The Who at London - Royal Albert Hall - TCT benefit night 2

 

The Who Setlist Royal Albert Hall, London, England 2017, Tommy and More

 

 

Videos

Overture / It's a Boy /1921
Amazing Journey / Sparks
Christmas
Cousin Kevin
Do You Think It's Alright / Fiddle About
Pinball Wizard
Pinball Wizard / There's a Doctor
Sally Simpson
Tommy's Holiday Camp / We're Not Gonna Take It
See Me Feel Me
Pete introduces band / I Can't Explain
Join Together
I Can See For Miles
Who Are You
Love, Reign O'er Me
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again

 

Press

The Guardian

 

Review by Pat Stanton

The show at RAH on 1 April was phenomenal. I thought the show on Thursday was fabulous but this one was even better. The sequence of the show was superior. The band launched immediately into the full version of Tommy, followed by a mini greatest hits - I Can't Explain, Join Together, Miles, Who Are You, Love Reign, Baba and ending with WGFA.

Roger opened the show by telling us that if we expected an acoustic version of Tommy that it was not happening as it would have taken another 3 weeks of rehearsals.

There was one large screen and then a wrap around smaller screen extending from the main screen on some songs. No videos of the performers, just graphics during Tommy and then some familiar photos during the hits segment. I understand that this show was being filmed so hopefully it will be available for sale in the future which would be wonderful for TCT.

The audience sang along loudly all night. Roger especially seemed to be energised by the audience and was playful and energetic the entire show. His voice was fabulous.

Pete was intense and very focused on playing and was the opposite of Roger nearly all night but especially during Tommy. For example, after Acid Queen, when the audience started cheering, he raised his hand as to stop us and went back to playing.

He explained at the end of the show that Tommy is difficult for him to play as it brings back troubling times in his youth. He said that he was 23 when he wrote it and that he felt after he did relief, almost a catharsis although he did not use that word. He said that he was really f*ked up as a youth by what he experienced but in retrospect it paled compared to what the young cancer patients go through.

Again in contrast at the end, Roger was very funny, ranting around the stage about what bullocks it is that TCT needs to raise so much money to "rebuild" existing facilities because the initial lease has expired and that taxes should pay for it. A serious topic but he stormed around the stage ranting about it with Pete and the band agreeing but laughing. Pete's solution was to tax Roger more which just wound him up even more.

The show itself flowed seamlessly from one song to the next, again with little banter, especially during the opera.

I was thrilled to have Love Reign back on the set list. Roger performed it with passion although he wasn't happy with the end and went to Pete and leaned on him. Pete gave him a hug and smiled. The audience thought it was wonderful.

The show ran the full 2 hours up to the 11 pm curfew. Too bad it couldn't have gone another 2 hours.

 

Review by David Stark

Just back from the Who's second TCT show which according to Pete was better than Thursday's as he felt a lot happier tonight, despite his hearing & memory problems forcing him to read charts during Tommy. But a very good U.S. band to back him & Roger up, plus Simon Townshend providing nice top harmonies and occasional lead, while Zak Starkey was on top form. As good as it gets for guys of their age, it will never match the '60s/70s (how could it) with Tommy sounding quite dated in parts but the finale more than made up for it - Can't Explain, Join Together, I Can See For Miles, Love Reign O'er Me, Baba O'Riley and Won't Get Fooled Again.