what the heck: Bjorn's Review - NO F*CK! (well, not much)

[Bjorn Ciggaar <ciggaar@warande.net>]

Hi,

I hope some of you choke in this (just to show you I *can* write a
reasonable complete review). And after all, Pete told us that doing this
was actually much better then the other crap... I must agree... Sometimes I
just get swept away in it... :-(

---
VH1 Storytellers - Pete Townshend

I got put on a chaise lounge on the left of Pete. I was the closest fan to
him. I think all other fans where put a bit more behind. I think I was put
up front because I am young (and look young) and looked enthousiastic. If
you see the show, you can't miss me, I wore all my pins & who buttons on a
black jacket over my "1964" shirt.

Chucho greeted me and we had a little chat before show started (all
musicians where in place). Rabbit came up and was kinda surprised to see my
face again, he waved and put his thumb up. I asked him if we'd all do
"Bargain" with the handclaps again, but he said no. He did asked me about
those two girls that where dancing on the front row at Sadler's Wells!!!
Gosh; they must've made quite an impression on him!

I was jumping out of my skin when I saw Pete's microphone just 5 feet away
from me... With nothing in between...

(this setlist I grabbed after the show comes in very handy)

Pete got introduced and begins telling a bit about what he's gonna do. He
said that some of us got in through a contest (which is true, Jon, none of
us actually got in through another source); so we must've known something
no-one else knows. Maybe the names of his dogs. And he told us he had 2
dogs, one named Flash and one named Sally, after a character in Lifehouse; 
"and she is, what we in England call, "a bitch"" turning to rabbit "what do
they call it in Texas?"
Rabbit: "I'm not going to say that on the air!"

During this talk Pete got interrupted by the intercom: "Mr. Russo please
report to the reception"
Pete: "Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a minute!"
Again: "Mr. Russo please report to the reception"
Pete: "I said I'll be there in a minute!!!"

(Fiona later explained me that this is actually a code for "there's a fire
in the library next door", or something like that)

Pete was telling that downstairs there was this bath & sauna... I recall
him saying something like it was ladies night. :-)

He was also telling he would be checking the internet for reviews, and that
those would be better then the other crap that is going on there...

Join Together (5:05)
Full band

Started off quite good. Pete started a bit early on "You don't have to
play" (forgot there was an interlude).

After the song he told a bit about "Pure and Easy", about it not being put
on "Who's Next", and that it was an essential part of Lifehouse.

Pure & Easy (5:21)
Full Band

Excellent... After it I stood up (something I was reluctant to do, because
I felt it would be intimidating to do so, I was so close to him and there
was nothing in between us, that's why I didn't stand up and dance before),
I aplaudded and he looked me right in the face and smiled and nodded "thank
you".

Pete asked for a glass of hot water.

After this he started telling about Behind Blue Eyes; that he found out it
was actually about war (yugoslavia), and he found that out when he was in
Vienna for the Quad tour.

Behind Blue Eyes (3:51)
Pete / Acoustic Guitar only

After this he introduced Chucho. Telling everybody that when Pete was
making these cyberdiaries, everytime he left the room Chucho dropped his
pants and about that he wore China's long fur coat. "It must be this
Columbian thing... And you know, Chucho is very well hung." (Chucho
standing next to Pete, turning red) "but not as well hung as I am...
Anyway, this next song is about exhibition as well..."

Let's See Action (6:21)
Full Band

I think it was here where Pete introduced Rabbit. Saying he met Rabbit at
the recordings of "Rough Mix", where Rabbit was looking for money, women,
alcohol and drugs...
Rabbit (with a Texas accent): "AND I FOUND 'EM ALL!!! And so did you!!!".

Baba O'Riley (5:13)
Full Band

Gaby from the London Orchestra did the violin part; EXCELLENT!

I went out of my mind. People behind me got up during the song to dance.
After it I stood up again, and again Pete looked right at me and said
"thank you" right at me...

After this the director came on, interrupting Pete telling him this was a
good time to do the Q&A. Some people raised their hands and Pete got to
pick one obnoxious American bimbo bit... uuhm... female... The microphone
didn't work so she thought it would be good to walk up to Pete.
So she stood there beside him, looking like a real dumb blonde while she
wasn't even blonde, in a dress that would even look better on me. But
anyway, she said she flew over all the way from America to see him
(blablabla) and ask him to tell a bit more about Slit Skirts because she
wore one especially for him (ugh, and did she look bad in it!) and if she
could give him a kiss... Well, she got her kiss, and I wonder if she would
turn into a little princess (or a handsome prince), but unfortunatly she
didn't (OK, I admit I was jealous!!!).
So Pete was telling about Slit Skirts; that it was about being 34. And that
you are actually being reborn around that time. You feel out of it. You
think "I can't wear those clothes anymore" and "I can't go to clubs
anymore" and "I can't dance anymore". And he went on about how he looks
like a cunt when dancing (and he did this goofy dance): "kinda like Billy
Nicholls" (Billy looks very surprised at bit, many laughs from the audience).

After that he wanted to introduce "Mary", but the producer said "one more
question". Pete picked a guy with grey hair (those where put on the fourth
row or further away to the back, really!!! only young people got on the
first rows!). He went on praising Pete for a while and Pete asked: "What's
the question???". He asked what he think of the burndown of the Railway Hotel.
Pete told a bit about the early days. He smashed his first guitar there. By
accident. And he said all his art class mates where looking, and he just
acted like it was part of the show. Very funny to see.

Then he was asked by the producer what the name "Baba O 'Riley" means... So
Pete explained (I know we all know the answer, Baba from meher Baba, Riley
from Terry Riley, and O' because it sounded a bit Irish).

Someone came up to dip the sweat off of Pete's forehead.

And finally...

Mary (5:44)
Acoustic Guitars, Pete & Phill only

Pete wanted to sit on his chair, so he kicked his plastic cup of hot water
off of it with his right foot.
Pete broke a string during the solo, and within about 10 seconds (quite
long though) he got a new one. Beautifull...

After it I stood up again, and again he looked right at me, looking pleased...

Pete got handed a guitar and he told us it was made out of 2 guitars. "I
recall seeing someone with a cowboy hat smashing two guitars together,
don't recall his name..."
Rabbit: "Garth Brooks!!!"
Pete: "Oh yeah... I wonder he got that from... Anyway..." Pete told us that
he did the same with 2 lousy guitars, and made one good guitar out of it.
So if we ever have 2 lousy guitars we could bring it to him and he could
"fix" them.

AFter this he was telling a bit about Chucho and his charity for Columbian
kids to get off cocaïne, and Chucho thanked him, because Pete helped him
set that up...

At some point Chucho threatened to pull his pants (right in front of
me!!!). Pete said his underwear was very decorative.

Sweat got wiped off by this girl with a remarkable bosom. Pete: "Here she
is again..." (he had to look down because she was a bit smaller then him,
and so she got to dip hs entire forehead) "with he bosom...".

Greyhound Girl (3:17)
Pete / Acoustic Only

Then there was an audio change (according to my set list).

Pete was asked by the producer if he could tell the audience a bit more
about Lifehouse. So Pete started a really vague story explaining Lifehouse,
where he lost track and started talking about how space ships cannot rust
in space, because there is no air there.
I don't think it became any clearer to anyone that didn't know about
Lifehouse...

And he introduced Rabbit again, telling he had helped him out on the orchestra

Won't Get Fooled Again (8:37)
Full Band

Pete: "If anything goes wrong, it is his fault" (pointing to Rabbit) "And
if I do anything wrong, it is his fault as well".

YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! This was action! This really rocked! Jody was
great! I closed my eyes on the synth part to live it in.

Standing ovation again, and Pete blinked his eye at me and then told people
to site down: "Please be seated... It's just like in church after the
hymns...". :-)

Then he started to tell us about this last song. Which is about a concert
that was being held, and at the end the whole crowd would but twisted
around, and around, and around and just disappear. And that would be the
end. And he thought it was a good ending; not like Tommy or like
Quadrophenia where there is an open end like "blablabla... and now you
figure it out". And he thought this was a good ending.
And this song is about someone who got in too late and missed it. And now
he has to wait for the next concert.

He said Rabbit helped him out with Lifehouse. "I don't know if you can see
him, but..." Rabbit appeared from behind some plant, waving slowly and
saying: "Hiiiiiii!".

Song Is Over (5:48)
Full Band

And Pete left, thanking us. Saying he saw a lot of familiar faces (ME! ME!
ME!) and he thanked us and he said he loves us.

Standing ovation (long one).

I saw Pete leaving with the guitar pick he used for the last two songs in
his hand (between his ring & middle finger of his right hand).

Director came on. And they had to check if everything was OK. Bobby came on
and said they had to do Join Together over again.
So Pete got back. I saw he was still carrying the same pick in his right
hand...
Applause.

Join Together

And again he missed the interlude. :-)

And he got behind Rabbit's keyboard, putting the pick on it. And siad they
asked him to do "Slit Skirts".

Slit Skirts (approx. 15 minutes) ;-)

Miserably failed, but it was nice to hear. He didn't make it to the "The
incense burned away ", he forgot the chords. He did it over for about 2
times. Then he did it a bit higher... Then he quit. Got silent... Looked
down... I though; he's pissed... In my opinion; he was pissed, but he
didn't want to come over as pissed so he made a joke out of it.
He did play on and finished it with lots of mistakes and some humming...

Then he went off and recieved another standing ovation. Everybody stood
there, and nothing really happened. So I got my chance and grabben the pick
from the keyboard! YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHH!!! Looked behind me if anyone saw
it, and I saw Ian & Gary from Scotland looking at me and I thought they
where in a spasm; they where freaking out out and pointing at me: "YOU
LUCKY BASTARD!!!".

Crowd sat down and this girl said she was really sorry this had to be done
over (like we didn't love it!) and that now they had to do some audio shots
and some intro's to get it completed. So they played intro from some songs
without Pete. Bobby said: "OK, serious faces now", and Rabbit, Chucho and
Jody laughed about that.
After each intro Rabbit got into a boogie or a blues with Chucho, and the
rest followed. After one of the jams, someone shouted "No woman no cry"!
That got Rabbit laughing. They where really good jamming together.
Through the intro of "WGFA" Rabbit was watching his watch for a while. It
freaked out Bobby. :-)

And that's it. After that everybody left and I hung out around the stage
looking for more picks. Got a set list and another pick from Chucho. VH1
people where really nice; much nicer then the blokes at SBE (and more
attractive as well). :-)

I was in heaven... This was just a dream to me...

Didn't want to post this to O&S... But... Here it is...

As Pete used to say:

I WANT TO FUCK YOU ALL!!!

Cheers,

Bjorn Ciggaar
http://www.warande.net/~ciggaar
ICQ: 42485471
FAX: +31 208732850