Jaw-dropping photos...of The Who

[The Internet]

Someone I work with asked me...."You know all these bands now that are smashing their instruments.....how did that all get started?"

I couldn't believe I was being asked this....she certainly came to the right guy!

"The Who. Nobody else but The Who. If you see someone doing that, they're doing The Who, nobody else." And then I showed her these pictures. And she got it immediately, lol. How any band gets away with ripping off such a singular gimmick in entertainment history...unless it's an homage....or if you're Hendrix, which is a different thing altogether.....unless you're that, what the hell, they can't come up with an original idea for themselves? I think it's pathetic.

The Who, bar none: the greatest live act in rock and roll history, at least visually. Musically also, fantastic. Explosive would be the word. Action would be another.

Check these pictures out and tell me if I'm wrong....the best part is looking at the peoples faces in the audience, and backstage.....and make sure you see picture 4 at full screen view.....look in awe......

 

[The Internet]

a few more....

 

[The Internet]

five more.....

 

[The Internet]

To see The Who in action, in all their glory, I highly recommend the 1979 documentary "The Kids Are Alright", one of the greatest rock and roll movies of all time, if not the greatest.....you will be leaping all over your room and air-drumming, the whole bit.....

 

[rdhd]

Who? The Who? Who you talkin' about? Who dat? Oh, them crazy young Brits...yeh, they were a bit on the wild side, you could say. And yet they came up with some rather decent songs along the way. And a rock opera.

 

[DontAskJusTckle]

I saw The Who live in 1976. Keith Moon was still alive and playing with them. This was the first and only time I ever saw them live. I'd heard all about how they were known to smash equipment at the end of a show and I was curious to see if they would do it.

They didn't.

But! As they were walking off the stage, Roger Daltry took his mic and threw it hard into one of the massive speak horns. It made a loud CHOCK sound, and that was the end of it.

 

[The Internet]

I saw The Who live in 1976. Keith Moon was still alive and playing with them. This was the first and only time I ever saw them live. I'd heard all about how they were known to smash equipment at the end of a show and I was curious to see if they would do it.

They didn't.

But! As they were walking off the stage, Roger Daltry took his mic and threw it hard into one of the massive speak horns. It made a loud CHOCK sound, and that was the end of it.

That's great man, you saw one of Moonie's last batch of shows.

I remember I was FIVE....and my parents went to see them at Madison Square Garden in 1974. Townshend smashed EIGHT guitars that night. I remember I was so jealous of my parents, I couldn't believe I was allowed to go with them! (i was already completely obsessed with music - and tickling! - to the exclusion of all else, I was a weird kid, what can I say...). Anyways....over the years I heard this story, about Townshend eight guitars....and time went on I started to think...eight? That's alot! My parents were most definitely stoned or tripping or something so I chalked it up to that.

Recently, I found a website, that documents all of the guitar-smashings, which shows, and how many guitars. And sure enough......eight guitars smashed at Madison Square Garden, in 1974. Ha!

I wouldn't even THINK about seeing them without Moon, much less Entwistle!

Thanks for the memory DAJT! That's pretty funny.

How'd they sound? Moon was close to the end then, his drumming wasn't at its best.

(my uncle was at the show where Moon collapsed and they had to get someone from the audience to finish the show! You can find video of that on You Tube, I'm pretty sure)

 

[kopfhorer]

To see The Who in action, in all their glory, I highly recommend the 1979 documentary "The Kids Are Alright", one of the greatest rock and roll movies of all time, if not the greatest.....you will be leaping all over your room and air-drumming, the whole bit.....

I'd recommend it too. Saw it in a theater about 20 years ago. Got the DVD at a thrift shop!

Oh, BTW, where were the first row of photos taken?

 

[The Internet]

I'd recommend it too. Saw it in a theater about 20 years ago. Got the DVD at a thrift shop!

Oh, BTW, where were the first row of photos taken?

Cleveland Public Hall, August 31, 1967

(the last two, I can't remember, I think one is at the Garden)