1960 – Simon Townshend is born in Chiswick, London
1963 – The Detours play the Oldfield Hotel in Greenford
1964 – The High Numbers perform at the Olympia Ballroom in Reading.
1964 – Fabulous magazine runs an article on the High Numbers written by June Southworth. John’s last name is given as Allison who “plays rhythm guitar.”
Transcript:
THE HIGH NUMBERS think of themselves as THE in group. They’re in because they wear their hair an inch long all over, and sport extravagantly striped blazers over zebra-crossing sweatshirts.
But most of all, they’re in because they play Marvin Gay numbers and know what Mary Wells, The Miracles and Little Stevie Wonder are all about on the Tamla-Motown label. An American friend brought 200 LPs of this raved-over-by-The-Beatles-music to England then got himself deported, leaving the discs behind. The High Numbers thought it was very decent of him.
To watch this in mob is unusual to say the least. Lead guitarist Peter Townshend makes some very weird noises. He sort of attacks the guitar, with his right arm flailing like a berserk windmill. It’s all very exciting.
John Allison plays rhythm guitar, Its possible to forget he’s around. But he reminds you by dashing to the mike every now and then and belting out a couple of numbers while the singer rests his overworked vocal chords.
The singer is Roger Daltrey, who wears pale zoot-suit jackets, and sings in a low, growly, action-packed sort of voice.
Keith Moon is only seventeen, and he’s the drummer-man. He has a lot of tricks tucked up his striped sleeve. The best one is holding the sticks above his head, twirling them like mad, and gradually getting them down to the drums.
Their frist record was all about tickets and faces and miss and other in things. The songs, Zoot Suit and I’m the Face were written by their co-manager Peter Meaden, who is eloquently in. He says the lyrics were the most important thing about it because they gave the inside story of what is is to be really in.
As people, The High Numbers are uncomplicated and not particularly any-anything. They all come from the London area and wouldn’t live anywhere else. Roger has light curly hair and a lot of girlfriends. Keith has chestnut hair and enormous brown eyes. He used to sell plaster (“Don’t laugh. It’s a big thing at three shillings a bag.”)
John is the quiet one. He has light hair, pale eyes and a very direct gaze. And Peter, who sometimes takes to wearing dark glasses, is a beanpole. A rather intense one, at times.
They’re individuals, Even in a world where everyone dresses alike, talks alike, looks alike.
Y9ou see, they’re up-to-date with a difference. They’re even ahead of themselves.
1965 – The Who play Johanneshovs Isstadion in Stockholm. The group had to borrow equipment from support act The Moonjacks, while Keith used drums from The Mascots.
1965 – The Who play two shows at Lorensbergs Cirkus in Gothenburg (7:00 and 9:00pm)
1966 – The Who play The Pavilion in Bath, Somerset
1967 – The Who go into De Lane Lea Studios, London to record for BBC Radio One’s show Top Gear. It is the first time the BBC allow any musical act to record for them outside the BBC’s own studios. Alternate versions of “Pictures Of Lily” (Pete on organ), “I Can See For Miles,” (with heavy bass part), “Relax,” “Our Love Was,” (with Hawaiian guitar), “Can’t Reach You,” “A Quick One While He’s Away,” and “Someone’s Coming” are recorded along with new tracks “Summertime Blues” and “My Way.” Also recorded are five jingles, two for Top Gear and three for Radio One using altered lyrics to “Happy Jack,” “Boris The Spider” and “My Generation.”
1969 – The Who begin their second Tommy tour of North America at the Commonwealth Armory in Boston, Massachusetts. The Flock and Pacem open and the show is M.C.’d by local DJ J.J. Jackson
1970 – The Who play the Old Refectory Room in Falmer House at the University of Sussex in Brighton
1971 – The Who play Eliot College of the University of Kent in Canterbury, Kent
1973 – Scheduled rehearsals for the Quadrophenia stage show were to take place for the next three days at D Stage at Shepperton Studios. They might have been canceled due to Keith’s need to be with his family during this time. Meanwhile 4-track backing tapes for additional instruments needed for the live Quadrophenia presentation are prepared at the Ronnie Lane Mobile Studio.
1974 – Keith goes to friend Oliver Reed’s estate where they are photographed dressed in clown costumes. It is Reed’s intention to go to the polling station at Coldharbour Village dressed as a clown and Keith joins in.
1975 – The ‘Lisztomania’ film starring Roger as Franz Liszt and featuring Ringo Starr as the Pope opens at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York.
1976 – The Who play the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California
1981 – John’s Too Late The Hero enters the U.S. charts. It peaks at #71 there becoming the only John solo record to hit the Top One Hundred in the U.S. Along with the LP, John also releases the single “Too Late The Hero” backed with “I’m Coming Back” in the U.K. In the U.S. “Dancing Master” is the flip side. A video for the song “Too Late The Hero” is also shot and appears on music television at this time.
You can watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/465734158
1982 – The Who play Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey
1989 – The Who bring their 25th Anniversary extravaganza to England for the last of four performances at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham
1992 – Roger attends the 7th New York Music Awards.
2005 – Pete and Rachel attend a staging of High Society in London and go backstage afterwards
2006 – The Who play the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon
2009 – Roger’s “Use It Or Lose It” tour officially opens at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on the 10th where he sings “Happy Birthday” to Simon