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Videos
I Can't Explain / Substitute / Who Are You
Who Are You
The Real Me / 5:15
Press
Mojo
Evening Standard
Yahoo
Brian Kehew's Backstage Blog
Review by Dave Lewis
My thoughts on The Who at the Royal Albert Hall - March 27 2025...
To Alberts place with my gig going comrade Lee Abrahams to see The Who - part of the ever laudable Teenage Cancer Trust concerts.
Following Level 42’s set, we were reminded of the incredible work the Teenage Cancer Trust continues to do with several very emotional clips and speeches.
Then it was time for The Who. I missed out on last year’s Who shows so when tickets went on sale for this year’s dates I was more than keen to be there. I realised I had not seen The Who for ten years - the last occasion being their O2 show back in March 2015. It was high time to put that matter right.
They opened with the two pronged attack of Can’t Explain and Substitute just as they did when I first saw The Who nearly 50 years ago at the Empire Pool Wembley.
Many things have happened in the world of The Who since then not least the passing of Keith moon and John Entwistle. Watching The Who now is to wallow in the pure heritage of this amazing band. Only two ageing principal members remain but the energy is still all there. Roger Daltrey at 81 is just remarkable. His vocals were absolutely spot on as was demonstrated early on with a soaring Who Are You.
Aging they may be but they are still full of the zest that has carried them to this point. Ageing but slightly fragile - Pete explaining that he had recently undergone knee surgery discounting any major movements -he did pull out the windmill swing to great applause. A milder Townshend is still a force to be reckoned with.
Audience note: A good mix of ages tonight with many a veteran Who T shirt on show -mine included. We had a great view in the stalls row M row 2 (thank you David Stark.)
Then we were off for a magic bus ride through one of the best rock catalogues of all time. The 60s pairing of The Kids Are Alright and I Can See for Miles led on to a simply superb Bargain.
Band note: The ever impressive Simon Townshend added guitar and vocal back up and the brilliant Zak Starkey re- affirmed his position as the right man to add the power to drive it all along. Zak's brand of percussive brilliance was entirely in keeping with the template Keith Moon laid down all those years ago.
Pinball Wizard was a familiar vibrant Tommy throwback and then a bit a surprise - Love Ain’t For Keeping from Who’s Next played live for the first time in 21 years. As it wound down I half expected them to blast into My Wife as per the album’s sequencing. Of course that was an impossibility with The Ox long gone.
From there it was a veritable juke box of Who classics - The Seeker, Behind Blue Eyes, I’m One, The Real Me, 5.15, Love Reign O’er Me, My Generation, See Me Feel Me/Listening To You, Eminence Front and You Better You Bet. Baba O Reilly and Won’t Get Fooled Again was a crowd pleasing duel towering climax.
During the last chords of the latter, my comrade Lee next to me was ready to restrain me should I attempt a stage invasion as I did at Shepperton in 1978. My aching legs were never going to cope with such a challenge so I resorted to some furious air drumming instead!
Tea And Theatre from the Endless Wire album was a suitable poignant closing shot.
Like many in attendance, I’ve had decades of appreciating The Who and they have given me some of the greatest live musical moments of my life. They have constantly provided the highest of on stage highs.
Last night was no exception. It was life affirming and an absolute privilege to witness it all. We all left with that unique glow that always happens after being in the presence of The Who’s music performed live. it was a simply fantastic show…
They remain a bargain - the best anyone could have …
Review by Ian McLean
This was the first of two concerts by The Who for this year's Teenage Cancer Trust. Sadly, Cathy and I had what I would consider to be crap seats in the 28th row of the stalls located right next to the mixing desk.
At least we weren't the only ones so far back because at the mixing desk area was Bobby Pridden, who was The Who's sound man since 1964 until he retired a few years ago. He sat there quietly during the whole show watching the new wave of technicians do their stuff , the stories that man could tell. In 1982 when The Who played Birmingham my friend Harry asked Pridden if we could see the soundcheck. He then let Harry , his pregnant wife Deborah , Cathy and myself in to see the soundcheck and meet the band.
Tonights show was the first time the band have played together for a year. They were loud and surprisingly tight and in tune with each other. Yes there were mistakes which both Townshend and Daltrey laughed off. They stuck to the tried and tested greatest hits set list although it was great to hear them play a rare live song called "Love Ain't For Keeping". I just wish they do this type of surprise song more often in their sets.
Townshend mentioned that he had his left knee replaced last month as it was broken in three places, "I don't feel any pain in my knee only my fingers and hands won't connect with my brain". He spent virtually the whole two hour set on his feet moving around the stage whilst playing and he only sat down once to play a song called "I'm One". Not bad going for a man who turns 80 on the 19th of May this year.
We all forgave Townshend for his mistakes when he played the final song "Tea And Theatre", one of my personal favourites.
The support band Level 42 were good and surprisingly we knew most of their songs.
Review by Lauren J. Hammer
First and foremost, I have to start by saying that I’m absolutely gobsmacked that it’s 2025, and I spent the night with Roger and Pete bringing Who2 back to life, again, at the Royal Albert Hall. Not in my wildest dreams, at 15 years old, could I have imagined being here as a late middled aged woman, with Roger and Pete two inarguably old geezers (not boring, though!). Yet here we all are - and I could not be happier.
Personally, for strategic reasons (trying to help out my friends), I missed Level 42, so nothing to contribute about them. I’ll see their set Sunday.
Then the TCT / young people bit of the program was moving, heartbreaking, and inspirational - as it always is.
Then it was Who time!
So, so, so happy that I Can’t Explain is back where it belongs. Unfortunately, this particular version was plodding and sluggish, as was Substitute (for a great, late era Who Substitute, check out video on YouTube from the first Pryzm/Kingston show in 2020).
I don’t want want them to change the opening selections, but I definitely want them to amp up both the tempo and the energy.
Who Are You and Kids and Miles were all fine, with Rog dedicating Miles to a young woman who had succumbed to cancer, after making a meaningful impression upon him. Well, fine is relative. Roger got completely lost during Miles. Just lost his place. The band hung in there and kept things humming along until he was ready to pick a place to jump back in. I loved it afterwards, when he had the good graces to laugh at himself, simply owning that he fucked it up, and then moving on with his life - as it should be.
Things started to pick up with Bargain. The first time of the night there was some real energy and kick, which is interesting, as while it’s always been a favorite song of mine, I’ve always found it a bit lacking with both Zak and with Scott (both of whom I think very highly of, in general).
Then, the moment I was waiting for, and BY FAR the highlight of the night, Love Ain’t for Keeping!!! While a fairly minor song in the Who cannon, it’s one I’ve always been fond of, ever since it was part of the ’82 Farewell show in Toronto that I taped off the radio as a teen.
P: “We’re gonna make it longer, because it was so short.”
R: “Like me.”
P: “Like Roger.”
Yup. I probably haven’t heard it in 10-20 years, but 43 years later, I still remember.
Anyway, LOVED hearing it live. Got to see Roger do it last year, with his UK + Scott band, but of course, not quite the same.
Afterwards, Gary suggested they do it again. Hell, yeah. That woulda worked for me.
Seeker and Behind Blue Eyes were both marked as “acoustic” on the set list, but I didn’t particularly notice anything unusual about them. Maybe Pete on an acoustic instead of electric for Seeker? In any event, fine, but not notable versions.
I continue to really wish that Zak would stop playing during “and if I swallow anything evil…” I strongly prefer that to be vocal only.
Nice to have a good chunk of Quad set - Real Me, 5.15, I’m One, Love Reign. You’ve all heard what I think about 5.15 sans John. Roger’s Love Reign continues to slay, night after night. And I’d say that the one and only good thing about them setting up so far away from the crowd at the RAH (don’t like that), is that we’re out of the splash zone for the Love Reign waterfall. Pre-covid, it was kind of fun, but since 2020, not so much.
My Gen had some nice juice. Maybe the most energetic song of the night. There was no mention of Cry If You Want on the setlist, so I was pleasantly surprised that it was included. I so love that song and those lyrics, but I do wish I could have input on the arrangement and interplay. It would be so very powerful to have Roger and Pete do a “You can cry if you want” call and response with one another. I would love that. I’d also love them to incorporate “Let your tears flow, let your past go.”
It was interesting for them to segue right into See Me Feel Me / Listening to You. In and of itself, it worked pretty well, but more than anything of the whole night, I MISSED AMAZING JOURNEY / SPARKS!!!
Just as every night should begin with an energetic and incisive version of Can’t Explain, EVERY SINGLE TIME, Amazing Journey / Sparks / SMFM / Listening is one of the highlights of the night.
Next was Eminence Front. What made it notable is that somehow, Binky totally forgot Roger’s guitar. The song’s starting, and Roger’s just standing out there, guitar less, for a good 30-60 seconds. It was damn funny, and not. Then when he finally got his guitar, he was having issues, and as near as I could figure, when he did have guitar sound, it was coming out of the wrong monitor - the monitor back by Jon and Zak, not one in front of him.
And speaking of monitors, it was super duper sucky for not only Pete but also Roger to be working with the wedge monitors. For many years now, he’s mostly used in-ear monitors, which is MUCH BETTER for those of us in the front. I really hope this is a temporary occurrence.
And IIRC, Pete did the in-ears one tour. It was SO GREAT for those of us in the front to not have those damn monitors blocking our view. (But not as bad as Pete’s music stand!)
You Better You Bet. What is there to say? The crowd and the band mustered some enthusiasm. That’s good, I guess.
Then Baba and WGFA.
While I could lose Baba, it’s a huge crowd pleaser, so unless it was my birthday show, I wouldn’t advocate for that. But I would, in a heartbeat, lobby to drop WGFA (boring without John) in favor of Song is Over. Here’s hoping.
Last, but not least, Tea & Theatre. People seem pretty evenly divided about ending this way. Personally, I’ve always liked the intimacy of just the two of them doing this to close the night. Tonight, Pete had a bit of a time getting the guitar started, and there were some cock ups along the way. But, well, that’s just part of the Who fun.
All in all, your regular opening night Who gig. Solid. Good, but not great. Flat-ish and dress rehearsal, but damn happy to be here.
One last comment…
One of my greatest disappointments continues to be Pete’s lack of vocal contribution. While Simon does a fine job. (And John Hogg on additional backing vocals is just fine.). I WANT MORE PETE. He’s MIA on Substitute, on Kids, on Who Are You, on You Better You Bet, etc. I love his vocals. Not instead of Roger. But I just want more Pete!
Review by Tim Ballou
I’ve seen many Who shows. What separates this one from the others? I have some areas of thought.
URGENCY – For the last few years the touring band wrapped themselves in the comfy blanket of a supporting orchestra. For some fans, that was a step too far out of the Who box. How could one fully experience guitar solos over strings and horns? (I actually enjoyed those shows tremendously, particularly the return to Cincinnati.)
When Pete said in late 2024 they would go sans orchestra for the next tour, if there was going to be a tour at all, I was all-in, vividly recalling a similar return to form in 1999 at the MGM Las Vegas show. That night and some years to follow saw the abandonment of crowded stages of musicians and programmed cues. It was a glorious period (excluding the loss of John) for Who fans.
Here we are in 2025, beyond what we even imagined at the time we experienced the 1982 “final” tour. Is it possible there is more shredding, maybe a little stage-stomping even, left in these old guys?
The RAH and summer shows to come are apparently a means to road test this 60+ year old vehicle. How much gas is left in the engine? If it is road-ready, how long, realistically, can it drive without stalling?
EXPECTATION – Roger is 81 years of age and carries his instrument with him through all his health ups and downs. He stated at the show that his hearing issues are now compounded with impending blindness, making him one step away from being Tommy. Pete is 79 with a freshly replaced knee. What are the odds here, really? And I mean even for just a couple of shows, not a full blown tour. If you’re being honest – not great. “Go to the mirror boy” and you’ll see you’re not the windmilling/mike swinging (metaphorically speaking) person you used to be either.
FAMILIARITY – When these two RAH shows were announced I was already contemplating a long overdue trip to London to see the birthplace of the music I grew up with and still keep in heavy rotation. Not just The Who. The Kinks, Pink Floyd, Yes, Clapton, Spinal Tap and (time permitting) the Beatles. And then, the stars aligned, along with my Hyatt points and shockingly low priced tickets. So I found myself in the 8th row floor of the Royal Albert Hall, with the vivid memory of receiving the Who at RAH 2000 DVD in the mail a quarter century ago. (Talk about a return to form – that was the poster child.)
This week I have scanned subway schedules with places like Acton, Shepherds Bush, and White City ringing bells of countless bios, interviews, and songs that I clinged to beginning in my own formative years. I actually “stood in a Soho doorway”. And I actually “staggered back to the underground” after the show to get my weary body back to that beloved Hyatt with it’s amazing meat-filled free breakfast (unlike US hotels). This is why I’m here. This is why I made a pilgrimage across the pond. To celebrate whatever vestiges of this band, and its connection to my glorious youth, that still exist. Topping it off with Scottish eggs and baked bacon are icing on the cake.
CONCLUSION – The show itself? Must begin with the Teenage Cancer Trust charity and the way the group’s work is weaved in and out of the show. The parents of a deceased child were featured in a video and then came on stage to speak. It brought life affirming perspective to what could otherwise be just another rock concert. Kudos to Roger for his years of work and hope that it will continue long after he is gone.
Pete was obviously struggling to find his mojo with the guitar throughout the entire setlist. You could see the anxiety in his face. His trademark self-deprecation provided perfect levity – “Do you miss the orchestra?” he asked at one point, followed by boos. “Well, I fffff-ing do! I could stand up here and just pretend I’m playing.”
Roger equally laughed off senior moments. Their lack of pretense and abundance of transparency are among the reasons I am such a big fan. In keeping with that, my honest thoughts are this is not yet a band remotely ready to tour. Countless times I looked over, expecting a riff or solo to pop only to see Pete awkwardly pluck and frown. It was a bit sad, like seeing an old friend in pain. I think the future lies in his well being. A nearly-80 year old man just a month out from a knee surgery is reason enough for a setback but only time and rehearsal will prove whether there is more to come.
Roger, on the other hand, had an amazing night, carrying the songs with passion and smiles. The show was a standard setlist of hits with LOVE AIN’T FOR KEEPING thrown in after a long absence. I’ve given up on wishing for a more varied setlist. I know why fans complain but I know why they must service a broad audience too. I’m only midway through my trip as of this writing. Maybe some apple scrumping. And if I’m lucky I’ll catch a 5:15 train. And another Who show to go for me which I expect to enjoy no matter what happens.