Was it a dream or did I really see the Who last night in Madison Square Garden? I woke up still humming Substitute (of all songs) and wondering if it was magic or something.

The only disappointment was Jimmy Page got hurt a while ago and therefore did not perform with the Black Crowes as openers. Actually, the crowes didn't show up at all and were replaced by the frigging Wallflowers and a london band called "UNAMERICAN" - nice name.

Pete Townsend was Pete Townsend- like I always imagined he would be and apart from the wrinkles and missing hair, he was magnificent. Where does he get his energy? He never left the stage and was jumping and doing his guitar tricks all night long. His voice was better than I expected as was Daltrey's except for 2 occasions where he did not attempt to hit the high note. Daltrey looks great, well he did have some wrinkles too but he looks about 40. Entwhistle, I'm surprised he survived the night. He sang "My Life" and had a nice solo on the bass but I swear he looked older than Bobby Robson's grandmother. Funny thing, even the roadies had gray hair. The youngest member was on drums- Ringo's son (I forgot his name already). I don't remember the keyboards fellow except that PT said he was from Texas.

Very impressive show. The Who were much better than I expected- if you haven't seen them yet this is probably your last chance. They will not disappoint. Actually after last night I too can retire from concert-going and feel good about it.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Answers

Sounds great Pete - I'm jealous. There's nothing like seeing the great rock bands live is there?
I was taken to MSG for a surpise birthday treat some years ago and was thrilled to find Santana on the bill.
Acquired some tickets to see Dire Straits live at Gateshead Stadium a few years ago when my bro-in-law had to go off on an unexpected business trip - tragic! Also seen Status Quo live a couple of times.
These groups are all great. I'm sorry to have missed out on the seeing the Stones, Queen and I suppose the Beatles - although 'er indoors queued all nigth to get tickets for their only concert in the Toon at the City Hall in the 60's.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Clarky-

At first, I was against the idea of every band from the 60's and 70's (even 80's) coming back for some real 21st century cash but now I'm not so sure. I don't know if it's the drugs or fountain of youth or whatever- the older folks just know how to entertain.

Stones, Police and Sting were unforgettable. Not going to The Wall was my biggest mistake.

FYI, I paid $78 for the Who, 3 levels up and towards the back. These old bastards are a bit greedy God bless them.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Clarky! I am surprised you didn't see Queen when they played St James Park with Status Quo as openers, or how about U2 at Gateshead stadium with the Police as openers. I saw the Who when they came to Chicago both last year and the year before that when they played with Gary Glitter and Billy Idol funny how you can feel so close to be home yet be so far away.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Pete - how did Keith Moon do? I hear he's not quite so lively as the others these days. Jealous? Me? You bet. Must dash - gotta catch the Magic Bus to go somwhere I can see for miles.

Yours, Boris (the spider).

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Saw the Who years ago when they recorded 'Live at Leeds' - the best 35 minute rendition of Magic Bus the world has ever seen......I love listening to that album....always brings back fond memories.....they are still good, but they have never been 'quite' the same since Moonie croacked it.......they have tried various drummers, but there is always something missing that only KM was able to give the sound.

The other album that does that is Pictures at an Exhibition by Emerson Lake and Palmer. Recorded at the City Hall in the Toon....I couldn't afford tickets at the time, so in common with a lot of other concerts, I stood outside and listened through the walls. However, unlike most concerts at that time, where normally they opened the emergency doors with about ten minutes to go, at that one, they opened them after about 15 minutes of the second half, and as me and my mate stuck our heads round the door, no one was sitting down, so we were able to get in without being spotted. Saw many a tail end of a concert that way in the late 60's and early 70's.

Saw the Stones twice, the first time was at the Knebworth Festival, four of us drove down from the Toon in a Reliant Robin! Left at four in the morning, drove straight to Knebworth, got there about 10, the festival started at 11. The Stone were due on at 11pm, but actually made the stage at 2.45am and proceeded to do a two hour spot.

We had booked a B&B in Stevenage and we had paid for it in advance but when we turned up, the bloody landlady wouldn't let us in......alright it was six o'clock on Sunday morning, but we had been up for 26 hours.......no amount of pleading would get us entry and we ended up having to drive straight back.......we 'took it easy' and got back just in time for lunchtime last orders in the Meadowfield (that was when the clubs all closed at 2 on a Sunday)But hey.....what a brilliant weekend.....totally spoiled a couple of hours later when we heard that the band Lynard Skynard(sp) had been involved in a aircrash after leaving the festival.

Th second time I saw the Stone was at Ronnie Scotts. A mate of mine, who was heavilly into jazz, asked me to go to the club with him as there was this 'new group' on that were supposed to be really good. After a lot of convincing, I agreed to go and the poster on the entrance wall announced a group called Yellowrock (or something of the like). Of course as was the norm, there was about 150 people in the club when RS got on the stage and announced that the band Yellowrock was not the real name, but to practise some new numbers ahead of a world tour, welcome to the stage The Rolling Stones and boy oh boy did the joint bounce.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Pete - good to hear they kicked ass. Hoping to see them at Wemberley Arena, tho stadium gigs always disappoint me.

Ken - Live at Leeds, top drawer - Fortune Teller/Tattoo's a personal fave. And 'A Quick One', which is freakin' fantastic and much better than the studio version.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

Pete T - pleased you had a great night. Personally I would have been bitterly disappointed at not seeing the Black Crowes and Jimmy Page, much more interested in them than the Who.

Seems amazing to me that the Students Union Entertainments Committee booked the Who for a Rag Week bash at the Pavillion in Bournemouth when I was at Poole College - some........fair few years ago!!! I guess they were a bit cheaper then! Unfortunately the College `dos` went downhill from there, as the excellent Who bash was followed by the Edgar Broughton Band (of Apache Dropout fame), and Love Affair who if my memory serves me correctly only did one song, Never Ending Love, which lived up to it`s name and they were utter, utter crap!(:o)

I stand to be corrected if my failing memory has been playing tricks with me!

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2000

Talking of college gigs - when I was at UMIST (ie. Manchester) I saw The Bee Gees when they had just had their first couple of hits, The Nice (Keith Emmerson's original band, who were awsome), Stevie Wonder, Traffic with Stevie Winwood, the Bonzo Dog Doo Daa Band (brilliant), The Moody Blues (original line up with Denny Lane), and many more.
Happy days indeed.
Actually Screacher was there at the same time as me - do any of these gigs Screach?

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2000

Some nice memories of bands there from the elder statesmen :-) I was never much of a Who fan....I couldn't work out if they were a Mod band or a Rock band. Slade had the same effect of me when I couldn't work out if they were a Punk band a Rock band or just a group of Diddy Men from Dudley.....however, Rock 'n Roll Preacher as recorded live at Donington mid 80's is DEFFOnot Diddy or Punk...just feckin' superb.

I thought Queen were sound until Live Aid????...then they got a little famous and their sound went limp IMHO...apart from believe it or not Radio ga ga. Nothing 1980's+ by Queen will beat Tie yer mother.....Fat Bottomed and Seven Seas etc.

Did a little gig in '85 named The Return of the Knebworth Fayre...bands on where Mountain (Nantucket sleighride....sp), Meat Loaf, a few others that I forget and when th erain finally stopped Deep Purple mark II hit the stage. Gillan!!!! what a voice :-)

The Quo...probably Englands FINEST ever Rock 'n Roll band. No nonesense, heads down boogie. It's what ya all want from a gig...often described as like being in the Stretford End in the 70's. They stopped a gig I was at once in Glasgow because of the sway and the crush. No word of a lie but for 20 mins I couldn't feel the floor because of the constant movement of the crowd.

As singers go ya "probably" won't get better than Ian Gillan (Purple), Gary Bardon (MSG), Paul Rogers (Free, Bad Company)and a guy called Chris Thompson (Manfred Manns Earth Band).

Parting note...."You can stick yer feckin' West Life, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys etc etc etc up yer arse"....:-)

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2000