Something old, something new

Townshend looked tired, but still put all he had into his playing. Daltrey strutted around the stage looking fresh and fit, Entwhistle was as competent as always and Kenny Jones came over powerfully and with no antics.

The Who launched into their first concert for six months at the Granby Halls, Leicester, on Sunday at the start of a long British tour.

They ripped through "Substitute" to give the set a strong start, then ran through a couple more oldies before giving the crowd something new.

As Daltrey explained, they had thought of beginning with something new, but nothing was quite like the old stuff.

The marathon set lasted a full 2½ hours, including a 50-minute encore.

Peaks

The music never fell below a high standard and even the new material was easy to enjoy, but peaks were reached with John Entwhistle's singing spot, "Pinball Wizard" and "Won't Get Fooled Again".

Daltrey was the star of the show rather than Townshend, and Kenny Jones has settled in as a strong, skilled drummer in his own right and without trying to be a second Keith Moon.

The only disappointment was Townshend's apparent lack of energy, but this was the first concert and his performance will probably improve as the tour progresses.