The Who SECC

Gangs of youths chanting "We are the Mods" on the train, buskers furiously strumming Pinball Wizard until their fingers bled, mouldy parkas exhumed from the back of the wardrobe – it can only mean The Who are once again talking 'bout their generation on their latest Reunion Tour.

The original surviving members, vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townsend and bass player John Entwistle are joined on this latest jaunt by Zak Starkey, the son of former Beatle Ringo Starr, on drums. Starkey has the unenviable responsibility of filling the shoes of the late Keith Moon, one of rock'n'roll's fondly-remembered characters.

On this greatest hits extravaganza, The Who deliver the maximum R&B of their past, with a set which span their career from their early mod hits through to the rock opera odysseys of the 1970s.

However, in their advancing years, they remained haunted by My Generation's immortal line "hope I die before I get old" – one of the first rock lyrics to make it into the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

They raced straight off the starting blocks with a mighty triumvirate of early singles. I Can't Explain, Substitute, and Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere were as mean if not as lean as the originals.

Daltrey looked relaxed in casual long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, while Townsend was dapper in suit and polka-dot shirt and the unflappable Entwistle braved possible derision in his red leather blouson jacket.

Senior members of the audience with failing eyesight could have sworn they had seen Moon's ghost on the drum stool but it was only Starkey's dazzling white shirt.

The set leaned heavily on material from Who's Next regarded by many as The Who's best album. Baba O'Reilly, with its epochal keyboard intro, Bargain and Behind Blue Eyes were all let out of the traps. The most frenzied crowd reaction was saved for Pinball Wizard. Daltrey responded with his most acrobatic mike-throwing exploits.

During Who Are You Townsend indulged his performance trademark with some sterling windmilling arm action. The 30-year-old rallying cry Won't Get Fooled Again provided the suitably epic climax to the main set.

After a recreational lie-down backstage, the old warhorses returned with a constipated rendition of Magic Bus and a meandering and faintly ridiculous The Kids are Alright before concluding by making a meal of the inevitable My Generation.

In their heyday, The Who made the Guinness Book of Records as the loudest band in the world. Did the old codgers do themselves proud this time around? You bet.