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Sunday Night, Portsmouth



Good morning listers,

Just got back from the first Portsmouth gig. Other people will hopefully be
sending in their own accounts of the evening, but here's mine.

This was a seriously shit-hot kick-arse show and our boys were on
electrifying form. They revved up in the usual fine Who style with
ICE/Sub/AAA. The Guildhall is a really great venue and the sound was clear,
loud and punchy. Tommy-wise, fourth song in they played Amazing Journey
which went into Sparks. They also did a stonking version of I'm Free later
in the set. As usual I've forgotten what order the songs came in, but it was
pretty much a greatest hits set (except for the encores - see below...) so
who knows what shape the RAH shows are going to take.

The amazing thing was how good-humoured the band seemed. Rog's singing was
absolutely fantastic from start to finish (some listers will have to take my
word on this!) and he seems to have sorted out the dodgy key problems he's
had on and off the last couple of years. Even BBE was in tune! PT was joking
with the audience (who were 100% up for the show) and was even nice about
Rog - even when Rog screwed up the lyrics once or twice. (Pete and John also
made one or two cock-ups throughout.) Pete was talking about the Who in
Portsmouth (bits of Tommy were filmed there) and even let slip (before YBYB)
that the Who's recording career was 'about to be re-energized' and that they
'hoped to sell at least twice as much as Mick Jagger'!! The pre-encore set
finished with a truly colossal version of WGFA which sent the audience into
overdrive while our boys were off the stage.

The encores were just something else. TKAA (Rog on acoustic) wound itself up
nicely. Then the surprises; the next encore was Summertime Blues (!!) which
seriously rocked. John forgot his piss-easy words 'I'd like to help you
son...', but so what. Then PT said something to Rog, which Rog passed on to
the rest of the band. A familiar riff started up and they were into a wild
version of Baby Don't You Do it (!!!) which rocked like a bastard (and
included a blast of Magic Bus towards the end). My Gen kicked off and
instead of going for the long boogie which they've been doing recently this
was a lean, punky take on it. Just as the song would have normally come to
an end PT started cranking out a fast riff which the rest of the band
followed before they collapsed into feedback heaven... PT spun his guitar
into the air, caught it, bashed over the mic stand, held the guitar above
his head in classic PT mode and finally totally trashed it.  PT handed the
wreckage of the smashed guitar to Rog who gave a 'what do I want that shite
for?' sorta look. PT said something to him and Rog goes: 'Aha, we'll auction
that for the Teenage Cancer Trust'. The crowd was going totally mental and
the Who looked well and truly pleased with themselves. In 20-odd years of
regular gig-going this was the best single show I've seen any band play. It
was just 100% prime rock'n'roll.

Other stuff: I don't know who the backing band were. We stuck our heads
around the door, thought 'naaw', and headed for the bar. Whoever they were,
they were playing a pub-rock minimum r'n'b sorta thang.

Michael Eavis, the dude who puts on Glastonbury was in the bar before the
show. Glastonbury was given the go-ahead just last week so maybe there's
something in the rumours that the Who will be playing at Glastonbury this
year.

Anyone seeing our boys in action over the next two weeks is in for a
seriously great time.

Cheers, Neil - Devizes, England