FIRST aid men watched a performance of The Who pop group last night — in case group guitarist Pete Townsend electrocuted himself.

During the opening numbers of the group’s act at Stockton’s ABC Theatre, a string on Townsend’s guitar snapped, whipped back and cut his arm. But Townsend, rather than come off for treatment, had the cut roughly bound-up and kept playing.

This did not stop the bleeding, so ice was called for and backstage men brought two buckets full from a public house.

During the act Townsend kept dipping his arm in the ice to deaden the pain and to stop the bleeding.

But in doing this near a maze of electronic equipment he could easily have electrocuted himself, said a first aid helper.