Who
The Who
Support
Paul Weller
Kaiser Chiefs
Johnny Marr
Gaz Coombes
Where
London Hyde Park
When
26th June 2015
Price
£77.60
Who with
Matt
Position
Towards the front
Comments
Just six days after Blur I returned to Hyde Park to cross one of the last huge names from my list. I'm very glad that I resisted seeing them playing Birmingham NIA at the tail end of 2014 too, as that was one of the shows where they disgustingly didn't play My Generation, and a field with free standing beats a seated gig any day. I'd purchased their greatest hits album for my Dad a few years before but rather foolishly I only heard it occasionally, plus a good few times in the week leading up to the show. It loses a lot of marks for stupidly omitting Baba O'Riley from the tracklisting, but otherwise is quite definitive. I'd also gone to the effort of buying two Paul Weller greatest hits compilations as well as the hits by The Jam, and strangely enough I barely listened to these either, although some of his songs had sunk in thanks to some TV appearances in the months leading up to this show. A guy at the Blur gig had said that this show was sold out - and that was why it wasn't being aggressively advertised - but I only saw confirmation of this on Facebook a few days later. The support bill was absolutely extraordinary too, meaning that it was possible that I'd be hearing the greatest hits from The Who, The Jam, Kaiser Chiefs, The Smiths and Supergrass all smashed out in quick succession. Now that's entertainment! My diary for June was jam-packed so I didn't chase up any job agencies, and was disappointed that no-one called me, but this did leave the way clear for a fun-filled weekend without distraction, with no need to rush back on the Saturday to prepare for an interview early in the week. Also I'd brutally kept my diary clear for July and beyond, meaning in theory that I could accept a job anywhere in the country or abroad without too many personal commitments getting in the way. I was also strongly warming to the idea of moving to London, and certainly expect that I'll find myself living in the big city at some point in the future!

I'd learned from the confusion last week by making it in time for the last super off peak train from Stafford, mainly hearing Paul Weller on the way down and reading NME. In Stafford I purchased the first of many Boots meal deals of the weekend, not getting my 30p off as somehow my voucher had expired less than a week after I'd acquired it. On arrival at Matt's I enjoyed fish and chips at the local pub washed down with some Maisel's Weisse, before we headed into the beer garden as it was a crazily hot day. We then chilled out in his flat as I enjoyed some more beers and we looked through some random holiday photos. Due to hayfever we both had a terrible night's sleep, but the flipside of the good weather is that it's great for photos, and I didn't need to take a coat as there was apparently a 0% chance of rain. We'd set a super-early alarm as the next morning we'd booked a free tour to climb Big Ben, which was confirmed via our MPs many months in advance. Although space was supposedly extremely limited, it was basically us and a load of work experience kids, making me wonder whether most of the slots are reserved for last minute jollies? I can't really complain though as we not only got in but had specified the exact date and time we wanted and had got it without a problem. I had a very disappointing response to my Facebook message proclaiming that I was visiting Big Ben though, which is tragic as I was thrilled to be amongst a very tiny number of people to get to climb perhaps the most famous tower in the world. We rendezvoused at Portcullis House next door and I was surprised to learn that it was where many MP's have their offices, plus it has a delightful glasshouse style interior with offices around the sides. Also the security guard was pretty awesome as he searched around for the £1 coin I dropped while emptying my pockets, so much so that my frustration at not being able to take photos was almost completely offset, and also I'd fully anticipated this annoyance.

We had to bring two forms of ID and the tour guide was unusually careful in matching our faces to them, but I'm pleased to report that it was an excellent tour, and thankfully the Elizabeth Tower isn't particularly photogenic anyway, and the outstanding tourist leaflet and fold-out illustration we were given afterwards for free was an acceptable substitute, with photos of the key elements. We heard an extraordinary story of the crazed politician who tested the bell by hitting it with ever-larger hammers in search of the perfect sound, before inevitably cracking it. Even worse though he did exactly the same thing on the second bell that was commissioned. This situation was salvaged by a guy who supposedly thought for ages before proposing a solution of (1) checking out the damage, (2) rotating the bell and (3) hitting it with a smaller hammer in future. This reminded me of the stories I heard of Kim Il Sung in North Korea, as they were presented as the solutions of a uniquely inspired mind, rather than something that anyone could easily come up with! We were given a pair of earplugs and were standing by the bell as it struck 10am, so would have missed out on a good few chimes if we'd visited in the early afternoon instead. After this we wandered around Portcullis House, checking out the artwork dedicated to female politicians, including a few of the evil Thatcher. We'd correctly surmised that it was to be an extraordinarily hot and long day that needed breaking up. I was already tired and we now had paperwork to drop off, so going back to the flat for a shower and to get changed was an inspired move. We then headed back into London and I had picked out several good-looking pubs near Blackfriars. We settled on one that was pricey, including a disgustingly expensive £5+ beer, but the fish and chips and chocolate cake were delicious. And I think I've learned my lesson now never to drink Frontier beer, as it's an outrageous rip-off.

The gates had opened at 2pm - one hour later than they had done for Blur - and we arrived before 3pm, deciding to postpone all other sightseeing until Saturday. The site was already hugely busy so we headed straight for the loos, allowing for the possibility of getting down the front and not needing to escape again. I really thought that lots of people would be showing up after they finished work - as it was a Friday - but seemingly not! This time I'd taken in a sealed water bottle, as we'd actually had an email telling us that it was acceptable, but once again I'd left it in my back pocket and the security guy didn't notice it in his frisk! However the notification email failed to inform us that the disgusting middle barrier was back in operation, and also that entrance to the tiny area in front of the stage was extremely limited. It made me think that Blur had insisted that there be no middle barrier and premium ticket sales spoiling the atmosphere for the fans, whereas I'd previously assumed that the organisers had actually learned lessons after people had nearly died at The Libertines and had got rid of it altogether. It was a disgrace as the solutions to crowd control are obvious, such as maximising the free access area in front of the stage, and what they did could have easily caused a riot and deaths. I'm just very lucky that our early arrival meant that these organisational failings didn't ruin our personal experience, and I'm quite shocked that I can't find anything online from fans complaining about it, although The Who are a difficult band to Google! The front area was already quite busy - as we were all crammed in to the left - and I'm not sure if this was enthusiasm for The Who or for the supporting bill. Gaz Coombes was already onstage so we dashed straight in but found ourselves stuck quite far to the left, so much so that we couldn't read his full name projected on the screen behind him. It was an annoyance to be in such a mediocre position, but it also made me realise the importance of being in the front 5% or so of the crowd no matter what, and that we'd have to put in a lot of effort between the bands to move to a better vantage point.

Gaz Coombes was due onstage at 3pm but had started a little earlier. Not only were the views bad at the back but the speakers were turned off, and you physically couldn't even hear his performance unless you were near the front. I'm quite sure they'd turn on more of the speakers later, but still, all this just reinforces my idea that the front is the only place to be. Gaz Coombes was wearing a hat and alternating between an acoustic guitar and piano. And he didn't play a single Supergrass song. I'd seen Supergrass twice, although I had regretted the second time in 2005 as the experience seemed a little pointless and just a weaker retread of my first time. I'd also done some research and had fully anticipated that he wouldn't play any Supergrass songs, but I can barely comprehend the disappointment felt by fans who'd never seen Supergrass live and had expected him to wheel out a crowd-pleasing greatest hits set, or at the least play two or three tunes that we all knew. His self-indulgence made Gaz far and away the weakest link of the day, and the only way to make him learn is to resolutely not applaud a single song unless you recognise it. Hearing some applause was therefore frustrating, as it makes artists feel they can get away with this. It's a similar situation with Kanye West and Glasto 2015, although there the issue is a lack of talent and huge ego, as he doesn't have any decent hits to play! Glastonbury fans with taste had the opportunity to watch Suede instead, and for Kanye to be greeted by a completely empty field would have been the funniest thing ever. For a guy who has done nothing of note except to ruin a James Bond theme and Daft Punk song, it's the only way to respond. Speaking of which, I understand Gaz Coombes had got a helicopter to take him to and from Glastonbury, although I'm not sure how that would work out for his roadies and equipment? Amusingly his amps were set up with the numbers GC-001 and GC-002 stamped on them, implying that he was leaving the option open for up to 997 more, and I also recognised The Girl Who Fell To Earth from hearing it a few times on 6Music. I shot my only video during this and noted that although his sideburns remained intact, his playfulness and humour had sadly departed. Maybe after a few years of playing to indifferent crowds he will change tact, as he's not Gruff Rhys and doesn't have the talent, solo back catalogue or charm to pull off a 100% solo set ignoring everything that his previous band has done. I do always scream for SFA to do things differently, and a solo Gruff set is precisely that!

Although I was keen to secure a better position, we decided to take the last realistic chance to leave the crowd for another loo break. After nearly exiting through the security I made a passing comment to one of the staff about being able to get back in, and she said that we needed a wristband! We quickly turned around and had to push past some security guards who didn't know if we were coming or going, and words can't begin to express how disgusted and pissed off I was with this situation. And I'm one of the lucky ones who got back into the front area, so I'm absolutely baffled as to why no-one else online seems to be complaining about the crowd chaos? Luckily we got our wristbands and headed back in, but they were refusing entry to others, including some very angry punters who hadn't been told they needed a wristband before exiting. In fact when we'd initially entered we'd been asked if we had wristbands, but had thought it an arbitrary form of premium access which wasn't required as we were all filtering into the same area, but no-one had bothered to explain what the system was. It wasn't fucking hard, all they needed to do was put up a large sign above the entrance explaining the rules. Quite frankly if staff had been beaten up as a result of this staggering incompetence they'd fully deserve everything they got, as "following orders" isn't an excuse to justify what they were doing. It's what Nazi's say to justify their crimes, and exactly the same principle applies - I know if I was working there I'd walk out in protest, and if other people had the courage to stand up against what is clearly wrong then no-one could get away with these things. I don't know what the intention was either, as the Libertines crowd trouble was caused by the existence of the middle barrier halving the available space, not by offering unrestricted access to inside the inner barrier. I can only think that the promoters prioritised profit over crowd safety, and if I was in charge I'd be prosecuting them for attempted mass murder.

Strong words I know, but I do fear these immoral practices will result in deaths one day, as this kind of poorly publicised crowd control can only lead to mass unrest and the risk of rioting and a hugely bad atmosphere. And I say all this from a completely unselfish perspective, as by the time we got back in we had no problem walking to a great position in the middle, and due to the front area being closed off to new punters far too early the place never even filled up. We were amongst the lucky few who ultimately benefited from this arrangement, but I'd had happily accepted the pushing and light crushing that comes naturally with a self-policing crowd if it had allowed thousands more fans to appreciate the show like we got to do. For Blur we'd got quite over-excited and had moved further forwards than we usually do, but this time around we decided to stand further back. So much emphasis goes into the stage show and video screen footage that taking a step back and being able to take in the whole experience rather than being forced to participate was ultimately for the best, and it also made us feel like this was a completely different show in a different venue. There were barely any tossers in the crowd at all, so perhaps the Nazi crowd control measures had prevented fans from daring to leave and then look to push back in later and toss beer over everyone? A large Johnny Marr logo was projected onto the screen - this time in blue - as the man appeared just before 4pm, wearing a suit and occasionally with the screen switching to an array of swirling blue lights. His confidence and overall stage presence seems to have improved since we saw him supporting The Stone Roses in 2013, and also perhaps the sound mix was better too. I shot a video as he played Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before towards the start of his set, and even his solo songs sounded strong and passed the time better than they had any right to.

In waiting for Smiths songs it never really crossed my mind that he could play a cover version, but singing I Fought the Law was an excellent way to get the crowd going. It made no sense as Marr neglected to tell us that it was to mark the occasion of Mick Jones's 60th birthday, but it's still a great song, and I'm shocked to learn that the original version was by The Crickets and not The Clash. Strangely enough the crowd seemed to immediately recognise it, and the same could be said when he followed it with There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. I certainly don't want to complain about Johnny playing Smiths songs, but I was a bit miffed that he was playing exactly the same few songs he'd done last time. Wouldn't it be more fun for him and the crowd to mix it up every night, choosing from a few Smiths classics? Sadly the one he played last time but omitted for us - Bigmouth Strikes Again - was the most effective tune and the worst choice to drop, and I think everyone would have much preferred to hear Panic and This Charming Man rather than him playing How Soon Is Now? exactly as he'd done the last time around. Bizarrely I gather that a fan shouted for him to play I Will Wait by the abysmal Mumford And Sons, but he responded cleverly by pointing out politely that it wasn't one of his songs. He said it was by one of those bands with beards, and asked if anyone could see any stubble on this stage. A great response! Also he played an Electronic song - Getting Away With It - which seemed to receive a flicker of recognition from the crowd, and overall his performance was strong enough that I find it hard to shoehorn in my joke about him Marring the evening. Yes, he could have chosen his Smiths songs a little more imaginatively, but he was a very crowd-pleasing choice, in sharp contrast to Morrissey who is a much more natural frontman with a stronger solo back catalogue, but Moz doesn't feel as relevant or as "cool", and his choice of Smiths songs looks to be even more limited.

Next up though were the ultimate crowd pleasers - the Kaiser Chiefs! It was the third time I'd seen them, following on from Reading 2006 and supporting Macca in 2008, and it was fantastic how I'd never needed to fork out a penny to watch them play. They came onstage at 5:20pm and set their cards on the table immediately by opening with Everyday I Love You Less And Less. I shot a video and wondered if Ricky & Co were capable of delivering anything except a glorious crowd-pleasing greatest hits set with maximum enthusiasm? Four of them were sporting sunglasses, and the most notable change was that Nick Hodgson, the drummer and main songwriter, had left them in 2012. Ricky had gained a new type of fame by appearing on The Voice before unleashing the fifth Kaiser Chiefs album - without Nick - in 2014. I'm astonished to read that it reached number 1 in the charts, and as far as I can gather the band were in the late stages of promoting it, in contrast to the last two times I'd seen them just before Yours Truly, Angry Mob and Off with Their Heads respectively had come out. Much like they'd done with Macca, arguably the Kaiser Chiefs got the crowd going more than the main attraction managed to do, with Ricky jumping off the drum kit and leaping around the stage with all the energy he had ten years ago. Possibly even more so as he was now leaner and maybe even keener. Although the new drummer didn't stand out he slotted in well, and it felt like the band had lost nothing with Nick's departure, their only weakness being that they are relatively limited, although the thing that they do they can do really well, and they are more deserving of acclaim than their peers Arctic Monkeys, who enjoy an obscene level of popularity despite a decline in quality and shocking levels of self-indulgence. Back to the details of the show, my information suggests that Ruffians On Parade was the second track, although I really thought it was Everything Is Average Nowadays? It was then fabulous to hear Never Miss A Beat, which perhaps came across so strongly that it over-shadowed everything else. In 2008 it had been a tolerable new song, but this night it was a stone cold classic!

The band teased us with a snippet of the Steptoe And Son Theme, and Ricky apologised that they were to play a new song, advising that they were contractually obliged to and it would make some money for the management, before balancing this with the assertion that they think it's rather good too, so everybody wins. So many artists could learn from this, as Kaiser Chiefs were playing the hits we wanted to hear, making a witty apology for playing a new song, and then making us love them even more by virtue of the new tune sounding really good! I shot a video, and this tune was followed by Modern Way, although to be honest I do much prefer The Cribs version. Ricky then encouraged us to sing along to the next one, explaining that as the lyrics were simply na na na na naa that it would be easy enough for us to join in! I shot another video that ended with Ricky tossing his tambourine into the air and by this point was delighted, as the Kaisers were not only bombarding us with the hits, but were even offering this older classic that I would have tolerated them leaving out. I say tolerate, I am very much happier that they played it instead! I'd thought The Angry Mob was a belter from its earliest airings at Reading 2006 and hearing it live again reminded me of this, making me wonder how the hell it had limped into the top 20 whereas the inferior Ruby had shot straight to number 1? But nevertheless, by this point I was thrilled to note that it hadn't felt like the Kaiser Chiefs had held a thing back, but they'd somehow saved their three biggest hits for the end, and also I had very high hopes that we'd get to hear them all in a row. The aforementioned Ruby got the crowd going as expected and it certainly belongs in the set, but I think the tune that history will remember them for is I Predict a Riot. I shot my last video during it, and Ricky had now taken off his jacket and sunglasses to reveal a white t-shirt with a yellow smiling face underneath. He had a beaming smile and genuinely still seemed to love playing the hits to us, although perhaps there's the added satisfaction of knowing you've won over a crowd of people who aren't necessarily your fans?

Ricky also spent some time prowling the front of the stage, playing with the two cameramen by getting their cameras to "kiss" one another, and singing into them in turn. Bizarrely the video screen never switched to the camera on the left, making me think it was broken, but also making me wonder why the operator was still persisting with filming through it? Who knows, maybe the editor was a fool who thought the back of Ricky's head was more worthwhile footage? He also engaged the crowd in a game of call and response, knowing we couldn't possibly hold the notes as long as he could! I was wrong though about them playing the three biggest hits to finish, but was reasonably happy as the song Misery Company was a classic, with a chorus that was effectively just an evil laugh. I'd expected Oh My God to be the finale but was so happy with what the Kaiser Chiefs had offered us that I'd had forgiven them leaving it out, although the tune Coming Home was an anti-climax, with the only point of note being that a large door was projected onto the video screen. I really thought that by now they must have been seriously over-running, but apparently not, as the Kaisers then launched into Oh My God, which finished with Ricky declaring that they had just 90 seconds left to draw out the ending, and then running from side to side of the stage as if he was participating in the hideous beep test they used to make us do at school. I think they'd won everyone over, and by this point I was confident that I was watching the strongest supporting bill I'd ever seen in my life, and that if the show was now over then I would already feel I'd had my money's worth. I won't complain about any omissions by the Kaiser Chiefs as their set was so gloriously catered to the fans, but for the record I must say I'm surprised they didn't play Little Shocks. And expecting to hear classics like Time Honoured Tradition or Born To Be A Dancer from the debut album would just be greedy!

Next up though was Paul Weller, and I could imagine the man backstage berating Ricky Wilson for playing the hits, and praising Gaz Coombes for his self-indulgent wankery! It was well known that The Jam represented the mod revival, and by agreeing to appear tonight Weller was acknowledging that despite all his musical progression that he does retain a love for the music he first made. When you also consider that the Kaiser Chiefs used to sing Pinball Wizard live then you start to see how well chosen the line-up was, offering variety but also appealing to most people who'd enjoy The Who. Also this Friday finale was to be repeated on Sunday night at Glastonbury festival, with The Who again following Paul Weller. It was interesting as once I got home and waded through the many hours of festival footage I realised I had near-identical recordings of these shows - but taken from Glasto - and Weller's set tonight was pretty much exactly what the festival got to enjoy. I suspect our crowd were more appreciative though, and also we had the energy to enjoy the performance as we weren't worn out from three days of relentless live music. It would make more sense to me if someone chilled out like Florence And The Machine had been the last night headliner? It's all a bit mad though as The Who had played Glasto as recently as 2007, although compared to Kanye and Florence it seemed clear that they were the only truly worthy headliners, making it quite depressing that they played to the smallest crowd. But anyway, Paul Weller came onstage as scheduled at 6:50pm, which was unexpected as I'd felt quite sure that Kaiser Chiefs had over-ran. He opened strongly with The Changingman before White Sky, where I shot a video. Steve Cradock was on guitar and Weller was wearing glasses and looking very healthy, and there were some pretty good lights on stage considering this was a mere support slot.

However I feel solo Weller is someone to admire rather than enjoy, and only the songs by The Jam really touched a nerve. First up was That's Entertainment, and I was delighted to hear it as I'd been concerned that Paul may just do a grudging version of Town Called Malice at the end and leave it at that. And to make it even better - and this was a pleasure that Glasto didn't get - Miles Kane was introduced on stage! He seemed thrilled to be there, strumming away on guitar and sharing a mic to help out with the sha la la la la's. I shot a video of the moment and the crowd seemed to really love it, and it was a thrill to be able to have the Weller songs to help us appreciate that he was on a creative high coupled with The Jam songs to get us going. In actual fact I had technically seen Paul Weller way back at V2000, but I'd basically stood around for a few minutes simply to be able to cross him off my list. Also it appears that 15 years earlier he'd played an extraordinarily self-indulgent setlist without a single Jam song, and hadn't even been on good solo form at that time, which quite frankly is unacceptable in front of a festival crowd who want to hear some hits. Next up was Saturns Pattern and Going My Way, which were also good, but I feel I could have engaged more with the performance if I'd tried harder to learn all the songs beforehand. The finale though was excellent, as I'd been braced for self-indulgence so to hear him launching into Start! was extremely exciting. Even though the intro is effectively just a rip-off of Taxman by The Beatles he'd changed it enough to make it original and compelling, and I shot another short video, capturing the excellent guitar work and with the lights flashing in time. Weller than dropped probably the biggest hit from his solo career in the shape of Peacock Suit, which succeeded in keeping up the momentum.

However this was nothing compared to the roar of approval that greeted Town Called Malice, as everyone in the crowd was happy to sing along and Weller played it with much more enthusiasm than I expected, making it seem like he enjoyed singing it as much as we enjoyed hearing it. In some ways Paul Weller and Kaiser Chiefs hit heights that The Who barely equalled, and it was The Jam who I came away from this gig with a desire to listen to. If he'd played Going Underground and The Eton Rifles then it would have been perfect, and considering this was a London show it does seem a bit of a missed opportunity. I'd also hoped that he could be in a bit of a nostalgic mood after opening an exhibition on The Jam the day before at Somerset House, also attended by Bruce Foxton although sadly Rick Buckler hadn't turned up. As far as I can gather they haven't even been in the same room together since they split up in 1982, but given Weller's talent I'm sure that he could make a reunion work if he wanted to. Crazily though it seems his awkward streak dates back to The Jam days, as they seemingly didn't bother to play The Eton Rifles on their farewell tour, and I am really struggling to find a Jam setlist where they played all The Big Five, namely Rifles, Start, Malice, Underground and Entertainment. But anyway, the build-up had varied from the unpleasant low of the organisational shambles to the fantastic high of the glorious support, and it was hard to fathom that the act I'd technically paid all this money to see were still to follow! A couple of staff were hoisted up with the equipment above the stage never to be spotted again, which was interesting as it was reminiscent of Macca's gig in 2010 but I assume they just formed part of the stage lighting organisation? The rest of the time passed swiftly, and The Who were preceded by some on-screen information, advising us that the first time they'd played Hyde Park was back in 1996 for a charity performance. Daltrey had injured his eye so had performed with an eye-patch, and as the set was dedicated to Quadrophenia it featured not a single hit that I wanted to hear.

It sounds like that had been a weird occasion as somehow Bob Dylan was third on the bill - behind Eric Clapton - and also alcohol was banned! Next up was their 2005 performance at Live 8, but more on that one later, before they finally did a proper greatest hits set in 2006. We were informed that around 70,000 people were here tonight, and intriguingly that the event was being recorded with a view to making a DVD release. Just like for Blur, the running order had been scheduled to allow for an early finish, and The Who arrived onstage just five minutes or so after their planned start time of 8:20pm, as the phrase Keep Calm And Listen To The Who flashed up on screen. Pete Townshend noted that we were a long way away, but nevertheless that they were still going to reach us, then they launched into I Can't Explain. It was a brilliant way to start, with their energetic debut single to denote the start of the journey that they'd be taking us on tonight. Also it was reassuring to see that the band had seemingly lost none of their power in the past ten years or so, even though Townshend had indicated that his tinnitus and hearing were becoming so bad that he may be unable to tour. But here he was on stage again, looking fighting fit and swinging his arm in his classic windmill style. I'd waited a long time to see The Who live so I was delighted that I'd be enjoying the full experience. I shot my first video, which featuring cartoony graphics and typically British logos, plus the target symbol that you associate with The Who. Their imagery is so distinctive and memorable, and seeing it come to life with 21st century concert production values was excellent. Next up was The Seeker, before I shot a second video during Who Are You. There was some air punching and I was impressed by the strength of the opening, but the wanky second half of the song was also a reminder that The Who aren't perfect. In fact their performance of this song along with a similarly meandering Won't Get Fooled Again at Live 8 had led me to dismiss the band as shit. Although that assessment is a bit harsh and tonight was to prove it wrong, both those songs could benefit if Townshend had either made them more concise or found somewhere more interesting to go in their mid sections.

Who Are You was also accompanied by videos of the band from their youthful days. This ludicrously strong opening continued with The Kids Are Alright, before the first unexpected delight of the night with Pictures Of Lily. It was apparently an emailed request from Paul Weller, but Roger had got confused and started to announce this before Kids instead. It was the only Who song that I'd never heard before which truly made an impression, and bizarrely was accompanied by an image of Keith Moon in drag on the video screen above. Next up was I Can See For Miles, and can you believe that this was followed by My Generation!? Outrageously they'd stopped playing it on their last tour, splitting the crowd between blindly adoring fans who praised the show, and sensible people who dismissed it entirely saying "where the fuck is My Generation?" It looks like the band had taken note though, and it's a short song and utterly pivotal to their history, so there's no excuse in the world for leaving it out. Tonight though was the ultimately crowd-pleasing set, and in fact The Who had done a Franz Ferdinand by blowing so many of their hits at the outset that I was struggling to imagine where they could go from here. It worked to their advantage though, as it meant that they could play whatever they wanted now, and with the pressure off the crowd were happy to go along for the ride, trusting that the few hits that remained would be included in the remaining 80 minutes or so. Another point about My Generation is that it also suffers from a wanky self-indulgent second half, so in playing it they drew my attention to how many of their other songs were superior, thereby stopping it from being a millstone and helping us all to appreciate that The Who developed far beyond this iconic early smash hit. Also due to the insanity of restricting access to the crowd so early there was no crush whatsoever and very little pushing, which although pleasant in a way also meant that the atmosphere wasn't as good as it had been for Blur.

Still though, just when I thought that now must be the time when they took their foot off the gas pedal, The Who finished this ludicrously strong opening eight song salvo with Behind Blue Eyes. I shot another video and it was again backed with nostalgic images of the band, this time framed with - you guessed it! - blue eyes. They'd well-earned a chance to take things down a notch, but after two songs drifted by they returned to top gear with You Better You Bet, a tune that I'd never really appreciated before, but it just seemed brilliantly suited to a huge arena/park atmosphere like this one. Roger put so much life into its performance that it was arguably the highlight of The Who's set. They then drifted off again with five songs I didn't really know, but there was still much to admire in their energy and the sheer quality of the production and their playing. Nestled amongst these was Eminence Front, which was the newest song of the set and dating from 1982 and their second album since Moon's passing. The Who were in 100% nostalgia mode and had no new material to foist onto us, and in fact they'd only released one album since 1982, as recently as 2006. Tonight though it wasn't represented at all - the band were here to mark their 50th anniversary, and were determined to offer what they felt to be their strongest material. By now it was near full darkness and I sensed that it was time to revert to the hits, and Pinball Wizard is a good place to start and arguably their greatest ever song. It never lives up to its introduction though, so I had no qualms about how it segued into See Me, Feel Me and its Listening To You finale. The darkness had done wonders for the atmosphere, and we greeted Baba O'Riley as the monster tune that it is, although it certainly should be named Teenage Wasteland as that's what it says on the tin! I shot my last video and this was the one that I posted on Facebook the next day, as it best captured the energy and power of the performance.

Daltrey expressed his amazement that The Who had lasted for 50 years, and that he hadn't expected it to even last a week, and the band were introduced by Townshend. The bassist who replaced John Entwistle was introduced as being the best in the world - which is quite a bold claim - and Zak Starkey on drums received a massive cheer. I'm not sure how he managed to combine duties with Oasis and The Who, but manage he did, and Ringo Starr's son has built a fantastic career for himself. Pete told us that Zak had been given his first drum kit by Keith Moon, and therefore had studied at the feet of the wanker (rather than the master)! The band's days of smashing instruments were behind them now, and I can't pretend to be a fan of negative gimmicks like that anyway. Cool things such as what The Flaming Lips do onstage I can understand, but destruction is just silly, and The Who had survived for 50 years due to the quality of their tunes and not their chaotic reputation. And finally was Won't Get Fooled Again, which started well and ended brilliantly with the "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" line, although they could have comfortably chopped out much of the self indulgent middle. There was no real encore, but the band had reached their 10:20pm curfew, played all the stuff that we wanted to hear and had treated us to a long set, so a token return would have added little of value. Perhaps they could have played Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere, which The Flaming Lips had covered in their early days and Pete half name checked it before My Generation, and also Substitute would have been nice to hear, but the setlist was so near to definitive that it would be churlish to complain. In fact it was stronger than the one Glastonbury enjoyed, because there they'd omitted I Can't Explain to open with Who Are You instead. I saw that performance on TV but am happy with my choice, as this was a more appreciative crowd, even though it wasn't particularly chaotic. Although of course the BBC had left much of the unwanted material from the second half out of the broadcasted highlights.

We rushed back to Victoria and dashed onto a train, meaning that I didn't have time to grab any food, but to be fair I'd eaten a massive lunch already and wouldn't have enjoyed waiting a full 30 minutes for the next, inevitably busier, train. Matt and I were debating whether this was as good as Blur and found ourselves in complete disagreement. This show had been outstanding due to the quality of the support bill and The Who had done as well as could be expected, but they simply weren't as exciting as Blur, and The Who lack Blur's in-depth quality of back catalogue and their tendency to meander off into self-indulgence is a problem. Yes, the Blur gig had lower lows, and The Who did make more out of their weaker tunes than Blur managed, but the difference is that Blur have another 30 songs that could have slotted brilliantly into the setlist, whereas The Who unleashed almost every weapon in their arsenal. Also Matt hadn't seen Blur doing the "definitive" greatest hits show in 2009, so it seemed a bit unfair to compare. I think that The Who should take this opportunity to split up on a high, as headlining Hyde Park and Glastonbury with triumphant greatest hits gigs on their 50th anniversary is a landmark that simply can't be beaten. They could continue of course, but what could they offer except diminishing returns? Perhaps if Pete and Roger are bored they can return to the studio to sift through their vaults and assemble rarities albums - and I also am keen to purchase a DVD of this show - but more live performances won't add anything to the mix. We got back to Matt's flat pleasantly early and the next morning I was again obliged to purchase the Tory Scum rag along with a quite unnecessary large bar of chocolate as part of my breakfast from the local store.

We ventured back into London to do justice to Somerset House, being a little disappointed to realise that the one room I'd glimpsed the week before was pretty much the only one of note to see. There were a few exhibitions but you had to pay money to enter, the main one of course being day 2 of The Jam exhibition that Paul Weller had just opened. But there was a queue outside and it would have been crowded within, so it wasn't worth it. Plus I'm sure the Blondie exhibition I'd seen a few years before at the same place had been free? Charging an admission fee is worse for the punter as it encourages people to linger, thereby making the exhibition more crowded and less pleasurable for all. We then checked out the metal slide on the outside of the Hayward Gallery, but again weren't fussed enough to pay money for the exhibition within, and the slide was smaller than I expected too. After a Boots meal deal for lunch we decided to have a comprehensive look around the free parts of the Tate Modern where you could take photos, which were far preferable to the paying parts where you cannot! We'd seen it before in 2007 or so but as I hadn't taken photos I had next to no memory of the visit, although I'm pretty sure that the exhibits had been radically changed. Also there was nothing of note to see in the Turbine Hall, although I finally got some decent photos of the room. I had a quick pint of Pilsner Urquell at Doggett's before we headed back, getting changed then walking via a nice hill park to Bromley, which was a new destination for me. I was initially drawn to a Thai restaurant that had replaced a Vietnamese one but we couldn't resist the urge of a more straightforward restaurant/pub with a fabulous array of steaks, where I enjoyed chicken skewers accompanied by ribs.

After an Aero McFlurry we then saw Minions at a cinema that was both £3 cheaper and far better than the fuck-awful Odeon we'd gone to last time. It was a 3-D showing and the screen was massive, and although it was a fairly old cinema the seats were quite acceptable too. Minions was a brilliant film and far superior to Despicable Me, mostly on account of it not shoehorning all the sentimental drivel, plot development and morals that animated films so love to have. It was pure silliness from start to finish and carried with enough momentum that it never grew dull. Also as it was set in the 1960s there was an excellent retro soundtrack, most notably featuring My Generation by The Who! To think that we'd seen the original band behind this classic just 24 hours earlier was extraordinary. A scene where a minion used a bar of gold in place of cash was hilarious, and staying behind after the credits to enjoy the inevitable post-credits sequence was worth it too. We'd very strategically planned to see the film at 8pm to avoid the hordes of screaming children, and it also worked nicely as afterwards we ventured to the nearby Wetherspoons and I enjoyed three quite unnecessary bottles of Punk IPA at very unLondony cheap prices. The next day I made my way home and started to write up my notes, although I never got round to listing the details of The Who's set, which could perhaps explain why as I write this up a week later that some of the fine points have eluded me. I am very happy to have crossed The Who off my list, as well as witnessing Paul Weller in probably the most crowd-pleasing mood I could ever hope to see and the Kaiser Chiefs reminding me of how good they are. Even though I feel that Blur asserted their superiority, the depth of the overall bill means that this concert earns the same 9/10 score, and I was thrilled to have enjoyed four quality shows to mark the first half of 2015, the year of the future! Even a flying DeLorean could scarcely give me the same pleasure!
Setlist (Gaz Coombes)
Buffalo
20/20
Detroit
The Girl Who Fell To Earth
The English Ruse
Matador
Hot Fruit
Setlist (Johnny Marr)
The Right Thing Right
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Easy Money
25 Hours
New Town Velocity
Generate! Generate!
I Fought The Law
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Getting Away With It
How Soon Is Now?
Setlist (Kaiser Chiefs)
Everyday I Love You Less And Less
Ruffians On Parade
Everything Is Average Nowadays
Never Miss A Beat
Falling Awake
Modern Way
Na Na Na Na Naa
The Angry Mob
Ruby
I Predict A Riot
Misery Company
Coming Home
Oh My God
Setlist (Paul Weller)
The Changingman
White Sky
From The Floorboards Up
I'm Where I Should Be
Long Time
That's Entertainment
Saturns Pattern
Going My Way
Friday Street
Porcelain Gods
Broken Stones
You Do Something To Me
Start!
Peacock Suit
Town Called Malice
Setlist (The Who)
I Can't Explain
The Seeker
Who Are You
The Kids Are Alright
Pictures Of Lily
I Can See For Miles
My Generation
Behind Blue Eyes
Bargain
Join Together
You Better You Bet
I'm One
Love, Reign O'er Me
Eminence Front
Amazing Journey
Sparks
Pinball Wizard
See Me, Feel Me
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again

Mark: 9.0/10