Saturday, June 5th, 1976

Record Mirror features The Who on the cover with a two page spread titled "Who are the champions" covering their show at Charlton days earlier

 

Transcript:

Who are the Champions?

THE positioning of hands on a major occasion something like this is similar to the football league itself. At the bottom of the queue you find the new arrivals, just promoted into the big league, then come the promising up and comers, then the big contenders, and at the top — the champions.

Monday’s openers were low-maker who kept the crowd busy as they filed in through the turnstiles and found good vantage point in the stadium. The band are still finding themselves musically, but steadily and identifiable sound is developing and they are a fairly unpretentious bunch.

Much of the credit is due to Steve Ellis, one of those reassuring names from the past, and on guitar Ariel ‘note’ Bender.

Their sound filled the bowl shaped natural valley, and the surrounding streets and their Bank Holiday Monday peace shattered — a taste of things to come.

Next on were Family, or rather Streetwalkers, though opening with ‘Burlesque’ doesn’t exactly help you distinguish, and surely those striped trousers worn by warbler Roger Chapman came from that period too?

On stage their music is more exciting and loose than reflected on their recordings, sprawling naturally with Chapman the centre of attention attacking the mike stand with tambourine after tambourine and himself.

The superiority of material from their new ‘Red Card’ album showed with numbers like ‘Run For Cover’ with Roger growling lines like ‘Buddy you don’t owe me a thing’.

Their act is full of a kind of nervous energy, and they certainly won themselves a few new followers from the massive Charlton crowd, and ensured that people wanting more would catch them on their June British tour.

Impressive

The Outlaws would do better if they didn’t go so far as including rain dance in their act to ensure Western authenticity, for it was during their act that the rain made its only appearance.

Originally they had been the only American act on the bill, only to find that Little Feat had been added and knocking them down the list, but they are used to playing on big bills with bands of the stature of Lynyrd Skynyrd and even the Stones, so they didn’t really seem bothered.

They feature an impressive front lineup of three guitarists (one in a huge white stetson — more Western authenticity folks) and a bass player, with twin lead players Billie Jones and Hug[hie] Thomasson trading licks and getting down to some solid country boogie.

There are a lot of country rockers around, and Outlaws don’t seem to add anything new, relying on their rock riffs and post-Allman Brothers buildups, but the crowd lapped it up and the excitement they created made up for the thin sound they sometimes put out. They also paved the way nicely for Little Feat.

Continuity between the acts was down to the Capital Radio DJs, who played things very safe with mainly oldies, so it became predictable that when the name of the recording artists was announced (usually biggies like Zeppelin, Floyd, Quo etc) it was easy to guess what the tracking would be.

Adventurous

Presumably they were giving the crowd what they knew they would like, but some of the buildups were rather odd, eg Tubular Bells just before Little Feat. And whatever happened to those adventurous jocks that used to frequent such concerts a few years back?

While the Outlaws were busy exchanging licks on stage the first notable exchanges of punches was evident in the restless crowd, a disturbing trend which carried on during the event.

The crowd was decidedly restless and there were a variety of reasons for this.

Mainly there were too many people in the stadium. Originally they had planned for 45,000 maximum in the ground, and after all the tickets had been sold the promoters advised people not to turn up on Monday on the off chance of tickets being available.

But there were plenty of tickets to be got, because the forgers had been at work, and an estimated 20,000 more people saw the gig than first anticipated. This led to crowding and crushing, especially near the front of the stage.

The situation was further agitated when people near the front stood up to see more of their heroes, thus making it harder for those behind to see, which unfortunately meant a rain of cans and bottles being thrown at the offenders.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, some of the indiscriminate hurlers weren’t on target, so innocent bystanders were cut up and knocked down by the flying missiles. This led to even more frayed tempers, and the inevitable confrontations and skirmishes.

The casualties had to be lifted out through the masses and to the first aid workers on the perimeter of the ground.

Meanwhile, security workers were having a tough time trying to keep out all the gatecrashers.

There were periodic outbreaks of punch throwing and kicking throughout the late afternoon and evening, and often in the middle of the crowd, making it impossible for stewards to get there in time to sort things out.

What ever happened to the peace and love crowd?

Literally tens of thousands of music fans went there to listen to the bands and enjoy themselves, and didn’t mind putting up with a bit of discomfort. As usual, it was the thoughtless few who spoilt it for the masses.

There were the exhibitionists too of course, such as those who see it necessary to do a bit of daring swinging up on the light towers, and disturbing the delicate equipment needed for The Who’s magnificent lightshow. Though, to their credit, less jokers came down when asked to.

In the late afternoon the skies opened and the thousands got soaked, with a constant downpour throughout most of the concert. This may have dampened a few spirits but all was forgotten by the time the mighty Who came on stage.

By the time they arrived, the stage was awash, making Pete’s leaps risky, but he made the most of it by sliding up and down the stage.

The sound equipment was saturated at this point, but to the credit proved faultless throughout the day. It was even most expensive system ever used costing £7,000 for that day alone, said Bob Wilson of TASCO.

“This was the first gig with the equipment in this country, and it was especially selected for the three outdoor concerts. The big throw bass speakers proved to be incredible, meaning that even those right at the back were delighted with the sound.

“It took them three days to set it all up, and then they had the daunting task of having to dismantle it all ready for the next concert this Saturday at Glasgow.”

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Champions?

…we are

[Some portions of this page are unclear or partially obscured in the scan.]

THE BRIGHT lights of Memphis are not the drab streets of Charlton and the Hollywood sunshine is not the London rain, unfortunately for Little Feat.

From the Californian coast this ‘cult’ band probably the classiest music of the day combining a crisp clipped style with excellent vocal phrasing from Paul Barrere and Lowell George.

They possibly got the worst reception of the lot.

Little Feat are not a wet weather festival band. Their excellent laid back approach (except for the pepped up ‘Triple Face Boogie’) would have made them more at home if the temperature had soared into the Eighties, but it didn’t, and no one wants to sit down for an hour or more in the rain.

People failed to dance because Little Feat aren’t a dance band and they suffered from that malaise.

But even if they didn’t get the sudden crowd off, they still managed some fine music that at times was so skilfully precise as to be a little unnerving. Their ultra slick professionalism which showed on the playing of almost the whole of ‘Feats Don’t Fail Me Now.’ was awesome.

The price they pay is to complete divorce themselves from the raw power so often associated with rock — and with which the Who were to be such a success later on. It was music for the head when people wanted it for the body.

Two huge inflatable cacti and a blancmange mountain hit the stage to herald the playing of tracks from ‘The Last Record Album’ but it was probably ‘Dixie Chicken’ which managed to arouse the damp audience the most.

Thankfully the band are making a few inside concert appearances during their visit and it would be an oversight to miss them.

[three square symbols]

NOW Alex Harvey was a different thing. In their wisdom the organisers had put all the press behind the stage and with Alex’s stage set it was impossible to see his act or even any member of his band.

The only comment to make is that he was the first performer to make the audience forget completely about the rain and let themselves go.

Fortunately for you, lucky reader, there is a review of ‘The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s’ show in Birmingham, on page 9.

[three square symbols]

NO ONE should get fooled again. While Bowie and the Stones have been playing musical chairs for this year’s rock crown, there hasn’t been that much limelight on the bother boys.

Apart from Moony having a word with the lads from the media now and again, it’s been low profile for the Who. Nobody wants to get married on stage, nobody wants to be a fascist.

It’s nicely ironical then that without the ballyhoo the Who should turn in a performance of a stature rock ’n’ roll as penetrating as their laser beams.

Anyone who had seen this foursome work out loud know that as far as Bowie and the Stones are concerned it’s a case of no contest. The Who win.

From the opening of ‘Can’t Explain’ it seemed they were going to pulverise their way through the ball hollow arena.

You’d seen it all before — Townshend’s jumps, splits and diminished chord pas de deux; Daltrey’s mike catching act — but it didn’t matter. The Who were enjoying themselves with an overflow of powerful energy that charged and re-charged the bedraggled damp army.

Moony stood on top of his drums to say that was where he belonged, “or top of everything that I do”. Looking like Dan Dare with headphones snugly in his ears, he lacerated, smashed and flailed at one minute, then coolly brought the drumming crescendo up short with a rare piquancy. Moony was out there.

And he was determined to take the others with him while he made a lengthy speech about Entwistle “the man in black” and traded laughs and smiles with Townshend, Daltrey was mopping the stage with towels.

The Rock ’n’ Roll control the Who now exercise is overwhelming and they don’t let up. None of your fanciful cosmic lights here; none of your phallic symbols and dragons of confetti; none of your thin white tuxes.

This is real rock at it’s sexual best. The music is the charisma.

‘Tommy’ (yeah they still do that) sounds further out than ever with the “Wizard” and the “Acid Queen” regaining any strength they may have lost over the years. Entwistle stands there keeping the depth rock solid; Townshend looks like he’s being electrocuted and enjoying it; Daltrey is magnificent.

The peak arrives with ‘See Me, Feel Me’ and the Who switch on the lasers.

Green beams cut across each other reflecting back off mirrors on the ground’s lighting towers. Then a red beam. Then a fan of green. It’s amazing and tasteful but the rush comes at the end as the song winds up and all the £100,000 lights are poured on the crowd.

The feeling from high behind the stage is practically inexplicable. The Who had achieved a unity with the Rock N’ Roll that had put them way ahead of any competitor this year. 50,000 or more people reacting at the same second is quite a buzz!

From ‘Tommy’ it was an easy way home. Wisely missing out ‘Quadrophenia’ they gave the people what they wanted — power, high high power.

It’s hoped Patti Smith was there to hear how ‘My Generation’ should really sound. And if that song seemed untrue when ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ with Townshend sliding along the wet stage was the killer.

Lasers, lights, smoke. The whole place was transformed into a mushroom cloud and everyone was somewhere inside it.

After a performance like that it becomes almost a joke to think there was ever another British rock act in the race. But no doubt we will get fooled again which will only make the wait for the next Who show so worthwhile.

LASER ROCK: The Who peak on ‘See Me Feel Me’ as the laser beams are switched on. The whole place was transformed into a mushroom cloud — and everyone was somewhere inside it.