It took them FORTY years to make their way back to our shores but the pioneers of maximum r’n'b are delivering up an amplifier blowing set of rock n roll that will leave you with no doubt as to what made The Oo’famous. Tickets sales have been excellent, so if you lot on the Northern Embankment want a decent pozzie I’d get in early to stake your claim!.

Here’s how the evening shakes down:

5pm Doors open. Get a bevvie or two in…

6.00-7.00pm Hello Sailor

Changeover (30 mins) Get five beers in…

7.30-8.30pm Counting Crows

Changeover (30 mins) Pee five beers out and get ten more…

9.00-11.00pm THE WHO!

No donuts on Vespas will be permitted in front of the stage area…

{Needless to say between the hours 7-9 I’ll be in the bar (sorry Counting Crow’s fans – I just don’t get them).}

So here’s a couple of Who books that I have and can recommend to anyone.

Vinyl Frontier – The Who and the Making of Tommy – Nigel Cawthorne
2005, Unanimous Ltd
ISBN 1-90331-876-9

But my fav is by Matt Kent, who used to live blog for the band while they were in rehearsal or on tour, alas no more (such a shame they were great posts and pics).

Anyway Anyhow Anywhere – The Complete Chronicle of The Who 1958 – 1978, Matt Kent / Andy Neill
2002, Freidman Fairfax
ISBN 1-58663-591-3

There is nothing more definitive on the history of The Who – it’s simply brilliant. It costs about $100NZD so I was stoked to get it in Vancouver on a $10 table – despite the weight in my bag on the way home. Get this book it’s bloody brilliant.

Better still go to this site and look through the stunning collection of books on The Who.

http://thewhoinprint.blogspot.com/

But here’s a good little site for ya, dedicated to all things printed about the Who, here’s a cover of the 2008 O2 shows that they did in London.

Let me state from the start, I love rock, I love 60s rock, I love it a lot. There was the most incredible music revolution going on then. 50s Rock n Roll had kicked it all off, then came the safe period after that initial revolution, and then it all went crazy again. Garage Rock, Mod, Blues, British Invasion etc all played their part in the sound that can’t really be lumped together as 60s rock.

And as much as I love these bands, I’m of a generation that wasn’t around then, thank god for music tv, dvd compilations and youTube as a way to get not only to hear but see stuff from back then. However, as much as I love that music and admire bands from back then still plying their trade on the retro-revival circuit, it’s so cringe making to see them completely wrap their great songs in a nice cardigan and more or less pitch it at the level of the grannies who grew up with it.

This is why I love the Who. Apart from the odd exception, bugger all of their music has been recomposed, and it’s certainly not mellowed. I loved Roger’s voice in the 60′s, whatever accolades I try to give it now will seem inadequate, suffice to say, the raw power of a boy from London with an accent as his really wasn’t supposed to sound that good. Of course it wasn’t until Tommy that Roger really found his voice within the band. It was at this stage in the 1970s that the Who completed some of their more iconic post 60s Anthems – Won’t get Fooled Again being my all time favourite (closely followed by the entire Quadrophenia Album).

Possibly their best reinterpretation is The Kids Are Alright and the best rendition of it can be found on the live DVD, Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

However apart from that, there is no harmonising of their tunes, no comforting of the guitar and certainly no weakening of the rhythm section (despite the original rhythm section now departed). The Who still thrash out their songs, and god only knows how Roger manages to (without being disrespectful) at his age hit those notes and push such forceful tones out, it’s quite astonishing and bloody pleasing. I’d love to see some more of those old Rock bands from the 60s, but thank god for YouTube alerting us to who is just literally putting a tea cosy over their careers and raking the cash off the oldies who can’t remember just how bloody good these songs were.

Speaking of rhythm sections, I have always been a fan of Drummers, and of course Keith Moon is without peer as both a performer and entertainer. Watching old Who stuff on DVD (I think I have them all), it almost defies logic and technique the way he played, and of course he was the template for all of the great 70s arena band’s drummers to have massive kits. But his replacement sine 1994 has been one of the best things that has happened to the band over the last couple of decades. Zac Starkey (yes son of Ringo Star) was given his first drum kit by none other than Keith Moon, and has more than carried the mantle of the greatest drummer to play behind Pete, Roger and John since Keith. It would be hard to argue that his influence on the band hasn’t been great. But then again this is The Who and the sum of the parts is greater than any individual. On their own they are all stunning if not genius musicians, but in that strange chemistry that is The Who they are in my opinion the greatest rock band to ever have graced the stage.

So bring on this weekend, I’m flying up to Auckland (from the bottom of the country) to see these buggers, having the privilege only once before at the infamous Hollywood Bowl concert in 2002 (just after John’s passing). Those reading from North America, won’t understand how big an event this is for Kiwi’s, after all you have had a regular dose of The Who more or less since their first tour, for us 41 years between gigs is too long, but thankfully we can now say those words, between gigs.

So see you all up in Auckland this weekend, to the poor bugger getting married, hope it goes well, do the scene from Bend it Like Beckham, sneak out from the reception for a couple of hours and see you there, the rest of you, enjoy the spectacle, you are in for one of the musical treats of you lives.

In light of the fact that I missed the whole National Radio playing of the BBC Who Doco, I went investigating. The show was made in 2002 just after the OX departed this earth (means just after the only Who concert I have ever been to), and it seems that it’s not available at RNZ or the BBC, doesn’t mean I can’t find it though…

Mean time, nice site at the Beeb/Aunty.

Every good thing has a beginning, and for those of us not old enough to be around at the start, and considering they have only been here once ever 41 years ago, here’s a quick visual primer of where The Who started.

Before The Who, there was The Detours, from 1962-63 with Roger, Peter and John the nucleus of the band. They in turn became The Who, but at the suggestion of their new publicist Peter Meaden become The High Numbers, taking them away from their Skiffle and early rock sound to a Mod band. They didn’t stay as The High Numbers very long, but two morsels from that era remain with us. The first is the track by the High Numbers on the Quadrophenia Soundtrack, Zoot Suit, a Mod classic, and the other is the film footage from the Railway Hotel in 1964. Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp (yes brother of Terrence Stamp), had been looking for an unknown group to be the subject for a movie of their own. Thankfully they stumbled upon The High Numbers and filmed this small set from mid July 1964.

The band soon reverted back to The Who and adopted all of the mod imagery, with the art school mod looks, arrows on the band name etc. It was shortly after this that Maximum R&B became The Who’s catch phrase, and the iconic b&w poster with Pete, arm in air performing at the Marquee club was made. Within a very short time, Pete was smashing guitars, and the rest as they say is history.

How awesome would have it have been to have been there with The High Numbers pumping out “Ooh Poo Pah Doo”, RnB music pumped out by white art school boys in the very early 60s. But talk about serendipity, how fantastic that Lambert and Stamp wanted to be the next Brian Epstein and wanted a subject to film.

Maximum R&B indeed, raw at it’s best.

If you are looking for a great source for all things MOD, then this is your blog, link

From their web site

“The Who have added an additional show at the Hope Estate Winery in Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia on 28 March! There is a ticket pre-sale for members of thewho.com from Wed., 17 December, 9AM – 11PM local venue time. “

Actually bloody lucky anyone who lives in the vicinity of Hope Estate Winery. March 7 Eric Clapton, March 21 Chris Issak then March 28 The Who.

Now what winery could be tempted to bring The Who to the South Island?

The Who live at Kilburn in 1977, more or less the pinnacle of their powers, this is going to be a real treat in my xmas stocking  - hint hint family.

Here’s a background interview with Roger about the concert DVD

Photo by Alex Barron-Hough c/- thewho.com

The Who have wrapped up their North American and European Tour for 2008 with 3 nights at the famous Indigo02 (the old millennium dome).  Below is the set list for the last concert.  Considering it’s hardly changed at all for the whole tour, and unless they change things for the trip down under, this is pretty much what we can expect to see.  That is, not forgetting they haven’t been here for 40 years, there could be a few more nostalgic moments.

Dec 17 Indigo 02 London 2008

I Can’t Explain
The Seeker
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
Fragments
Who Are You
Behind Blue Eyes
Tattoo
Sister Disco
Baba O’ Riley
Eminence Front
5:15
Love Reign O’er Me
Won’t Get Fooled Again
My Generation / Cry If You Want
Naked EyeEncore:
Magic Bus
Pinball Wizard
Amazing Journey
Sparks
See Me Feel Me/Listening To You
Tea And Theater

That’s one heck of a long set, and will be stunning.

Here’s the video of the closing number Tea and Theatre.  This comes from The Who performance at the Roundhouse in October 2006. You can download the whole show at longliverock.org

Here’s some pics from the concert via Flickr

And of course Pete doing his thing a couple of nights ago.