[no subject]

AND YOU MUST GO THERE AND SEE THE ILLUSTRATION!

ON Monday night at the Albert Hall in London, whats
left of The Who were wheeled on to the stage in their
bath chairs. 

The drummer went west in a puddle of vomit years ago
and the bassist died recently in a blizzard of hookers
and cocaine in a Las Vegas hotel room. 

So for the gig we were left with 58-year-old guitarist
Pete Townshend, whos as deaf as a barn door, and
60-year-old singer Roger Daltrey, who had a cold. 

Youd have expected them to be as useful as a
fingerless mountaineer. 

But they were brilliant because, unlike todays bands
who just warble their way through to the next
miserable pay cheque, they still seem to be angry
about pretty much everything. 

Daltrey was angry with his ear piece because it was
full of feedback. And, as usual, Townshend seemed
pretty angry about life in general. 

Having made a little speech thanking fans, friends and
family for sticking with him through the ridiculous
child sex Internet business last year, he launched
into Good Looking Boy. 

And followed it up with the Kids Are All Right. 

Sadly, the political message of this song was lost on
the middle-aged audience who turned to one another as
it began and said: Yes, my kids are definitely
alright. Weve got a very good babysitter. 

When I first saw The Who back in 1975, everyone went
home afterwards on the bus. 

This week everyone went home in a Volvo Estate with
the words from Quadrophenia ringing in their ears:
Im wet and Im cold. But thank God I aint old. 

Quite the reverse actually. Thank God I am old. Thank
God I come from a generation that produced bands as
epic as this. 

Bands that are still loud and proud, despite the drugs
and the death, after 40 years. That night the support
act was a young outfit called The Coral. 

And when I say young, let me put it this way  they
should thank their lucky stars the gig was in the
school holidays or at least two of them would have
been unable to make it. 

They were pretty good, in a Doorsy, Stonesy sort of
way, but they seem to have forgotten their music was
created by black people in the southern States who
really did have a gripe. The Corals big problem is
that they dont have a message. They dont seem to be
cross about anything. 

Its the same story with all of them really. I mean
Bill Gates, or whatever it is hes called, doesnt
even seem to be mildly perturbed by his stammer. 

And Busted. Jesus, they are a 600cc diesel engine to
The Whos V8. Ive seen more energy and anger in a
tree. 

Maybe young people these days are just too
comfortable. A report this week says there are now
more TV sets in the country than people and enough
microwave ovens to make everyone the size of a sofa. 

But come on. Having a television in your bedroom and a
job answering the phone at a call centre, surely
thats not all you want out of life. 

So put your PlayStation down for five minutes, work
yourself into a lather and your hair into a Mohican
and let some of that emotion out on stage.


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

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