The Who Tour 1969

The Who Tour 1969

Tour by The Who
Associated album	"Tommy"
Start date	17 January 1969
End date	19 December 1969
Legs	7
No. of shows	120 (approximately)
The Who concert chronology

The Who Tour 1969 was a series of performances and tours by The Who, partially in support of their Tommy album.

History

1969 was an extremely transitional year for the band, due almost entirely to Pete Townshend's rock opera Tommy, which they had begun recording the previous autumn. For the first part of the year, the group alternated between recording in the studio during the week and performing in clubs and universities on the weekends. With recording completed in March, the rock opera was reportedly performed for the first time in April at Bolton Institute of Technology and several other times in the United Kingdom through the early part of May. As no recordings of these shows have surfaced, it is not known exactly how much of Tommy was played at this stage, but by the time the group travelled to North America for a tour in May and June they featured roughly 40 minutes of the piece during certain shows, omitting songs like the "Overture", "Cousin Kevin", the "Underture", and "Sally Simpson" because they weren't considered suitable for live performance. Aside from the new material, songs such as "Happy Jack", "A Quick One, While He's Away", "Young Man Blues", "Summertime Blues", "My Generation", and "Magic Bus" continued to feature heavily in the group's stage show, among others. Meanwhile, the instrument smashing that had characterised their performances for several years prior diminished considerably by this point.

By the second half of the year, the success of Tommy began to elevate the status of the band, who continued to feature it as the focal point of their act. The group played high-profile shows at London's Royal Albert Hall and was one of the few acts to be paid for appearing at the Woodstock Festival in August, having travelled back to the United States specifically to perform at this event and just one other date before returning to England; they also were one of the headlining acts at the Isle of Wight Festival 1969. In the fall, they elected to expand the stage presentation of Tommy further, adding songs like the "Overture" and "Sally Simpson" that had been skipped in earlier performances; additionally, show-ending performances of "My Generation" were stretched out to reprise certain parts of the rock opera along with other instrumental passages (such as the chord progression that eventually evolved into "Naked Eye"). Following a second stint in North America, the group took Tommy to the London Coliseum in December, the first in a series of European opera house dates that would continue in early 1970.

Live Releases

Live material from 1969 (excluding TV appearances where the band mimed to pre-recorded material) has appeared on a number of different releases:

• "Sparks", "Pinball Wizard", and "See Me, Feel Me" from The Kids Are Alright soundtrack come from the band's performance at the Woodstock Festival early on the morning of 17 August; the same songs also appear in the soundtrack.
• "Sparks" and the "Abbie Hoffman Incident" (dialogue of Townshend removing Hoffman from the stage when he attempted an impromptu speech during the middle of the band's set) from Woodstock appear on the Thirty Years of Maximum R&B box set.
• "See Me, Feel Me" from Woodstock appears on Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More; "We're Not Gonna Take It", "See Me, Feel Me", "My Generation", and "Summertime Blues" appear in the film.
• "Fortune Teller" on the View from a Backstage Pass live compilation album comes from the show of 12 October at the Grande Riviera in Detroit (mislabeled as occurring at the Grande Ballroom).^[1]
• The group's performance from 14 December at the London Coliseum is available as a bonus disc on The Who at Kilburn: 1977 DVD. Combined with the features in the Extras, nearly the entire performance can be seen, with "Substitute" the only missing song.
• "Happy Jack" and "I Can't Explain" from the Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live video and DVD come from the same London Coliseum performance; Only "I Can't Explain" appears on the 2009 re-release.
• "Young Man Blues" from The Kids Are Alright soundtrack also come from the London Coliseum; it also appears in the film of the same name, although it is incomplete.
• The Amsterdam concert from September 29 was broadcast live on radio and subsequently released as a bootleg.

Tour band

• Roger Daltrey - lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine
• Pete Townshend - lead guitar, vocals
• John Entwistle - bass guitar, vocals
• Keith Moon - drums

Typical set lists

Winter/Spring

The band performed sporadically in the United Kingdom from January through early May. No recordings of these shows have surfaced, but the group reportedly began playing Tommy (likely in a shortened arrangement) by the end of April.

First North American Tour

A six-week tour in North America began with shows at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit starting on 9 May, concluding with the second of two shows at the Fillmore West in San Francisco on 19 June. Set lists varied and many dates featured two shows per night. In addition to material from Tommy, shows from this tour were characterised by long, free-form versions of "Magic Bus". Songs played on the tour were as follows (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "Heaven and Hell" (John Entwistle)
2. "I Can't Explain"
3. "Fortune Teller" (Naomi Neville)
4. "Tattoo"
5. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison)
6. "Substitute"
7. "Happy Jack"
8. "I'm a Boy"
9. "A Quick One, While He's Away" (performed only on the early part of the tour)
10. "It's a Boy"
11. "1921"
12. "Amazing Journey"
13. "Sparks"
14. "Eyesight to the Blind" (Sonny Boy Williamson II)
15. "Christmas"
16. "The Acid Queen"
17. "Pinball Wizard"
18. "Do You Think It's Alright?"
19. "Fiddle About"
20. "There's a Doctor"
21. "Go to the Mirror!"
22. "Smash the Mirror"
23. "I'm Free"
24. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Keith Moon)
25. "We're Not Gonna Take It"/"See Me, Feel Me"
26. "Boris the Spider" (John Entwistle) (performed occasionally)
27. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart)
28. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd)
29. "My Generation" (performed only on the early part of the tour)
30. "Magic Bus" (sometimes including themes of "Naked Eye")

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour. Many shows only featured a short segment of Tommy. Some other songs were played which are not in the above lists:

• "Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry)
  • Performed (loosely) during "Magic Bus" on 19 May (early show).
• "Early One Morning" (Elmore James)
  • Performed during "Shakin' All Over" on 8 June (early show).

July Through Mid-September

A series of shows in England were interrupted by a return to the United States to appear at the Tanglewood Music Shed in Lenox, Massachusetts and the Woodstock Festival. Later the group was one of the main attractions at the Isle of Wight Festival 1969. A typical set for these shows is as follows (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "Heaven and Hell" (John Entwistle)
2. "I Can't Explain"
3. "Fortune Teller" (Naomi Neville)
4. "Tattoo" (not played at every show)
5. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison)
6. "It's a Boy"
7. "1921"
8. "Amazing Journey"
9. "Sparks"
10. "Eyesight to the Blind" (Sonny Boy Williamson II)
11. "Christmas"
12. "The Acid Queen"
13. "Pinball Wizard"
14. "Do You Think It's Alright?"
15. "Fiddle About"
16. "There's a Doctor"
17. "Go to the Mirror!"
18. "Smash the Mirror"
19. "I'm Free"
20. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Keith Moon)
21. "We're Not Gonna Take It"/"See Me, Feel Me"
22. "Substitute" (occasional)
23. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart)
24. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd)
25. "My Generation" (sometimes including themes of "Naked Eye")

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during these shows.

Mid-September Through to December

Starting with the show at Fairfield Halls in Croydon, London on 21 September, the band added several songs to the Tommy set to present the rock opera in more complete form, while shows generally ended with long versions of "My Generation" that included reprised themes from Tommy, along with various other instrumental sections. A live FM radio broadcast from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam followed shortly afterwards, and the group returned to North America for another five-week tour in early October, highlighted by six nights at the Fillmore East in New York City. Many shows on this tour were recorded in hopes of compiling a live album, but the band ultimately decided not to use these tapes and opted to record the Live at Leeds album the following year instead. They finished the year with various dates in England and France, including a show at the London Coliseum on 14 December.

A typical set for these shows is as follows (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "Heaven and Hell" (John Entwistle)
2. "I Can't Explain"
3. "Fortune Teller" (Naomi Neville)
4. "Tattoo" (not played at every show)
5. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison)
6. "Substitute" (not played at every show)
7. "Happy Jack" (not played at every show)
8. "I'm a Boy" (not played at every show)
9. "A Quick One, While He's Away" (not played at every show)
10. "Overture"
11. "It's a Boy"
12. "1921"
13. "Amazing Journey"
14. "Sparks"
15. "Eyesight to the Blind" (Sonny Boy Williamson II)
16. "Christmas"
17. "The Acid Queen"
18. "Pinball Wizard"
19. "Do You Think It's Alright?"
20. "Fiddle About"
21. "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?"
22. "There's a Doctor"
23. "Go to the Mirror!"
24. "Smash the Mirror"
25. "Miracle Cure"
26. "Sally Simpson"
27. "I'm Free"
28. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Keith Moon)
29. "We're Not Gonna Take It"/"See Me, Feel Me"
30. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart)
31. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd)
32. "Spoonful" (Willie Dixon) (not played every night)
33. "My Generation" (usually including "See Me, Feel Me", "Naked Eye (instrumental)" and "Sparks". "Overture", the opening riff of "Pinball Wizard" and "The Ox" were included on 29 September.)
34. "Magic Bus" (performed at least once, Fairfield Halls in Croydon on 21 September)

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during these shows.

Tour dates

Date	City	Country	Venue
Europe
17 January 1969	London	England	Great Hall, King's College London (unconfirmed)
18 January 1969	Nantwich		Civic Hall
19 January 1969	Birmingham		Mothers Club
24 January 1969	Wolverhampton		Wolverhampton Civic Hall
25 January 1969	Isleworth		Borough Road College
1 February 1969	Newcastle upon Tyne		Union Ballroom, Newcastle University
2 February 1969	Redcar		Redcar Jazz Club
7 February 1969	Bath		Top Rank Suite, University of Bath
8 February 1969	London		Regent Street Polytechnic
14 February 1969	Coventry		Lanchester College
15 February 1969	Margate		Dreamland Ballroom (unconfirmed)
21 February 1969	Birmingham		Birmingham University
22 February 1969	Liverpool		Liverpool University
23 February 1969	London		Roundhouse
1 March 1969	Birmingham		Mothers Club
7 March 1969	Headington		Technical College
14 March 1969	Cambridge		Cambridge Corn Exchange
2 April 1969	Bournemouth		Pavilion Theatre
7 April 1969	London		Alexandra Palace
22 April 1969	Bolton		Bolton Institute of Technology
24 April 1969	Newcastle upon Tyne		Mayfair Ballroom
25 April 1969	Glasgow	Scotland	Strathclyde University
26 April 1969	Auchinleck		Community Centre
27 April 1969	Dunfermline		Kinema Ballroom
28 April 1969	Sunderland	England	Whitburn Bay Hotel
1 May 1969	London		Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
First North American Tour
9 May 1969	Detroit	United States	Grande Ballroom
10 May 1969
11 May 1969
13 May 1969	Boston		Boston Tea Party
14 May 1969
15 May 1969
16 May 1969	New York City		Fillmore East
17 May 1969			Fillmore East (2 shows)
18 May 1969			Fillmore East (2 shows)
19 May 1969	Toronto	Canada	The Rockpile
23 May 1969	Philadelphia	United States	Electric Factory
24 May 1969
25 May 1969	Columbia		Merriweather Post Pavilion
29 May 1969	Chicago		Kinetic Playground
30 May 1969
31 May 1969
1 June 1969	St. Louis		Kiel Auditorium
5 June 1969	New York City		Fillmore East (2 shows)
6 June 1969			Fillmore East (2 shows)
7 June 1969	Lake Geneva		Majestic Hills Theater
8 June 1969	Minneapolis		Guthrie Theater (2 shows)
13 June 1969	Los Angeles		Hollywood Palladium
14 June 1969	Pasadena		Rose Palace
17 June 1969	San Francisco		Fillmore West (2 shows)
18 June 1969			Fillmore West (2 shows)
19 June 1969			Fillmore West
England
5 July 1969	London	England	Royal Albert Hall (2 shows)
19 July 1969	Birmingham		Mothers Club
20 July 1969	Hastings		Pier Ballroom
7 July 1969	Redcar		Redcar Jazz Club, Coatham Hotel
28 July 1969	Sunderland		Fillmore North, Top Rank Suite
2 August 1969	Eastbourne		Winter Garden
3 August 1969	Carlisle		Cosmopolitan
4 August 1969	Bath		Bath Pavilion
7 August 1969	Worthing		Assembly Hall
9 August 1969	Plumpton		National Jazz and Blues Festival, Plumpton Racecourse
Festivals
12 August 1969	Lenox	United States	Tanglewood Music Shed
17 August 1969	Bethel		Woodstock
Europe
22 August 1969	Shrewsbury	England	Music Hall
29 August 1969	Bournemouth		Pavilion Theatre
30 August 1969	Isle of Wight		Isle of Wight Festival 1969
6 September 1969	Dunfermline	Scotland	Kinema Ballroom
7 September 1969	Carlisle	England	Cosmopolitan
13 September 1969	Sutton Coldfield		The Belfry
21 September 1969	Croydon		Fairfield Halls
29 September 1969	Amsterdam	Netherlands	Concertgebouw
Second North American Tour
10 October 1969	Boston	United States	Commonwealth Armory
11 October 1969	Detroit		Grande Riviera
12 October 1969
14 October 1969	Toronto	Canada	CNE Coliseum
15 October 1969	Ottawa		Capitol Theatre
17 October 1969	Worcester	United States	Holy Cross Field House, College of the Holy Cross
18 October 1969	Stony Brook		State University of New York at Stony Brook
19 October 1969	Philadelphia		Electric Factory (2 shows)
20 October 1969	New York City		Fillmore East
21 October 1969
22 October 1969
23 October 1969
24 October 1969			Fillmore East (2 shows)
25 October 1969			Fillmore East (2 shows)
26 October 1969	Pittsburgh		Syria Mosque
31 October 1969	Chicago		Kinetic Playground
1 November 1969	Columbus		Veterans Memorial Auditorium
2 November 1969	Washington, D.C.		McDonough Gymnasium, Georgetown University
3 November 1969	White Plains		Westchester County Center
4 November 1969	Hartford		Bushnell Auditorium
6 November 1969	Granville		Raccoon Creek Rock Festival, Livingston Gymnasium Indoor Track, Denison University
7 November 1969	Athens		Convocation Center
8 November 1969	St. Louis		Kiel Opera House
10 November 1969	Albany		Palace Theater
11 November 1969	Boston		Boston Tea Party
12 November 1969
13 November 1969	New Paltz		Elting Gymnasium, State University of New York at New Paltz
14 November 1969	Cleveland		Public Hall
15 November 1969	Buffalo		Kleinhans Music Hall
16 November 1969	Syracuse		Onondaga War Memorial
Europe
4 December 1969	Bristol	England	Bristol Hippodrome
5 December 1969	Manchester		Palace Theatre
9 December 1969	Paris	France
10 December 1969
12 December 1969	Liverpool	England	Liverpool Empire Theatre
14 December 1969	London		London Coliseum
19 December 1969	Newcastle upon Tyne		Newcastle City Hall

See also

• List of The Who tours and performances

References

1. http://www.motorcitymusicarchives.com/granderiviera.html

• Neill, Andy; Matt Kent (2002). Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicles of The Who 1958–1978. Barnes & Noble. ISBN 1-58663-133-0.
• McMichael, Joe; 'Irish Jack' Lyons (1997). The Who Concert File. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-6316-9.

External links

• The Who Online Concert Guide