Re: Pete's Women

[IIIllIIlll@aol.com]

In a message dated 97|07|25 08:08:27 a, mleaman@sccoast.net wrote:

>By
>Cin, Pete was extremely removed from his audience...and was very aware
>of it (according to his interviews). His perspective about RnR, and
>concerts in particular, had certainly changed by that time.

This segregation between rock artist and audience was a tough cross for Pete
to bear . . . up until around 1970, before the success of Tommy had made the
Who a true Supergroup, the band had always had this kind of magical, intimate
communion with their audience . . . in fact, it was this communion that Pete
had so wanted to capture in Lifehouse.  With their disappointing series of
experimental shows at the Young Vic in 1970 (the crowds were a combination of
disinterested who fans [they wanted to hear "My Generation," not this new
synthesised 'shite'], burnt-out hippies, and rowdy skinheads), the inability
of others to "follow" his Lifehouse concept and the eventual falling through
of the plans for the film, Our Kid had, well, for one, suffered his first
Nervous Breakdown, and, more permanently (and tragically) developed a severe
disillusionment with the glory of rock music (which until then--to him,
anyway--had been a fantastical Power to be Reckoned With).  Also, all the
Who's subsequent concerts were played in huge arenas, further distancing the
audience, if not simply by the size of the crowds and the size of the venue,
by the commercial and corporate perversions of the shows.  

Sad, in'n't it?  And yet i still plod on to see the Who's stadium shows,
catching glimpses of the tops of their (balding) heads from Way Up in East
Nosebleed, section RRRR, seat 3,749,002 . . . however i still recognise (if
the band members don't now) and adore the feeling i get when i dance in a
standing-room only ballroom, inches away from Pete or John and am able to,
for a brief second, catch their eye . . . i'm sure they see my (and the rest
of the fans') exhilaration at their music, and i can only hope that now,
after all that has happened to the Who, to performing live, and to rock
music, they still sometimes feel the same way we do . . .

"i see her dance across the ballroom . . . UV light making starshine of her
smile . . ."

love raine o'er me

"So to my detractors, to detractors of the Who, to critics of Moon and his
certain-death style of rock and roll nihilism, i say "Fuck you."  And not for
the first time.  I'm still briefly  alive.  Be kind, be real, or get out of
my face." -Pete Townshend