Liverpool Daily Post on Liverpool Night 1

[Brian Cady]

http://tinyurl.com/zfpa5

After 35 years, the Who are backJul 6 2006
By Mike Chapple Daily Post Staff
 
THE Portuguese excepted, the only people in Liverpool
celebrating England's exit from the World Cup last
Saturday were the touts who had got their greedy palms
on tickets for The Who's first gig in the city for 35
years.

It meant Sven's under-achievers would not be playing
France in last night's semi-finals - and that
subsequently the three-figure black market price for a
gold dust ticket was maintained.

The desperate rush for tickets - both last night's and
tonight's near 10,000 allocation sold out within 25
minutes - is not only proof of a genuine coup for this
year's Pops but of the enduring reputation of one of
the great live rock acts of all.

Granted, the band's powerhouse of drummer Keith Moon
and bassist John Entwistle are no longer around, and
neither has there been any classic new material for
nearly 30 years - but that's counterbalanced by a
welter of passionate songs from their golden years
that stand the test of time.

And then there's guitarist Pete Townshend's earnest if
misguided attempts at highlighting the dangers of
paedophilia and child abuse which nearly put paid to
his career for good.

But we all know Pete - eccentric to the last.

These two nights have been Liverpool's chance to see
if the old spark was still there since the last time
the band, then in its full complement, played here.

The date was Saturday, October 23, 1971 when Daltrey
twirled his bolas microphone to impossible heights,
Moonie battered his kit to a pulp, Townshend
scissor-kicked himself and his guitar into oblivion
while Entwistle looked on impassively, spider-like,
waiting to pounce and gobble its prey.

One person who wasn't there to see it, however, was
George Wilson.

"Don't be soft, I was only seven at the time,"
explained George, now, 42, from Halewood who played
Daltrey's role in the ultimate tribute band The
Maximum Who.

Up until last year when George's gang of imposters
finally split they were the nearest a fellow
Liverpudlian could get to seeing the real thing,
certainly on home ground.

"Up until the late 90s we had a really good niche
market - in fact when we played countries like the
former East Germany they actually thought we were the
real thing," said George, an exercise physiologist.

"Thing is, though I've never actually seen them live
before and I'm really sceptical about bands reforming
around one original member, at least there's 50 per
cent of the original band left so that's something.
They were great - anarchic, anti-establishment and
they weren't pretty boys either. They were a real
lads' band." There were more dads than lads there last
night but a young defiant spirit was still burning
bright.

The opener I Can't Explain proved itself to be as much
an anthem to middle- aged as teenaged angst judging
from the full-throated knowledge of those who tried to
mimic the still powerful Daltrey word for word.

Daltrey in turn after the first wave of euphoria
couldn't resist firing out the volatile but sage like
statement: "The historical importance of Liverpool and
**** (expletive deleted) me you're still stuck in a
tent."

It was a laugh but a tad unfair at the expense of the
Pops. The tent has had its ups and downs but it has
still been possibly one of the best environments this
reviewer has experienced here there or anywhere.

It's fairly certain that Townshend, Daltrey and Moon
and Entwistle's replacements, Ringo's lad Zak and Pino
Palladino would have thought so respectively.

The dynamic was brilliant and all the classics were in
place: Baba O'Reilly, The Seeker, Won't Get Fooled
Again, Behind Blue Eyes, Love Reign O'er Me,
Substitute . . .

And on and on. Sometimes you just can win.

mikechapple at dailypost.co.uk

Fans go into raptures after an 'absolutely fantastic'
gig from rock veterans

CIVIL servant Gill Smart, 33, from Crosby said: "It
was absolutely fantastic - one of the best gigs I've
ever been to, and I go to a lot. I couldn't see at
first, but I stood on someone's shoulders."

John McGorrigan, 47, from Northwich said: "This is the
first time I've been to the Summer Pops and I was
really impressed. It was absolutely superb, and I wish
I hadn't had to leave early to get my train."

Gillian Howard, a 37-year-old housewife from Crosby,
said: "I didn't want to go at first. I got tickets for
my partner. But it was so much better than I expected,
I loved it.

"I went to see Bob Dylan a few years ago, but this was
even better," said 32-year-old office worker Paul
Thomas from Tuebrook.

"Roger Daltrey's voice is still there, so they were
sounding really good."


-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com

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