The Who @ Indigo

First published December 2008

A great performance by a great band at a great venue.

This was a fan-club only gig, which meant that there was a preponderance of balding, middle-aged men and very few women (one of the key differences between the Who and the Stones is that whilst both are still touring the Stones attract a more mixed audience). However it also meant that the Who felt confident in taking chances with their set-list. At the beginning of gig Pete Townshend quipped that there would be a few Christmas surprises in The Who’s setlist and performances of ‘Tattoo’ and a blistering ‘Naked Eye’ did not disappoint. Even better was a wonderfully ramshackle version of the rarely-performed ‘Slip Kid’ with fans having to feed Daltrey the words, whilst Pete and his brother Simon gamely struggled with the music.

The set list:

Can’t Explain

The Seeker

Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere

Fragments

Who Are You

Behind Blue Eyes

Tattoo

Sister Disco

Baba O’Riley

Eminence Front

5:15

Love Reign O’er Me

Won’t Get Fooled Again

My Generation

Naked Eye

Slip Kid

Magic Bus

Pinball Wizard

Amazing Journey/Sparks

See Me, Feel Me

Listening to You

Tea & Theatre

From www.TheWho.com “The gig got off to an interesting start when a few bars into the first number, Pete stopped the show and said he was having problems with his ears. The band went offstage and there were a few anxious minutes before they returned. Pete said his ear had just got blocked because he was suffering from a cold. But after the show, keyboard player John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick told the editor of thewho.com that something strange happened to the sound and all members of the band experienced a disorienting sound that went literally in one ear and out the other. Be that as it may and, despite various minor sound problems, the band gave an extraordinary performance of a setlist which has been given rave reviews on the forums of thewho.com.”

Indigo is a superb venue. Part of the 02 complex it has ample room for around 900 standing downstairs. A gently sloping floor means great sightlines throughout the club. A loud clear sound and lengthy, well-personned bars mean that the whole gig experience is a joy. Which is more than can be said for the Jubilee Line, closed for an hour when some idiot ran along the track. Notwithstanding, a high note on which to close the year.