The Who in concert

I saw the Who twice, in 1982 on their "Farewell" tour, and in 1989 on their "we were just kidding back in '82" tour. The 1989 show was awful, Pete Townsend had an ear problem, there were other musicians onstage doing something, it was a mess.

But the 1982 show was probably the very best of the more than 100 major concerts I've seen over 40 years, and that was The Who without Keith Moon!

The Who always have gotten my vote as the #1 live act of all time.

 

I am one of those people who saw The Who on 76. It was 31/5/76 to be exact and for me me it remains probably my favourite gig ever by anyone - and I've seen hundreds.

 

Have to disagree there...I know this wasn't the 72 tour, but a perfect example of the Who towering over the Stones on stage is at the Stones own rock n roll circus in 68. You could argue neither band was in their prime, but the who still absolutely dominate the show. Even in 1972 the who were a force to be reckoned with, rolling from the momentum of Who's Next

 

Certainly the best live band, they could blow The Stones off stage any day of the week, hence the Rock n Roll Circus being tucked away in the vaultS for years!

 

That seems to be the opinion of many Who fans regarding the '89 tour, but I must have lucked out...The show I saw (7-14-89 in Foxboro, MA) was one of the very best concerts I have seen. After a rain delay (followed by the most amazing double rainbow I have ever seen - arching perfectly from one end of the stadium to the other!), they came out and played for 3+ hours, digging deep into the catalog. When they opened the 2nd set with an acoustic version of "Too Much of Anything", I absolutely flipped out!!

 

The best concert I ever went to was the Who in 1980 (Montreal Forum). I can only imagine how good they were in the early 70's.

 

Of course he had a style all his own, but judging by that clip there's no denying the influence that Pete Townsend had on Wayne Kramer.

 

I'd imagine he wasn't overly fond of playing the full Tommy, and the Quad tour with the tapes caused problems. So in comparison '75 & '76 with just a mini-Tommy section probably felt less constricting, and he had "Dreaming From The Waist" which was a song he enjoyed.

 

I can see that. 1969-1971 was probably the peak time for reinterpreting their older material, because the days when that material was current were not long gone, plus all four members were at the peak of their individual performing.

 

Judging by the boots, I'd say the end of the 1971 tour was their absolute peak. But my opinion really doesn't hold any water as I was not there.

 

Glad you were fortunate and enjoyed the show! I saw them 15 days after you did, 7/29/89 at Tampa Stadium, and it was a mess. The setlist wasn't a problem, they played for a long time, maybe 3 hours, and played a ton of good songs. It was the performance of those songs that got me down.

 

I love the 89 tour!!!

 

My favorite show by The Who was on their first US tour, in 1967, when they were an opening act for Herman's Hermits. Good times. Blues Magoos, neon suits and all, were also on the bill.

 

Ahh, your opinion holds water...segments of the December 13, 1971 (San Francisco) support your opinion. Now, if we could just get the complete and uncut performance on 2 cd's.

Here's your front cover...no text needed...and, this picture was taken from that very show:


and here's your back cover (same show)...nice big PA and everything

 

Only ever saw the Who when they did Quad in 1996. One of my all timers though. Like previous posters my experience of classic Who comes from the tapes. I concur that 1971 was the absolute nexus of their on stage interplay and power at its greatest. Regardless, I still always come back to the 'Rock and Roll Circus performance of 'A Quick One' for a heavy shot of prime 'Who'. Never fails to get me fired up!

 

Agreed about late 71 as being the peak. I also am a huge fan of the Forest Hills shows that I've heard from that period (July, I believe). Even though they were plagued by rainy weather and some equipment malfunctions, the performances are still amazing, esp. the 2nd show.

And those are pretty much end-of-thread photos.

 

A friend of mine was at the 2nd show on the 31st. It was his first time seeing The Who. He would go on to see the original band again in '73 and '76. I would of went but I was all but 4 years old in 1971. Here's a brief thread from a few years ago.

The Who - Forest Hills, July 29 & 31 1971 - Recollections

 

I just enjoy the set list from 73-78 more than 70 and earlier. Their music peaked in the 70's.

 

I've seen The Who a bunch of times but nothing will ever top the Toronto October 1976 show (Moon's final public concert i.e. you could buy a ticket for it). That fall of 76 mini-tour has also been cited by Townsend and Entwistle as a peak for the band live. Regardless, The Who in their prime could not be touched. Absolutely the best live rock band ever.

 

Thanks for that link - I had no idea there was a fatal stabbing at the first show.

 

Agreed. And Kramer readily admitted it, many times. The 5 loved the Who.

 

No desire to see the current incarnation of the band but they seem to have been a very consistent live act over the years - unlike Zeppelin, who defined the term 'variable.'

 

I saw the Who in 79 on the first Kenny Jones tour. Pure magic!!! There was just something about seeing the iconic bands back in the 70's. Being in the same building as your heroes was an amazing feeling! It wasn't just a concert. It was an event.

I experienced the same feeling when I saw Zeppelin in 77, Stones in 75 and Elton in 74. I was in the company of the Gods!!! Amazing!

 

And I just don't see it that way. In 1975-76 they stopped playing several uptempo songs like Bargain and The Real Me. They also stopped most jamming and free form playing except in My Generation.