The Who

It's easy to see who the main draw of the weekend is. It isn't often that you get to see bona fide legends perform on stage, and tonight was one of those rare occasions, and as well as drawing a huge crowd of paying customers, The Who drew members of Arctic Monkeys, Dirty Pretty Things, The Strokes and Ben Harper out of the backstage area, and proceeded to show them just how to put on a show.

Who mainstays Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend are joined tonight by the fantastic Pino Paladino on bass, the legendary John 'Rabbit' Bundrick on keyboards, Pete's brother Simon Townsend on second guitar, and the hardest working drummer in rock, Zak Starkey, taking time out from Oasis to play with The Who on this tour. The lineup is as tight as you could imagine. Paladino and Starkey could be Entwhistle and Moon, they are just that good, and there is no doubting that this is The Who, and not just the Daltrey and Townsend show.

Given the choice of headliners tonight, it is testament to the enduring appeal of this band that they have drawn so many people away from the likes of Primal Scream, Richard Ashcroft and Kasabian. Opening with 'I Can't Explain', they immediately have the immense crowd in the palm of their hand, and I can sense that there is not a single person who would rather be elsewhere right now. We are treated to a set of classics, including 'Baba O'Reilly', 'Behind Blue Eyes', 'Love Reign O'er Me', and an immense take on the now more relevant than ever 'Won't Get Fooled Again', which to this day still sends a shiver down my spine.

It has to be said that Townsend is on top form tonight. In an age where the mediocre draws acclaim, Pete stands like a giant in the music world. Few guitarists could even dream of getting close to the pure, raw power that this one man and his guitar can produce, and even Ben Harper, himself an incredibly accomplished guitarist, was looking on in awe at the master at work. It is simply mesmerising to watch, and it drives the crowd wild. Roger Daltrey is also at the top of his game, and has the energy of a man half his age. In terms of showmanship, there are several young pretenders that could pick up a few tips from the master frontman. His voice may no longer be as great as it was, but it is still better than the vast majority of those on the bill this weekend.

Around halfway through the show, Pete Townsend makes a great point about showmanship. The Who have a new album out next week, but he made a point of not playing anything from it, "because you'd all be bored shitless", and for that they must be saluted. The band know why we are all here, and don't try to pretend otherwise.

It's a very good thing that The Who played tonight, because had they played last night, I have a feeling the rest of the weekend may have been a little anticlimactic. No band on the bill could have lived up to following them, and you know what - I think they knew that.

Latest Updates