The Who at Mehrzweckhalle, Wetzikon, Zurich, Switzerland, September 5, 1972

Here are a few photos from Alex Kipfer that are up on the Swiss The Who Archive site. Alex got to watch The Who from the side of the stage, and hang out in their dressing room after the show. He also caught a ride with Pete and Keith after the show, and met up with them later at their hotel. He took lots of lovely photos of the whole event!

Here is what Alex has to say about it.

I knew from people at Track Records in London, whom I was in steady contact with, that the Who would be playing in my country for the first time. They let me know well ahead of time before the news became public. I was very excited at my young age and I started to plan the days around the 5th so that I could get the utmost out of that day, and hopefully the next day too.

The Track people (Penny, Dana, Vernon) and I met at the hotel (former Hotel International, Zurich) and I joined them in their hire car to go out to Wetzikon, which is about 20 miles away from Zurich. We arrived there and the roadies were busy getting the things together on stage. I was left idle and under no supervision so I joined them to give them a hand on stage with wires, cables, nails, etc.

I remained there at the Ox side of the stage for the supporting act (Golden Earring). After a rather long break (the Who were held at the German/Swiss border as Germany was under alarm after a terrorist attack during the Olympics that occured the same day or the day before). They finally came and the lights went off. They dashed onto the stage, right in front of me (I was kneeling and grabbed Keith’s hand while he rushed by). They exploded with Can’t Explain. After the final chord of the first song I crossed the stage, running towards Pete, to stick a Meher Baba pin on his shirt. It dropped to the floor, Pete kicked me off stage and I watched the remainder of the show with the public, but first line to the stage. Pete spotted the MB pin on the floor, picked it up and stuck it on his shirt himself. No photos exist of that incident, to my knowledge!

After the show, we all met in the dressing area. Pete came towards me, recognized me, and we embraced in the manner of true Baba followers. He showed me around and introduced me to the others! Some photos were taken and I appeared in several pop magazines after that (see below). Pete had it signed for me at a later date, either 1973 or 1974 in Twickenham.

Pete welcomed me to join them to ride back to the hotel, along with Keith, and to me a dream came true that day. I don’t remember what happened at the hotel, did we all go to the bar for a night cap, or not. Anyway the next day I got up early to be ready in the hotel lobby when they came down. I went there with my late brother. Again we chatted and I met all of them. Eventually they left to go to the airport. (After the 1976 Zurich show, I remember I joined Pete, Bobby, and I think John Wolff, and some others, at a table in the Hotel Atlantis Restaurant for a meal. Pete drank milk! No photos exist of that, either!!)