"WE'RE out of practice— it's our first tour for two years," said Pete Townshend in the middle of a rocking, riotous, refreshing concert at the King's Hall, Belle Vue.

And as if to prove the point drummer Keith Moon dropped a drum stick he had hurled into the air in typical fashion in the middle of one of their numbers.

But they didn't need to make any excuses. The Who were superb—although they were dogged at times with faulty equipment. They performed as no other group can—with a verve and vitality that belies the fact they have been together for ten years.

The Who went through their hit repertoire—Townshend swinging his guitar-picking arm like a windmill; Roger Daltry throwing his mike around like a yo-yo; John Entwistle laying down the rhythm impassively and Moon looking it on drums, his head burdened with a set of headphones.

In the middle of the set they performed songs from their new Quadrophenia concept album—tracks most of the audience had never heard before. It didn't matter the impact was still there. The old favorite Magic Bus had the crowd foot-stomping at the end—they had been on an exciting trip.