'Who' Break It Up
The Who, England's third biggest rock group, sent more than 9,000 persons home with their ears ringing last night from a sold-out concert at the Community War Memorial.
The group, known for overwhelming decibels and for closing their shows by smashing their equipment, did both last night, to the delight of a teeming, loving audience that packed every corner of War Memorial space.
It's hard to imagine that four men can make as much noise as The Who manage to, but the result isn't hard to take.
The group uses more than 12 amplifiers, which gives listeners the feeling their eardrums are cracking and their rib cages breaking apart with the vibrations.
The group began with three numbers from their new album, including a song written and sung by bass player John Entwhisle, "My Wife."
They performed extended versions of "Pin-Ball Wizard" and "See Me, Feel Me" both from their hit rock opera, "Tommy," the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy.
The group had a great time with the audience on their former hits, "Can't Explain," Substitute," and "Magic Bus," and tore the place apart with a Marvin Gay hard rock number, "Baby, Don't You Do It."
They did a lengthened rendition of "My Generation," another former hit,
In Review
and singer Roger Daltrey did a good job on a haunting new number titled "Bargain," which he described as "quiet." It wasn't.
All four performers were fascinating to watch as they went about pleasing their audience. Daltrey just managed to miss drummer Keith Moon's head when he swung his microphone around and around on its cord. Keith lost an estimated seven pairs of drumsticks as he bounced them off his snares and they flew over his head or into the audience or backstage.
Lead guitarist Peter Townshend, the most talkative of the group, and apparently the most athletic, jumped and moved around on stage like a rabbit, doing split kicks and jumping jacks while keeping up a running riff on guitar.
To close out the show, Townshend did a flying kick into two of his amplifiers, knocking them to the ground, then proceeded to smash his guitar over his knee and fling the parts to the crowd. Next came the microphone, which he smashed into what was left of the guitar, throwing that whole mess to the audience.
The concert was marred by a few youths selling counterfeit tickets inside the lobby before the show began.
War Memorial Manager Joseph Lu-
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