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...and the general venue lights have alrighty been switched on, when Pearl Jam came back on again. Eddie Vedder took the microphone and said only one thing:
We are happy and pleased to have had the honour to play the support role tonight in this venue - for The who tomorrow night. - And then the band played a cover version of the Who classic tune 'Baba O'Riley'. My god, that was really nice.

Believe me, the reborn again rocklegend The who have honestly deserved this honour. And it's so wonderful, you could almost cry. And no, it's not only the nostalgic point from the past to the present. It's a fact, that up there are two rock veterans standing and playing and not pushing our teardrops because of some old dusty relicts. No, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend do still very good for their age beyond 60. And despite many years of going seperate ways, quarrels and differences,  they have not forgotten about the magic and get on with each other better than ever before.  No the code is not the money in first place, it rather is the challenge to give it another try again, just to look whether it still works out and the music still goes down well at the youth.

I for my part, have already experienced the reunioned Who last summer at an open air festival in Ulm (southern Germany) and have convinced myself about the - still to be here - magic. And I' can't tell you which gig I find better, the one last year or the one tonight.The atmosphere at a festival is surely a different one, but the de ja vu on the screen in the back of the stage does something special as well.  (Live Review Ulmer Münsterplatz)

When I was a youn girl in the seventies, I've gone for this band and his pretty blonde curled front angel. Since that time I've always been a fan of the Who and of Roger Daltrey. I own all band- and also solo albums. And I'd never thought, that I ever will see this lot live on stage.
So here we go and....

“I wanna die before I get old’ - was and still is the slogan of the founder of the so called Mods. And yes they can allow themselves - still to sing these lines. Because - no we are not old yet, are we?!

Support comes from - The Cult

also happily back together again. Stilistically the music of the Cult doesn't fit really to the classics from the Who, but this group also has lots of songs, deserving cultstatus. Whether it's ‚Sweet Soul Sister’, „Lil' Devil“ or „Wild Hearted Son“, transfering  me immidiately back into the eighties and early nineties. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy are the two strong egos in the band, who found themselves back in 1981. The rest of the band changed over the years constantly. Astbury still represents the eternal youthful rebell, who is trying to win the audiance with his provocation. Tonight it's his comment about a rather quiet audiance: "I feel like beeing in an aquarium inside a museum and not in a concert venue" he says. But this doesn't work. First when he mentions the two Munich soccerteams, and that he is fan of one of them, the kids wake up immidiately and give noisy support.

Like often mentioned before, beeing support is an ungrateful job, including a drawn down energy level. But at least between all those Who fans there are quite a few Cult freaks as well, who wanna see their heroes. So, that's why it is pretty well crowded at an early stage within this living room, fitting 12.000 souls. 
No the Cult ain't bad at all, and I hope I can see 'em again soon - in a smaller venue and doing a headliner show. I bet they will go down three times better than tonight. 


’I Can’t  Explain’ is the opener of Townshend, Daltey and Co, starting the show. And you can't explain the magic in the air right now. Roger Daltrey looks 20 years younger than he actuall is with 63, and Pete Townshend still seems very fit and energetic, doing the same moves like 35 years ago. Almost nothing has changed. A powerful riff is supported by a powerful voice. And both go on so well with each other, that you might think, they have never been seperated inbetween. Actually they have never been- officially. They only did, as we say so, - long breaks inbetween. Maybe because of the death of Keith Moon back than, or later the passing away of John Entwistle or some misunderstandings. But those guys always got back up again on their two feet, - like right now.
Okay, the new album didn't go down too well lately. But that's probably, because rock operas don't meet the nerv of the present right now. But at least it doesn't spoil the live shows. Daltrey and Townshend are accompanied on stage by Pino Palladino on Bass, John Bundrick on  Keyboard, Simon Townshend (Petes Bruder) also on guitar and  Zak Starkey (Ringo Starrs son) on drums.

Those are first class musicians, who all  get their  deserved applause for a while. But it is our two heroes, who take most care for the sentimental mood. The program includes all milestones of the Who history, beeing interrupted only now and then by new material. And exactly here is the little but fine difference to other artists, who unpack their old stuff.
The music of the Who today still sounds up to date and their ain't no oldie feeling at all. Whether it's because of the modern performance or the incredible magic - mentioned before. The Who are definately back again, and I hope this here will be not the first (or for me the second) and last time, I've seen these guys up there. Roger and Pete do the last encore on their own without the rest of the band in front of their aprox. 7.000 admirers. And exactly at this very moment even I could get pretty sentimental. I say - could - because over all, these old buddies still rock very well..... And my dear friends out there - you do this as well, and then we talk....  



PS: only my personal favorite  Who – Song did'n t come along..... „Love Reign Or’ Me’ from Quadrophenia. But never mind, the slogan still is 
We wanna live before we get old – and I hope this will stay for a long time again. 

An  Interview with Roger Daltrey from Dec.. 2005 you find in the Interviews section - hier