• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The Who Tour 2025

Nedmundo

Supporting Member
Jan 7, 2005
7,591
5,259
59
Philadelphia
I've been a Who fanatic since 1978, and starting with 1982 I've seen almost every tour. I wasn't sure I wanted to see this one because some of their latter day tours haven't been the greatest, and I wasn't happy about the nonsense surrounding Zack Starkey getting booted from the band. I think he's been fantastic. But around noon last Thursday, I bought a ticket for that night's show in Philly. Their set lists have been cool, and I just couldn't miss their last U.S. tour.

About an hour after I bought the ticket, the show was postponed due to an unspecified illness, and they subsequently postponed Saturday's show in Atlantic City. I was concerned the illness might be severe enough to cancel the tour, but it appears they're playing tonight in Boston, so it's on!

They've promised to reschedule the Philly and AC shows, and, having watched a couple of videos from the tour, I'm now getting more excited about it. In particular, they played "Going Mobile" for the first time ever, with Simon Townshend on vocals. No surprise, he sounds a little like his brother, and I think it's great. I hope they break this out for the Philly show.

Anybody seen the tour already, or planning to go?

 
I would prefer to remember them as they were.

They have every right to be out there, but for me, I could squeak by with Entwistle and Kenny Jones, but after that I was done.

Hope it's a great show for you, though.

Great bands exist as an entity at a time and place in history, and with time and the loss of JE and Moon, those days are long past for that band for me.
 
I would prefer to remember them as they were.

They have every right to be out there, but for me, I could squeak by with Entwistle and Kenny Jones, but after that I was done.

Hope it's a great show for you, though.

Great bands exist as an entity at a time and place in history, and with time and the loss of JE and Moon, those days are long past for that band for me.

I completely understand. In fact, I didn't think the 1982 and 1989 shows felt like real Who shows, as I'd seen in the film The Kids Are Alright. I wasn't very impressed with either one. As a result, in 1997 I almost blew off the Quadrophenia tour, figuring it would be more of the same.

It wasn't. That show was the real deal, and was one of the best shows I've ever seen from any band or artist.

So, since then, I've been willing to give them a chance, and a couple of the shows have been great. This is especially true of the final shows I saw with Entwistle, but a couple of the others were also quite good, even though without Entwistle I've had trouble thinking of the ensemble as The Who.
 
I completely understand. In fact, I didn't think the 1982 and 1989 shows felt like real Who shows, as I'd seen in the film The Kids Are Alright. I wasn't very impressed with either one. As a result, in 1997 I almost blew off the Quadrophenia tour, figuring it would be more of the same.

It wasn't. That show was the real deal, and was one of the best shows I've ever seen from any band or artist.

So, since then, I've been willing to give them a chance, and a couple of the shows have been great. This is especially true of the final shows I saw with Entwistle, but a couple of the others were also quite good, even though without Entwistle I've had trouble thinking of the ensemble as The Who.
I saw them in '82 and '97, and agree that the latter was far better. The combination of JAE and Zak really worked well, and Roger and Pete were still bringing a lot to the table. Once Entwistle passed, though, I was done.
 
I got to see them in 2000 a couple years before Ox died and even though they didn't have Keith Moon with them obviously, it was probably the greatest concert I've ever been to. They played 3 1/2 hours and didn't want to stop half joking that they were just about warmed up at that point. City noise ordinance/curfew laws or something to that effect made them conclude their set pushing to the brink of the venue shutting off their power after 2 or 3 additional songs they tore through lol. THAT is my Who experience and how I choose to remember them.
 
I’ve seen them 6 times and would’ve likely seen them on this tour had they scheduled a show closer to Columbus Ohio. That being said, the backing band that’s touring now is completely different than the one I’ve seen on previous tours, except for Pete Townshends brother. I really liked a few of those players, particularly Pino Palladino, though I’m sure Jon Button is doing an awesome job. And yes, I don’t agree with what happened to Zak Starkey.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nedmundo
I was never a huge fan, though I respected their early work. But with their recent antics, between Daltry's infantile tantrums and Townshend's solo "show must go on" announcements, I've lost the last shreds of that respect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ELG60
I am so glad I got to see them in 1968 at the Singer Bowl in Queens NY. Memorable concert as it was the last tour when they trashed the instruments after My Generation. The ticket cost $2.50 and oh, after the WHO played The Doors came on. Morrison ended up enticing people to come up on stage which in turn caused a riot. Those were the days my friend! I thought they'd never end!!
 
I would prefer to remember them as they were.

They have every right to be out there, but for me, I could squeak by with Entwistle and Kenny Jones, but after that I was done.

Hope it's a great show for you, though.

Great bands exist as an entity at a time and place in history, and with time and the loss of JE and Moon, those days are long past for that band for me.
Yes. I saw them in Columbus, Ohio about eight years ago. Townsend and Daltrey with a backing band is not The Who. I wouldn't go again. Joan Jett opened for them. I thought that she was actually better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Squittolo
The combination of JAE and Zak really worked well

Yeah, I kinda wish I'd seen them when Zak Starkey was in the band and John Entwistle was still alive. I only ever saw them once, in '89, with Simon Phillips on drums, and while Phillips is absolutely one of my favorite drummers in the world, he simply didn't fit in with the sound nor spirit of The Who. Starkey always struck me as a more appropriate drummer (than either Phillips or Jones) in that he could go full mental Keith Moon on the kit without sounding sloppy, and without sounding like a caricature of Moon.

But I'm not nearly a big enough Who fan to ever bother seeing them live again. Hope they can all live through this tour and then retire on their own terms.
 
Saw 'em at Woodstock. It was worth every penny.
This reminds me of a joke they did on the MTV show Daria (spinoff from Beavis and Butthead)

Mom: Your Father went to one of the most famous music festivals of the 60s
Sister: Woodstock?
Dad: Altamont!...TERRIBLE tragedy, but I demanded my money back and I got it!
Daria: ...wasn't Altamont free?
Dad: Hah! That's the same line they tried to use on me...

:roflmao: