Hi,
now the year is some days old and I think back.
There were two fantastic WHO shows I saw (you all know) and I never forget my talking with Pete, Rachel and Mikey. They all are so very nice.
Pete Townshend (Ulm / Germany)
Photo: Stefan Schaetzky © 2006
Here the setlist:
I Can't Explain, The Seeker, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, Who Are You, Behind Blue Eyes, Real Good Looking Boy, Let's See Action, Mike Post Theme, Baba O'Riley, Naked Eye, Relay, You Better You Bet, My Generation, Won't Get Fooled Again, Substitute, Pinball Wizard, Amazing Journey, Sparks, See Me Feel Me
Pete Townshend (Ulm / Germany)
Photo: Stefan Schaetzky © 2006
Here a review
Ulm, Münsterplatz, 23. July 2006
from: Eva B. Louis
Music Mirror, 26. July 2006
’I wanna die, before I get old’. It's hillering very loud across the cathedral's square in Ulm. And the best is, it still sounds very convincing, though it doesn't sound logical, does it?! Up there are two rock dinos, who have celebrated their round 60th birthdays already a few years ago. But I swear, you don't realize and you don't see it. This here is most probably the most well done reunion of all those classical rockbands, who lately did reform for one or the other reason. Although it ain't a real reunion, is it?! Because the Who have never officially seperated. Let's call it rather long spaces inbetween action, and time for the guys to develope in their own creative individual way. Up's and Down's and inbetween always again and again - The Who live on stage. The only guy who took the famous slogan of this cultband 'I wanna die before I get old' - for granted, was drummer Keith Moon. - Bassist John Entwistle stayed a bit longer on this planet, before he took the balls as well and said good bye from this earth in a rather unspectular way.
Only the heart of the group survived all hurricans of life. And Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are trying their best, to convince all Who fans including myself, that they are still very much alive and rather prefer to get old before they die. They haven't forgotten how to please us and make us jump up by presenting us those fabulous perls of rock'n'roll history.
Most important, Pete and Roger are showing the young generation, that bands from the glory sixties are not just oldies but still very lively rockers, who can put up easily with the youngster from today, what's up to the physical condition and the drive and including all their knowledge and experience. Combined with the unforgotten musical milestones, at least what's up to the music of the Who, they are still unbeatable - honestly.
It's loud, very loud indeed. Actually it is so loud, that the highest church tower in the world is suffering tinnitus tonight. It probably has never experienced such a thing. The wisdom tooth is loose inside the shaking walls. And the aprox. 7.000 freaks gathering on the square take care, that the earthquake is hitting a the top of the Richter scale.
I remember back buying my very first longplay record, when I was a young girl, aged 12 in 1973. It was 'Tommy' - the rockopera by the Who, not the film- but the band's version of course. And since that very day the who have always had a place in my musical backgrounds and roots.
To tell the truth, first I've been a bit sceptic about all this, because I remember at last year's Nokia Night of the Proms, when Roger Daltrey appeared on stage accompanied by a huge orchestra, performing some greatest hits of the Who. And it was everything else than spectacular according to major voice problems. Today I pray to heaven, that there won't be a Du ja vu' of this, and my disappointment from last year is gonna be increased. But fortunately it doesn't. Yep, with a slight irritation between the first and the second track thanks to technical reasons, they stand the test.
Meanwhile the square is standing on it's head, and granny and grandson, and daddy and daughter are moving along to this great show ending with the encore Pinball Wizard’ and last but not least ‚See Me Feel Me’.
Congratulation, this is an absolute phantastic debut again of the loudest band of the sixties early seventies. Or are they still the loudest??? After today's decibal thunderstorm, I'm not quite sure about that. - However, they don't need a monster stage like the Stones, or a big lightshow or special effects to show, that Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey and Co. still know how to rock and spice a hot chilly even hotter. They are no tired oldies and most of all, - there is no - I wanna die before I get old. Because for that - they are really too old....
I hope they will be come back this year to Europe.
Love and peace
Stefan