Would love to hear your thoughts on the news that Zak has been let go. I have always thought that his contributions were integral to any touring success they’ve had especially post 2000 when Pete picked up the electric and they tried to be a rock band again.
(PS: Your Keith bio is one of my favorite books of all time. So well researched and written…I’ve read it multiple times!).
Tony, me old China, I'm sorry we never got to enjoy a pint of IPA while both of us lived in relatively close proximity to Bobby Gagnon's pub The Gate. Maybe some day, old bean. Roger's been futzing with those in-ears forever now and seems to blame them for every muck up on stage. The word I'd choose to describe what The Who (or what's left of it) sounds like during these recent shows is "tame," which is a word I never thought I'd use in reference to this band. A Storytellers type gig would indeed be great fun and poignant - perhaps the workaround to the inevitable moaning about limited access and sky high ticket prices would be to film it in an intimate setting and simulcast it around the world. Cheers, mate.
Cheers, Tony. Me old mucker Gazza's record store is off to a good start. Hope to bump into you there for some shopping and we can then compare safari prizes over a few pints down 5th Ave at The Gate.
Thanks for the great report, Tony. Watching YouTube clips gets tiresome, even if our Glorious Leaders are in the frame. I'm grateful to read comments from someone who was in the house, and letting my imagination and recollections fill in the blanks.
A recent episode of the Talking About The Who podcast featured some superfans debating what a new Who tour might look like, what they would play, who would be in the band, and how it would all be presented. All that is worth an elbow on the bar, sure, but maybe it should be more about 'where' not 'how'. What it would be to see the guys in The Fox or Masonic in Detroit, Public Hall in Cleveland, Chicago's Salt Shed, The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester... Well, maybe that one is pushing it, but you get the idea. All you said about ticket prices and complications would be true, but for once, maybe it would be worth it. I saw Rog at The Ryman, a show he claimed was his favorite job ever, and I spent more than a few minutes then imagining how Pete's Strat would sound in the Mother Church.
Fuckin' GREAT, that's how it would sound - and feel. But then I imagine the price, the desperate, pathetic keyboard stabbing for tickets... And the dream becomes tepid, replaced by curses for what has been taken from us, clump by clump, for decades: ease, access, simplicity, the exciting yet reasonable union of audience and musicians that The Who once championed. Ah, maybe just see where Marshall Crenshaw or Fantastic Negrito is playing next around here and accept another trip to an NHL barn for Who seats in section KK. God knows I won't do it for anybody else.
Grateful for the rec on Hepcat. On my list for a two-night stand in Norwich next week.
And the first toast will go to the great Clem Burke, someone who transferred their Who infection into enduring musical action, and we have all been the beneficiaries.
"My band. Your band. Our band. THE band. THE Who."
The only thing wrong with their name was that it didn't include an exclamation point.
As always I thoroughly appreciate your posts. No arguments from me on any of this. I got to Port Chester for Nick Mason's A Saucerful of Secrets a couple of years back now, but of course David Gilmour can still sell out 3 nights at MSG, so there's your dichotomy right there. If you look at William's post above yours maybe that's the solution.
I am still in shock re: Clem.
As for Hepcat, man it's a fantastic session beer. The brewery is all-natural too, that they are from my neck of the woods and Palace fans is the foam on top of the pint. I have no idea if they serve it anywhere in Norwich but well worth checking in advance. Have a great time, I presume you're not going because of the football...
Well you've got me reflecting and assessing my Who fandom Tony and I think my passion with them maybe really lies with the Keith Moon Who although in writing that down it sounds so nonsensical as I'm a big Pete Townshend fan.
The last Who album I bought was "Who's Next" and although I heard bits and pieces of Quadrophenia it didn't really gel with me. All the '60's singles I just loved..."Substitute" even more so than "My Generation" and to this day hearing "Pictures of Lily", "I'm A Boy" and "I Can See For Miles" still stop me in my tracks with such joy.
Unfortunately my one real chance of seeing that Who...the notorious Australia/NZ tour of January 1968...I was away from Wellington on my very first overseas trip...a school Summer field trip to New Caledonia....a concert I would have gone to if I hadn't been out of the country. (Incidentally The Pretty Things tour of NZ earlier in 1965 kicked up a bigger stink with their high jinks forcing my father to insist that I get my money back on their LP that I had just bought lol...the cover of which he wouldn't allow in the house).
If I'd had the chance to see the early '70's Who I would have leapt at it (Pete's famous promise of never going back to Australia took 36 years to break) but as you mention the only time since then that the opportunity has really arisen is living up here and by then I think the massive arena shows that were The Who's legacy didn't really appeal. To be honest the only artist who would have drawn me to that type of show was Bowie and I count myself lucky to have seen him 3 times one of which was in NZ.
The Spike Milligan reference thinking about it really comes down to just the way Pete looks in the concert footage....not personality wise as really that comparison is more with Keith Moon.
In their own but very different ways Pete and Spike (I almost typed Pete & Dud) are both the geniuses that I think could only have come from Britain and we love them all still.
Hi David, that's something I've written a lot about in recent posts on The Who, especially my Townshend interviews. The lyric has been widely misinterpreted, including by myself for much of my life, and if you can get into those pages, please do! Always appreciate your comments and support for the page. Cheers!
As a fan Tony who as a teenager sat on the arm of my parents' sofa with a pair of drumsticks trying to keep up with Keith Moon on "Substitute" and really only kicking up dust but who has never gotten to see The Who live I relish your passionate writings as my proxy fandom all these years since reading your book. Many thanks and thanks for this very honest review too.
All hail the octogenarians who I hope I have as much spunk at that age too. Good on them.
I was trying to think who the aged Pete reminded me of and it was that other great British eccentric Spike Milligan....national treasures both of them!
Thank you Tom. The comparison with Spike Milligan is one I have not heard before, I suspect that in this case, it may not be the last time.
I am interested in why you have not seen The Who live. Did you feel it was too late at a certain point? I ask allowing that I've seen them in Albany and NYC since moving up to the area, and there's the Bethel Woods show I referenced as well. Just curious. Cheers.
I too have read various newspaper posts , who by and large were complimentary. I must however completely agree with your thoughts and feelings about Sunday evening. I too found myself thinking whether that will be the last show in the UK, and if so , how fortunate I was to be there and witness it.
Thanks Paul. I always want to be 100% positive about my fave band, but I have seen them so many times and over the years, sometimes my thoughts have run counter to prevailing opinions. My fave show in recent years is still one that others wrote off and which got some very negative reviews - at MSG on Sep 1, 2019. Personal context/place/situation can be so important in this process. But like you, IF that turns out to be the last time, yes how fortunate we were.
“Who fans critiquing The Who is an accepted form of engagement” — this is something I contemplated this past week, having recorded a video about the two RAH gigs for YouTube and being worried how my conflicting feelings on the performances would be received. But I think you’re right: critiquing The Who is an accepted form of engagement. I think it’s because, as Who fans, we care, so it was heartening to read this.
Great post. And thank you (again!) for the kind words regarding the podcast
Hi Paul. Another way I could have justified expressing myself would have been "There are no bigger critics of The Who than The Who themselves." Ditto, I don't think there is another group of The Who's stature (not that there are many anyway!) that would allow Brian free reign on his Backstage Blog, which is really quite enlightening reading. So yes, anyone who has seen them so often and been so immersed in their music and personal stories is free to temper their love and enjoyment with the reality of what they see in front of them as the remainder of their beloved band ages out. All that said, I hope the positive aspects of my review take precedent. I listened to some of your YT critique on a drive last night. It's long and took too long to get to the show itself, and I only got 28mins in, but it sounds like Dante loved what he saw. There was so much that was special, and even intimate. 42!
Hi Tony,
Would love to hear your thoughts on the news that Zak has been let go. I have always thought that his contributions were integral to any touring success they’ve had especially post 2000 when Pete picked up the electric and they tried to be a rock band again.
(PS: Your Keith bio is one of my favorite books of all time. So well researched and written…I’ve read it multiple times!).
Tony, me old China, I'm sorry we never got to enjoy a pint of IPA while both of us lived in relatively close proximity to Bobby Gagnon's pub The Gate. Maybe some day, old bean. Roger's been futzing with those in-ears forever now and seems to blame them for every muck up on stage. The word I'd choose to describe what The Who (or what's left of it) sounds like during these recent shows is "tame," which is a word I never thought I'd use in reference to this band. A Storytellers type gig would indeed be great fun and poignant - perhaps the workaround to the inevitable moaning about limited access and sky high ticket prices would be to film it in an intimate setting and simulcast it around the world. Cheers, mate.
Hi William,
I do occasionally get back to the old neighborhood and one day I am meant to do something at Sterling Records so there is hope yet...
Meantime, thanks for the comments. They are solid. Cheers.
Cheers, Tony. Me old mucker Gazza's record store is off to a good start. Hope to bump into you there for some shopping and we can then compare safari prizes over a few pints down 5th Ave at The Gate.
Thanks for the great report, Tony. Watching YouTube clips gets tiresome, even if our Glorious Leaders are in the frame. I'm grateful to read comments from someone who was in the house, and letting my imagination and recollections fill in the blanks.
A recent episode of the Talking About The Who podcast featured some superfans debating what a new Who tour might look like, what they would play, who would be in the band, and how it would all be presented. All that is worth an elbow on the bar, sure, but maybe it should be more about 'where' not 'how'. What it would be to see the guys in The Fox or Masonic in Detroit, Public Hall in Cleveland, Chicago's Salt Shed, The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester... Well, maybe that one is pushing it, but you get the idea. All you said about ticket prices and complications would be true, but for once, maybe it would be worth it. I saw Rog at The Ryman, a show he claimed was his favorite job ever, and I spent more than a few minutes then imagining how Pete's Strat would sound in the Mother Church.
Fuckin' GREAT, that's how it would sound - and feel. But then I imagine the price, the desperate, pathetic keyboard stabbing for tickets... And the dream becomes tepid, replaced by curses for what has been taken from us, clump by clump, for decades: ease, access, simplicity, the exciting yet reasonable union of audience and musicians that The Who once championed. Ah, maybe just see where Marshall Crenshaw or Fantastic Negrito is playing next around here and accept another trip to an NHL barn for Who seats in section KK. God knows I won't do it for anybody else.
Grateful for the rec on Hepcat. On my list for a two-night stand in Norwich next week.
And the first toast will go to the great Clem Burke, someone who transferred their Who infection into enduring musical action, and we have all been the beneficiaries.
"My band. Your band. Our band. THE band. THE Who."
The only thing wrong with their name was that it didn't include an exclamation point.
Hi Glenn,
As always I thoroughly appreciate your posts. No arguments from me on any of this. I got to Port Chester for Nick Mason's A Saucerful of Secrets a couple of years back now, but of course David Gilmour can still sell out 3 nights at MSG, so there's your dichotomy right there. If you look at William's post above yours maybe that's the solution.
I am still in shock re: Clem.
As for Hepcat, man it's a fantastic session beer. The brewery is all-natural too, that they are from my neck of the woods and Palace fans is the foam on top of the pint. I have no idea if they serve it anywhere in Norwich but well worth checking in advance. Have a great time, I presume you're not going because of the football...
Cheers
Tony
Canaries or Death, man.
Well you've got me reflecting and assessing my Who fandom Tony and I think my passion with them maybe really lies with the Keith Moon Who although in writing that down it sounds so nonsensical as I'm a big Pete Townshend fan.
The last Who album I bought was "Who's Next" and although I heard bits and pieces of Quadrophenia it didn't really gel with me. All the '60's singles I just loved..."Substitute" even more so than "My Generation" and to this day hearing "Pictures of Lily", "I'm A Boy" and "I Can See For Miles" still stop me in my tracks with such joy.
Unfortunately my one real chance of seeing that Who...the notorious Australia/NZ tour of January 1968...I was away from Wellington on my very first overseas trip...a school Summer field trip to New Caledonia....a concert I would have gone to if I hadn't been out of the country. (Incidentally The Pretty Things tour of NZ earlier in 1965 kicked up a bigger stink with their high jinks forcing my father to insist that I get my money back on their LP that I had just bought lol...the cover of which he wouldn't allow in the house).
If I'd had the chance to see the early '70's Who I would have leapt at it (Pete's famous promise of never going back to Australia took 36 years to break) but as you mention the only time since then that the opportunity has really arisen is living up here and by then I think the massive arena shows that were The Who's legacy didn't really appeal. To be honest the only artist who would have drawn me to that type of show was Bowie and I count myself lucky to have seen him 3 times one of which was in NZ.
The Spike Milligan reference thinking about it really comes down to just the way Pete looks in the concert footage....not personality wise as really that comparison is more with Keith Moon.
In their own but very different ways Pete and Spike (I almost typed Pete & Dud) are both the geniuses that I think could only have come from Britain and we love them all still.
As a musician, I never trust another musician that doesn’t like The Who.
They sang "I hope I die before I get old." Didn't happen...
Hi David, that's something I've written a lot about in recent posts on The Who, especially my Townshend interviews. The lyric has been widely misinterpreted, including by myself for much of my life, and if you can get into those pages, please do! Always appreciate your comments and support for the page. Cheers!
Misinterpreted? Oh, wow…
As a fan Tony who as a teenager sat on the arm of my parents' sofa with a pair of drumsticks trying to keep up with Keith Moon on "Substitute" and really only kicking up dust but who has never gotten to see The Who live I relish your passionate writings as my proxy fandom all these years since reading your book. Many thanks and thanks for this very honest review too.
All hail the octogenarians who I hope I have as much spunk at that age too. Good on them.
I was trying to think who the aged Pete reminded me of and it was that other great British eccentric Spike Milligan....national treasures both of them!
Cheers
Thank you Tom. The comparison with Spike Milligan is one I have not heard before, I suspect that in this case, it may not be the last time.
I am interested in why you have not seen The Who live. Did you feel it was too late at a certain point? I ask allowing that I've seen them in Albany and NYC since moving up to the area, and there's the Bethel Woods show I referenced as well. Just curious. Cheers.
I had tears streaming down my face when they did “ Song is Over.”
54 years.
Brilliant.
I too have read various newspaper posts , who by and large were complimentary. I must however completely agree with your thoughts and feelings about Sunday evening. I too found myself thinking whether that will be the last show in the UK, and if so , how fortunate I was to be there and witness it.
Thanks Paul. I always want to be 100% positive about my fave band, but I have seen them so many times and over the years, sometimes my thoughts have run counter to prevailing opinions. My fave show in recent years is still one that others wrote off and which got some very negative reviews - at MSG on Sep 1, 2019. Personal context/place/situation can be so important in this process. But like you, IF that turns out to be the last time, yes how fortunate we were.
“Who fans critiquing The Who is an accepted form of engagement” — this is something I contemplated this past week, having recorded a video about the two RAH gigs for YouTube and being worried how my conflicting feelings on the performances would be received. But I think you’re right: critiquing The Who is an accepted form of engagement. I think it’s because, as Who fans, we care, so it was heartening to read this.
Great post. And thank you (again!) for the kind words regarding the podcast
Hi Paul. Another way I could have justified expressing myself would have been "There are no bigger critics of The Who than The Who themselves." Ditto, I don't think there is another group of The Who's stature (not that there are many anyway!) that would allow Brian free reign on his Backstage Blog, which is really quite enlightening reading. So yes, anyone who has seen them so often and been so immersed in their music and personal stories is free to temper their love and enjoyment with the reality of what they see in front of them as the remainder of their beloved band ages out. All that said, I hope the positive aspects of my review take precedent. I listened to some of your YT critique on a drive last night. It's long and took too long to get to the show itself, and I only got 28mins in, but it sounds like Dante loved what he saw. There was so much that was special, and even intimate. 42!