They brought sophisticated lighting systems, powerhouse volume and excitement to a North Staffordshire ballroom last night.

And for the first time they performed tracks from their latest album, Quadrophenia, live.

For more than two hours, The Who poured out high-powered music to 3,000 rock fans at a packed Trentham Gardens ballroom.

For the first half of the concert, Britain's best known rock band treated the North Staffordshire audience to the premiere public performance of the Pete Townshend written rock opera.

But it was not until The Who produced their older best known material that the ballroom erupted into a sea of dancing, jumping fans.

They began with "My Generation," went through "Pinball Wizzard" and topped the first night of their four-city tour with "Dancing in the Street" and "Magic Bus."

In typical Who style, Townshend jumped about the gear-filled stage 6 he did not smash any guitars 6 and singer Roger Daltrey went through all the actions of his microphone-hurling act.

The concert was loud, it was violent and it was exciting!

Performing under flashing coloured lights that at times dazzled the audience, their music swept into every corner of the vast ballroom as they played and sang through a mass of electronic sound equipment.

And even after two hours, the crowd wanted more. The Who could have stayed on stage all through the night and everyone would have been delighted.

As the band left the stage, the mass audience screamed and stamped for more with one last hope 6 that it won't be another two years before The Who come back to North Staffordshire.

The Who 6 Roger Daltry, Keith Moon, and Pete Townshend 6 at Trentham Gardens last night, their first concert in England for two years.