THE WHO announce U.S. Tour, Pete Townshend talks “Quadrophenia”

Rock Father Musicbot 6000 here with an update on THE WHO. Yes, THE WHO!

THE WHO, one of rock’s legendary and defining bands, have announced a major North American arena tour where they’ll perform their iconic 1973 double album QUADROPHENIA in its entirety, along with a selection of WHO classics. The critically acclaimed QUADROPHENIA marked the British band’s second rock opera (after Tommy), raised the bar for rock albums as an art form and hit #2 on the U.S. Billboard album chart. Founding members ROGER DALTREY and PETE TOWNSHEND will be joined by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), Chris Stainton (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards/backing vocals) and Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals).

In addition, subscribed members of The Who’s official fan club will be given priority access to purchase tickets for the upcoming “Quadrophenia” tour. The offer begins at 10:00 AM on July 20 and expires July 22 at 10:00 PM. All current members of the official The Who Fan Club, as well as any new members who join, will be given an exclusive member’s only code that will activate the offer. Membership is available at fanclub.TheWho.com.
 

The upcoming WHO tour will offer a number of exclusive VIP experiences and packages. These offers may include a number of exciting perks: great seats, a special invitation to The Who’s VIP preshow sound check, limited edition autographed memorabilia, preshow parties (including complimentary food & beverage), VIP preferred parking, exclusive VIP merchandise and more.
 

The American Express presale for the U.S. dates runs July 23-26 and July 23-25 in Canada before the general public on sales beginning on Friday, July 27 at 10:00 A.M.
 

The AEG-promoted 36-date tour, the band’s first North American tour in four years, kicks off November 1 in Sunrise, FL with an initial six-week run. THE WHO will return in late January with more dates commencing January 28 in Anaheim, CA. Tickets for the tour will be available at www.aeglive.com
 

In advance of the tour, a special one-night in-theater screening of “The Who: Quadrophenia-Can You See The Real Me?” The Story Behind The Album presented by NCM Fathom Events, AEG Live and UMe is set for Tuesday, July 24, at 8:00 P.M. local time nationwide (in Canada, this will take place Wednesday, August 1 at 7:30 PM). Beginning with a special welcome message from lead guitarist Pete Townshend, “The Who: Quadrophenia – Can You See the Real Me?” The Story Behind The Album event will give fans an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into one of rock’s most influential bands. The documentary takes fans on a riveting ride back to the 1970s when The Who’s creative musical genius was taking the world music stage by storm. Packed with never-before-seen stories, including the well-known onstage collapse of drummer Keith Moon during the tour’s first show, the evening will also feature additional performances of songs from “Quadrophenia” including the classic, “Love Reign O’er Me.” More details can be found at www.FathomEvents.com (U.S.) and cineplex.com/events (Canada). For a complete list of presenting theater locations and prices, please visit the website (theaters and participants may be subject to change).

PETE TOWNSHEND on “Quadrophenia”

Why do you think the music, the themes of “Quadrophenia”–both the album and film adaptation–resonate so strongly today?

In 1972 I was twenty-eight, writing about London and Brighton in 1963 and 1964 when the band was just starting. I was still young enough to remember how it felt to be sixteen or seventeen, and at war with my parents, bosses and authority. I could still remember that feeling of struggling to fit in, something that happened to me when I was even younger, around fourteen, and everyone around me seemed to have got their lives on track. This is such a universal experience for young people that it has echoed.
 

(It also seems that many of the first fans of the album don’t want to let it go; it connects them now, just as it did the band, with the important emotions and frustrations of growing up, the poignancy of it all. The film took the musical journey into the real world, and gave it flesh. That could have been a problem, but the Mod look is subtle, and cool, and so it doesn’t suffer the way some other youth films have. I’ve come to appreciate that the film has become almost more important than the album in some ways, especially in the visual age we live in.)
 

–In this singles-driven digital age, there are artists now singing the praises of the album as an art-form and playing their own albums from front-to-back onstage. Since ‘Quadrophenia’ represents the album aesthetic in its highest form, what are your thoughts about the importance of albums these days for artists and audiences?

Mod was over in the South of England by the spring of 1965, and in a sense the band had changed too. We were less pure, less an R&B band and becoming more of a singles-oriented pop band. So there is an irony in the fact that when I decided we needed to reconnect with that vitally important and colourful period of our career, and our lives as young men trying to pursue a dream of becoming famous and respected, I realised I would need a double album. I’m pleased to hear about artists who uphold the album as an art-form.
 

Album. Art. The questioner’s words here, but I have often been ridiculed for using them about pop music in the past. The digital medium is only just starting to lend itself to long form work. So I expect to see more of it. It was once thought new music fans had a low attention span; but what they reveal is immense commitment to researching what touches them most deeply, and as the internet gets faster they can find what they seek more quickly. Once a connection is made, it can be extremely deep and long-lasting. This is really just another echo: this is how it was back in the ’60s. Singles first, then albums. Maybe the preponderance of singles on the internet has made the album feel special again? Maybe the old way of listening to music – in longer sittings – is finding its way back into vogue? A journey, for example, is an opportunity to listen to something longer, and easy to carry mobile music has made that possible.
 

–Which are your favorite songs from “Quadrophenia” to perform live and why?

I really love playing all of it. It’s a unique piece for me in that. Some Who music is nightmarish to perform live. Roger has some very tough songs to sing, and he must have preferences. But for me on guitar everything falls under the fingers. It flows naturally, and I always feel proud of my achievement as the writer, that I put it all together and gave the band a third wind. The real high point for me is always the final song ‘Love Reign O’er Me.’ Roger and I now stand almost alone together, representing not only the original band, but also its Mod audience, and of course all our other early fans. We are connected by it, in what is the most clear cut prayer for redemption, and it feels like an acknowledgment that rock music has managed to deal with the highest emotional challenge: spiritual desperation.
 

–What else can fans expect to hear on the upcoming tour?

We plan to close the show with a few of the really well-known anthems, and maybe some last minute surprises. These will be as much a surprise to me as to our audience because this is an area I tend to leave to Roger; he’s very good at it.