|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Press
Toronto Sun
Globe and Mail
photoblair - photos
Exclaim.ca
The Star
Post City
Review by Pete (who515)
I was at Pete's book signing in Toronto on Thurs. Nov. 22. There was an excellent interview conducted by a local legendary DJ named Alan Cross. Look him up, he does a radio show called The Ongoing History of New Music and The Secret History of Rock. When I heard he was doing the interview I could think of no one better. He asked Pete some great questions including Pete's comment of Apple being digital vampires. We spoke with Alan after the interview and he said it was a condensed interview because Pete was late to the signing due to other press commitments. Alan said he wished he asked him about the child porn charges, but we were happy he didn't. I think it has been overdone and he has explained himself already. Pete was relaxed, engaging and was enjoying himself. In the interview he calls Keith Moon "a c@nt" but explains he can do that affectionately now and spoke about Keith's death due to his bad behaviour. He accommodated all of the fans. I asked him if he still followed Meher Baba and he said not as intensely due to things that have happened to him personally. I had a catalogue of my Who collection that I have been collecting over the past 30 years and asked if I could indulge him to take a copy and he was happy to do so. He looked at it and put it in a bag beside him. I shook his hand and left. What sold the night for me and made me proud to be a Pete fan all of these years was, when he was leaving the store with security, someone asked if he would mind posing for a photo with his daughter about 8 years old. Security tried to block the guy and his daughter saying, "Mr. Townshend, this way." Pete stopped, stood behind the girl, bent down and spoke with her while the father was trying to get his camera phone set up. He happily took the photo. I recorded the interview and this brief encounter with the little girl. When I have a chance I will upload the video. Afterwards a number of us local fans remarked that Pete would not have done a book signing or been so accommodating to fan 20 years ago. It is great to see how age mellows people.
The review of last nights concert in Toronto...the opening act Vintage Trouble got the crowd into the mood. The lead singer reminded me of James Brown. It was a good choice for an opening act. The attendance was excellent, not quite a sellout but respectable numbers. Beforehand we spoke with Simon and he was so engaging with the fans signing his CD and taking photos. The presentation of the show was much better than 96/97. As Pete said at the end it was Roger's creation with Frank Simes and it didn't have all of the pretentious video and narration as in the past. I thought it was a good multi-media production with the video footage throughout the show. Roger's voice was a little rough to begin. During the song Quadrophenia, the keyboard was way down in the mix and could hardly be heard. They had a false start on The Punk and the Godfather. It was nice to hear Simon sing The Dirty Jobs. The tipping point in the concert when the fans really got into it was during 5.15. From then on it was great. The fans were so engaged. Roger's voice seemed warmed up by then. He hit the tough notes in LROM. They were so happy at the end of the show. They kept on thanking Toronto. They both had huge smiles on their face. Roger thanked everyone for allowing him to perform and Pete mentioned how important Toronto has been for him and the band and how they feel Toronto is their second home. They were quite engaging at the end speaking to the audience.
After the show Frank Simes was standing by the band's lounge area. No one recognized him so I asked to have a photo with him. He happily obliged. I managed to get the setlist and was able to get Roger, Zak, Pino and Simon to sign it. They were so good allowing us to get photos with them as well.
