Who Delivers Classic Rock for 25th Anniversary Show

By John Mackie

Its promoters hailed it as a triumphant return to the stage for one of rock’s legendary acts, celebrating their 25th anniversary. Cynics dubbed it “The Who’s retirement fund tour.”

And while there is no doubt money was one of the prime motivations for Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle getting back together — rumors have it they’ll rake in $20 million US each before The Who’s summer tour ends — after Friday night’s show at the Dome, there can be no doubt that The Who is still a fairly lethal live act.

Playing for well over three hours — 31 songs, give or take a couple — The Who gave 48,000 fans pretty much everything they could ask for. A 30-minute slice of Pete Townshend’s rock opera, Tommy. Most of the old hits, from My Generation through Behind Blue Eyes and Who Are You.

There were even a few musical surprises — rocking versions of Bo Diddley’s I’m a Man and Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues, a soulful encore of Jimi Hendrix’s Hey Joe — to spice things up.

Mind you, there was nothing startling or mind-boggling about Friday’s gig. It was just a good, solid stadium rock show, professionally executed by the three Who dudes and their 12-member backing band.

First, let’s clear up the big question mark — Pete Townshend.

THE WHO B.C. Place Stadium August 18 and 19

Townshend’s hearing problems did force him to move to acoustic guitar for a lot of the evening, with Steve Bolton (from Paul Young’s Royal Family) taking over on electric guitar. But it didn’t stop him from leaping about in his legendary split-legged style, and he strapped on his red Rickenbacker electric for most of the key songs.

Roger Daltrey was also in fine form, howling away in a leather vest, white T-shirt and blue jeans. He’s got a few wrinkles, but the 45-year-old singer still looks like a street tough.

As for the Ox (Entwistle), well, he’s looking more like Father Time each time he appears in public, with a full head of silvery hair.

The concert was divided into two sets, with one three-song encore. The Tommy bit was kinda dull (save for a great Pinball Wizard), but the band kicked into gear on a trio of classics from the early days, Can’t Explain, Substitute and I Can See For Miles.

Set two was latter-day, anthemic Who, including Baba O’Reilly, Love Reign O’er Me, Behind Blue Eyes and Won’t Get Fooled Again. It was sorta like classic rock’s greatest hits, a hip baby boomer’s dream nostalgia concert. It’s hard to say if The Who has a future, but the group sure does know how to celebrate the past.

CROWD of 48,000 (left) including fan Alf Kelly from Los Angeles (above) turned up at B.C. Place Stadium to see British rock legends The Who perform on their 25th anniversary tour.

Scalpers scramble for fans’ dollars

By JEFF BUTTLE

A half block from The Who’s Friday-night concert a familiar chorus sounds: “Tickets. Need tickets? Tickets for sale.”

Scalpers clog the sidewalk, occasionally chased from the plaza proper by stadium security people. Lineups at the official concert merchandise booth are thick and steady for $23 T-shirts, $12 programs and $3 buttons.

Along a nearby wall, Chris Horn and Jim Martin of Surrey hoot it up in front of their nine-metre-long Who banner spraypainted on a sheet of styrofoam.

They’re laughing because a radio personality has paid them $140 for their creation, which features the station logo and a sponsoring beer company logo spelled out in beer bottle labels.

Nearby, Albert Mayer and his son Morris, 11, of North Vancouver pick their way through the growing piles of trash toward the stadium entrance. Is Morris a fan like dad?

“Not really, I’ve heard of them, though.”

On the stadium plaza, Alf Kelly of Los Angeles is an attention-grabber in his vest of many Who buttons. A longtime fan, Kelly decided on the spur of the moment to take a leave from his painting job and follow the band around on its latest last North American tour.

“The minute I heard they were coming back my whole life was changed,” he enthuses. “It’s expensive and it’s tiresome travelling. I’m gonna miss ’em, they’re one of a kind.”

An hour before the concert, novice scalpers start to panic. Poor seats are selling for $5, and better ones for as low as $15.

“I’m going to take an incredible bath, but it’s for The Who,” says John Seleen of Eugene, Ore.

Seleen bought two tickets last month in Eugene, but found two better ones for sale at VTC when he arrived Friday. The tickets he paid $40 for are sold at 7:30 p.m. for $10 each.

“It’s only money,” he says. “I’d rather be here tonight than here tomorrow with 80 extra bucks in my pocket.”

Bruce Lillebergs of Duncan is the lucky recipient of Seleen’s tickets. He did the same thing in 1982 when the Rolling Stones last played Vancouver, and also got cheap scalped tickets.

Professional ticket broker Stan Garrison says the regular scalpers saw the situation coming months ago and it’s only the rookies who are being burned.

“This is predictable,” Garrison, of Row One, says. “The promoters are taking advantage of the mentality that everyone has a little bit of scalper in them. The Who’s worthy of one and a half arenas of people in a town of this size.”