1965 – The Who play the Borough Assembly Hall in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Tony White in The Bucks Advertiser review the show:
Aylesbury saw the two extremes in pop entertainment last weekend — Friday bring the noisiest thing it’s ever been my misfortune to encounter in the shape of The Who and Saturday being far more enjoyable, even though mostly old hat, in the form of Screaming Lord Sutch.
Friday’s performance by the young men being lauded as the bringers of “pop art” to pop was the first, and I sincerely hope the last, time that any form of music, even in its most primitive guise, has made me physically sick.
The noise — I think that would be a better title — was so abominably loud that after 20 minutes I had to leave for a stiff whisky with aspirins to settle a throbbing head and an upset stomach.
Several questions were left unanswered by my hurried departure.
Why…why…why…
Why did two guitar players require eight of the largest amplifier I have ever seen?
Why did we not hear the singer?
Why, or why did they have to get deliberate feed back?
Why did an electrician, if that;s what he was, keep running on to the stage with a small screwdriver to fiddle about with the many guitars that were lying around?
Why did the drummer keep throwing his sticks in the air when he knew perfectly well that for 90 per cent of the time he was quite incapable of catching them?
These, and many other points of interest, I was too lame to pursue. I hope I never have the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity.
1965 – Life magazine prints an article on The Beatles. Ringo, asked if The Beatles are a “pop-art” band, says that would be The Who. “It’s a new group. When they play they slowly smash their instruments to bits.”
1966 – The Who play the Corn Exchange in Bedford, Bedfordshire
1966 – Melody Maker prints an article describing the August recording session
1966 – Disc magazine reports that The Who’s next recording will be the new Pete composition “King Rabbit.”
1966 – Brunswick’s “spoiler” Who single “The Kids Are Alright” reaches its U.K. chart peak at #41
1967 – The Who spend one last day at Gold Star Studios mixing “I Can See For Miles.” A copy of the master is then quickly sent off to Decca Records
1967 – Around this time Tom Wright takes The Who in their psychedelic regalia to Griffith Park to shoot a series of promotional photos.
1968 – Keith participates in a Wembly scooter race. Competing with him are Cathy McGowan, Richard Neville and John Peel. Footage of the race appear on Show 9 broadcast on September 13th
1972 – The Who play the Palais des Sports in Lyon, France
Visit our friends “Les Who en France” on facebook for more about this show here: Les Who en France
1979 – The new Who with Kenney Jones on drums and John “Rabbit” Bundrick on keyboards and a horn section, makes its U.S. debut at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey. This show features the live premiere of John’s “Trick of the Light”.
1982 – The Who play the Birmingham International Arena in Birmingham, West Midlands
1994 – Roger and John continue with the orchestral Daltrey Sings Townshend tour performing in Vienna, Virginia at the Wolf Trap Filene Center
1995 – Pete does a fifty-minute set playing acoustic guitar and piano at the Paramount in New York as the opening act for Paul Simon & Friends, although the full band including Simon comes out for the opening song “The Kids Are Alright.” Pete plays acoustic guitar and a long set at the piano.
After Paul’s set, Pete returns to play and even sing some lines of Paul’s “You Can Call Me Al”.
The experience is so enjoyable for Pete that he begins to think about touring again.
2006 – The Who hold a private run-through concert at the Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
2009 – Pete drops by the Theatre Royal in Plymouth to meet the cast of the musical Quadrophenia.
“To hear my songs sung by new young people is a thrill. I enjoy working in music theatre and feel at ease. It is humbling and exciting at the same time.”
Read more about the musical at our friends petetownsend.net here
2016 – The Who play the König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany
2019 – The Who play the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio