12°c Overcast
17°c Cloudy with showers
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
The Who won't fool fans again on tour
Mark J. Terrill / The Associated Press archives Roger Daltrey (left) and Pete Townshend want to make up for some �shameful performances� of Quadrophenia in the 1970s. (CP)
NEW YORK -- Quadrophenia didn't go so well for the Who the first time around.
The band's second rock opera wasn't initially as popular as its first, Tommy. Its plot about the British Mods' rebellion against mainstream English society didn't really translate on this side of the pond.
On the opening night of its American tour, drummer Keith Moon collapsed onstage and guitarist Pete Townshend wrote in his recent autobiography, Who I Am, the tour included "some of the most shameful performances in our career onstage."
The surviving members of the Who -- Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey -- have decided to clear that up before Quadrophenia celebrates its 40th anniversary, with a new documentary, Quadrophenia: Can You See the Real Me?, and a new tour playing the rock opera in its entirety.
Townshend says the 1979 movie version of Quadrophenia, which included a young Sting in its cast, may have helped draw fans into the work as much as the songs, which include Who classics Love, Reign O'er Me, The Real Me and 5:15.
"In 1972, I was 28, writing about London and Brighton in 1963 and 1964 when the band was just starting," Townshend says in a statement. "I was still young enough to remember how it felt to be 16 or 17 and at war with my parents, bosses and authority. I could still remember that feeling of struggling to fit in, something that happened to me when I was even younger, around 14, and everyone around me seemed to have got their lives on track. This is such a universal experience for young people that it has echoed."
Townshend says performing the finale, Love, Reign O'er Me, is still special to him, though he recognizes how some of the songs are now very taxing on Daltrey's vocals.
"Roger and I now stand almost alone together, representing not only the original band, but also its Mod audience, and of course all our other early fans," he says.
-- Newsday
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 21, 2013 A18
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Teachers vote to donate $1.5M to human rights museum
05/24/2013 9:17 PM 0Manitoba public school teachers have voted to donate $1.5 million to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in return for ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- City's first urban reserve born
- Woman drove into river on purpose
- City set to seize derelict hotel
- Crash victims were good friends, free spirits
- Doctor charged with sexually assaulting teen at HSC
- Accused fraudster fights extradition to U.S.
- Evidence ignored in dangerous driving acquital, appeal court told
- Police searching for suspect who woke sleeping teen
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- Witness changes story of killing
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- Crash claims two young women, RCMP say
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Police identify slaying victims
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- City's first urban reserve born
- The end of the credit card?
- Woman drove into river on purpose
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- City's first urban reserve born
- First Nation celebrates groundbreaking on city's first urban reserve
- Better PTSD treatment for RCMP urged
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Armed forces buys buses from Motor Coach
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- Accused fraudster fights extradition to U.S.
- City chiropractor guilty of beating, sexually assaulting ex-girlfriend
- Crash victims were good friends, free spirits
- Athletes could sit under new school rules
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Fishing for fashion
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Core grocer a challenge: expert
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- City's first urban reserve born
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- City chiropractor guilty of beating, sexually assaulting ex-girlfriend
- First Nation celebrates groundbreaking on city's first urban reserve
- North End proud
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- A child-custody catastrophe
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.