The Who, O2 - music review: if this is the end, they're going out on a high

The oldies are alright, says Rick Pearson, and the Who put on a triumphant show
No hint of trouble: Roger Daltrey of The Who delivered throughout the entire show (Photo by Jim Dyson/WireImage)
Rick Pearson28 March 2015

“Who’d have believed it?” asked Roger Daltrey at the start of The Who Hits 50! tour. A half-century into their time together as a band, drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle are no more but The Who are still a going concern: this O2 show will be followed by a Teenage Cancer Trust gig on Thursday and a headline slot at Hyde Park in June.

Daltrey and Pete Townshend were backed by a six-piece band that included Zak Starkey, son of Beatle Ringo, on drums. They began with I Can’t Explain, a slice of harmony-laden R’n’B that brought the audience to its feet.

This show was originally scheduled for last December but was cancelled when Daltrey was ordered to rest his voice. He showed little sign of wear and tear here, belting out Substitute’s sky-scraping melody above Townshend’s windmilling guitar flourishes.

With its lyrics about dying “before I get old”, My Generation was never intended to be sung by a man venturing into his eighth decade, although Daltrey, 71, did an admirable job of rolling back the years.

However, as you might expect from men of their vintage, things were a little flabby around the middle. By Townshend’s own admission, a lacklustre Slip Kid “sounded better in the sound check” while A Quick One, While He’s Away was The Who in self-parody.

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Thankfully, the frenetic strumming of Pinball Wizard jolted things back into life. When this was followed by the evergreen Won’t Get Fooled Again, a triumphant show was given its crowning moment.

Townshend has suggested this will be the band’s final tour; if that’s the case, they’re going out on a high.

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