The closing period of the 20th Century was looked upon by many with trepidation. All sorts of catastrophes, re-births and new beginnings were predicted. However, one new beginning that even Nostradamus failed to pick up on was the return of The Who. For a group of loyal rock fans the last three months of 1999 held nothing but joy as their own prayers were answered when The Who reunited for a few concerts in the USA and back home in London.

The original intention for the band was to play one charity concert at the House of Blues in Chicago in aid of a local children's charity on Friday November 12th 1999. The venue chosen was quite small, holding about 1300 people, and the ticket prices were set at $300 in order to maximise the amount the beneficiaries, the Maryville Academy (of whom Pete Townshend is an established patron), received. However, when tickets went on sale at the box office (the only way to get tickets was in person) they sold out within minutes. Such was the demand, a second gig on the 13th was arranged, much to the disappointment of Charlie Daniels fans who thought they were going to see their man that night! Once again tickets sold out almost as soon as they went on sale.

Soon after the tickets went on sale the band were approached to play another gig on October 29th in Las Vegas at an event held to mark the opening of a new internet company. Tickets prices for the show, at the MGM Grand Hotel, were set at an incredibly low $10, and the show was broadcast live on the internet. The money the band received made it possible for them to add another couple of charity shows to their increasing schedule. As a result two acoustic shows were pencilled in on October 30th and 31st on the West Coast to play at Neil Young's annual Bridge School benefit show.

The one original show had grown into five now and the band decided to throw off the big band tethers that they had used on their previous tours and return to a five piece for the first time since the one off performance at Live Aid in 1985. The band looked at the shows as a chance of having some fun and took the opportunity to dust off some of the songs that had long been retired from their live repertoire.

When the band took to the stage for the first night of the 'mini' tour it was clear to see that they had lost none of their legendary live prowess. The proposed 45-minute show was extended to well over an hour and included songs that most of the audience had never heard performed live before. Songs such as 'Anyway Anyhow Anywhere' and 'The Kid's Are Alright' had last been played by the band back in 1966.

The next two nights saw the band move up to the San Francisco area for a couple of acoustic performances. Many people were sceptical about how the band, who was much more accustomed to playing in football stadiums, would cope with this but the scepticism was misplaced. For years fans have been hoping for an 'Unplugged' performance from The Who, and these two brilliant 45 minute sets underlined the reasons for that. As well as playing a selection of hit's, the band paid tribute to their early apprenticeship playing in West London clubs, by including a tribute to Johnny Cash, whose songs, Roger Daltrey informed the audiences, were a part of those shows.

The main event of the tour was to take place two weeks later at the House of Blues. Even though tickets had sold out within minutes, fans began taking up their spots in the queue the night before the first show to get their prime spots. Luckily for them Chicago was unusually mild! Across town the band had arranged a silent auction at a hotel, where items were sold to raise more money for the charity. Amongst the treasures being sold was Pete Townshend's 12-string guitar on which he had written Tommy. As the band took to the stage the enormity of what the fans were about to see hit home. Here was a band, more used to playing to crowds in excess of 80,000, playing at an intimate venue, of the type they used to play over 30 years earlier. Although using a lot less equipment than on those stadium tours, the barrage of sound remained. Unlike the previous three shows these were full length shows and the band continued to include more rarely heard material such as 'Pure and Easy', 'Getting In Tune', 'A Legal Matter' and 'After The Fire', a song given its live debut, in between the more established live favourites. The band weren't entirely happy with the first night and trimmed the second show down, removing the acoustic interlude. The result was a much tighter performance, which left both band and audience breathless. Many long term Who fans confirm that this had been the best show they had witnessed for a long time. At the end of the show the band, not renowned for playing encores, were offered $100,000 for the charity, to come back on. They duly obliged with an electrifying version of 'Eminence Front'. During the show the band presented a cheque to the Maryville Academy for $1,000,000.

The band enjoyed themselves immensely and talked about new projects together. Pete Townshend later commented, "What happened was we played together live, and suddenly decided we liked it. This may lead to a new life for us old gits. Who knows?".

With those words still fresh and 34 years since their last gig at the Goldhawk Social Club, The Who returned to Shepherds Bush to deliver two sold-out, faith-reaffirming gigs on home turf. After five well-received concerts in America, Townshend, Entwistle and Daltrey (that's TED to you) felt compelled to see out the century with a return to the roots. Not at such cavernous circuses as Wembley Arena or Earls Court, but the humble Empire Theatre, in the heart of the area where so much of their early promise was consolidated. For many fans, memories of The Who's Christmas shows at the Edmonton Sundown in 1973 and Hammersmith Odeon in 1975 were brought back into sharp focus. Except sadly, this time Keith Moon was no longer around to be lowered onto his drums as he dangled from an invisible winch cable.

They say that with live recordings, you had to be there. For those fortunate ones who were, this disc will serve as a unique reminder of two rather special nights. With a minimum of fanfare, the band - augmented by Zak Starkey (drums) and John 'Rabbit' Bundrick (keyboards) - walked onto a dimly-lit stage and launched straight in to that distinctive, stop-start riff that began it all. After 'I Can't Explain', came 'Substitute' and 'Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere' - the latter not played live by the band since 1965, complete with a breathtaking, histrionic guitar interlude. Things were a lot different to those days of pilled-up adolescence but the sheer, coruscating affront hadn't changed. 'Pinball Wizard' proved to be the only concession to the deaf, dumb and blind boy, for the spotlight was firmly centred on his less-feted and unrealised successor Lifehouse; the best songs from which were selected for Who's Next.

John's 'My Wife' (with vocal support from Roger), and stirring versions of 'Baba O'Riley' and 'Behind Blue Eyes' long ago proved themselves essential additions to the Who's live canon. Sandwiched between were two welcome surprises - 'Pure And Easy' and 'Getting In Tune' - not performed since their original 'roadtest' in 1971. 'You Better You Bet' from the underwhelming Face Dances album took on a new lease of life with Zak's thunderous toms powering things along.

A welcome interlude was a return to The Who's 'blue period' featuring a delightfully impromptu 'Happy Jack' and 'I'm A Boy'. And of course, the Ox got to sing 'Boris The Spider'. A lengthy 'Magic Bus', always a live favourite, provided a platform for some improvised Townshend soloing while Roger blew along on harp. Once again the now familiar Who rendition of 'After The Fire', written by Pete for Roger's solo career, was included. Then it was onto the home run... 'Who Are You', '5:15' (featuring a furious flurry of fingers across the fretboard during John's over-the-top solo), and 'Won't Get Fooled Again', complete with flashing spotlights and Roger's sense-o-round gut-wrenching scream.

Traditionally, that would be the end of the show - a Who encore was a rare animal - but the band stayed on to deliver a few more surprises. Roger strapped on an acoustic guitar for 'The Kids Are Alright' - written for and about the youths who frequented The Who's spiritual home just a Rolling Stone's throw away - not performed live since 1966. During the coda, Pete added his own little updated rap to the original lyrics. The second night once again featured an acoustic medley of Johnny Cash (a nod to The Detours' past when versatility was a keyword) which segued into the Sell Out charmer 'Mary Ann With The Shaky Hand'. 'Naked Eye' was next - always a stand-out live with Pete's soaring solos reaching further transcendent heights.

"There's a time of day when you feel 'My Generation' is the song you wanna sing" Pete Townshend told Melody Maker back in 1972. "At the end of a Who performance, it's the song we wanna sing. And we mean it." With Pete's spirited count-in, we're suddenly thrust into that glorious, subversive anthem of youth, performed without any trace of irony. Because of (or thanks to) a malfunctioning amp which Pete believed to be his guitar at fault, a gold-topped Stratocaster met it's fragmented fate on the first night. No such calamities befell the last performance. As the last note faded into the distance, Pete unstrapped his axe, stepping forward with his bandmates to acknowledge the tumultuous reception they so thoroughly deserved. Could this be the start of a glorious career?

Recorded at the House of Blues, Chicago November 12/13, 1999
and at the Empire Theater, Shepherds Bush December 22/23, 1999
Produced by Bob Pridden

Band:
Pete - Guitar, Vocals
Roger - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
John - Bass, Vocals
Zak Starkey - Drums
John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Keyboards

Track List

Disc One
1 I Can't Explain 2:35
2 Substitute 3:17
3 Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere 4:05
4 Pinball Wizard 2:54
5 My Wife 7:51
6 Baba O'Riley 5:24
7 Pure and Easy 6:07
8 You Better You Bet 5:40
9 I'm A Boy 2:53
10 Getting In Tune 5:09
11 The Real Me 4:12

Disc Two - 56.14
1 Behind Blue Eyes 3:46
2 Magic Bus 9:18
3 Boris The Spider 2:33
4 After The Fire 4:48
5 Who Are You 6:53
6 5:15 8:57
7 Won't Get Fooled Again 9:02
8 The Kids Are Alright 2:13
9 My Generation 11:02

©2000 musicmaker.com