums better.

 

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