MY ONLY regret about going to last night's Who concert is that I'll miss even more not being there tonight.

A packed Newcastle City Hall came alive with an electric atmosphere as soon as the band — making their first appearance in the region since drummer Kenney Jones replaced Keith "the Loon" Moon — walked on stage.

The enthusiasm immediately reached fever pitch when they launched straight into old hits Substitute, I Can't Explain and Teenage Wasteland. Having generated that heat, the group cannily brought in some new songs.

Bass player John "The Ox" Entwhistle took lead vocal on the mistitled raucous rocker The Quiet One from their forthcoming album. The Roger Daltrey swinging and throwing the microphone with all the old panache, and Pete Townshend, as magnetic as ever with windmill guitar style and leaps and dances, reclaimed the limelight.

More enjoyable new tracks, in particular the melodic yet very rhythmic Don't Let Go Of The Coat and the single You Bet, before they somehow went even higher than boiling point with the likes of I Want To Drown from the Quadrophenia album, Pinball Wizard from the magnificent Tommy. Who Are You, Won't Get Fooled Again, and the anthem for anyone who grew up with the Who's music, My Generation.

After one of the loudest and most sustained ovations I've heard, they returned to the stage for an encore which included, "for the aging mods out there," their rendering of Martha and the Vandellas' Dancing In The Street.

Finally, a word of praise for opening act Ruts DC, who, although suffering at times from inadequate sound balance, played with power on West One (Shine On), The chugging Mirror Smashed which would make a fine single, the menacing, organ-led Dangerous Minds, and the deliberate plodder Poor Lead The Poor.