Month: June 2019

1963 – The Detours play the White Hart Hotel in Acton

1964 – The Who play their first show at the Bluesday Club at the Railway Hotel in Harrow/Wealdstone. Although they had played at the hotel twice before in 1963 as The Detours, this date is the first of a series of dates at the hotel that will provide the nucleus of The Who’s Mod following and be immortalized on the inner gatefold jacket of Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy

1967 – Track Records rushes the double A-sided single “The Last Time” and “Under My Thumb” by The Who into record shops. Accompanying the single is this press release: “SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Who consider Mick Jagger & Keith Richard have been treated as scapegoats for the drug problem and as a protest against savage sentences imposed upon them at Chichester yesterday, The Who are issuing today the first of a series of Jagger/Richard songs to keep their work before the public until they are again free to record themselves.” Kit Lambert announces all royalties will go to charity.

Before the day is over both Jagger and Richard are released on bail during appeal. Widespread opposition to the severity of the sentences leads to the rescinding of both Jagger and Richard’s jail terms. There are no other Stones-cover singles by The Who. This one peaks at #44 in the charts and is subsequently released in Europe and Japan. The U.S. release does not come until both tracks appear on Two’s Missing 20 years later. Pete later says Jagger acknowledged The Who single by calling Pete “a real gentleman” with his usual sarcastic tone.

1972 – Gallagher and Lyle release their single “Give A Boy A Break.” Pete plays bass on the track and Glyn Johns produces.

1975 – Roger’s promo videos for Ride a Rock Horse, produced by Gavrick Losey premieres at the Starlite Cinema, Mayfair Hotel, London.

1979 – Pete performs as a solo act with acoustic guitar at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London as part of The Secret Policeman’s Ball event benefiting Amnesty International. His performances of “Pinball Wizard”, “Drowned” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, the latter accompanied by classical guitarist John Williams, are later released on The Secret Policeman’s Ball album and video.

1980 – The Who play the ASU University Activity Center in Tempe, Arizona. A combination of a heat wave and having The Who perform in their town at the same time knocks out the power for 90 minutes in the middle of the show. To pass the time, Roger signs autographs while Pete plays air guitar on a broom. The supporting act is Willie Nile.

1987 – John performs at the North American Music Merchandisers trade show at McCormick Place in Chicago.

1989 – The Who play the second of 4 nights in East Rutherford, New Jersey at Giants Stadium

1996 – Pete performs a 30-minute set at a private party at Thunder Drive in London. Paul Keating comes up to sing “Pinball Wizard” and Joe Walsh joins in for “My Generation.”

2000 – In an interview in the Boston Globe, Roger says “This is an ongoing band now. We’re definitely back as a working band.” He also says, in response to complaints about high ticket prices, “Many of our hard-core fans, the people who grew up with us, are now CEOs of companies and can afford it.”

2001 – “A Walk Down Abbey Road: A Tribute To The Beatles.” featuring John play at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, Pennsylvania

2006 – The Who play the Rock Werchter Festival in Werchter, Belgium

2007 – The Who play the “Live at the Marquee” Cork Festival in Cork

2010 – Roger opens for Eric Clapton at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati. This show marked the first time any member of The Who performed in Cincinnati since the tragedy in 1979

2011 – Roger is interviewed by The Telegraph where he admits he joined the Countryside Alliance but quit when it became dominated by the single agenda of allowing fox hunting.

2013 – The Who play the Echo Arena Liverpool in Liverpool

2015 – The Who play the Zénith de Paris in Paris, France

1963 – The Detours play at the Oldfield Hotel in Greenford

1964 – The Who play the Glenlyn Ballroom in Forest Hill

1965 – The Who play Burton’s Ballroom in Uxbridge, Middlesex

1966 – The Who were scheduled to perform at the Sheffield University Arts Festival. Pete flew into London from New York with jet lag that forces him to pull over to the side of the M1 and take a nap. Support group Tony Rivers and The Castaways played an extra set. Ticket holders were offered a refund.

1967 – Keith and Kim join protesters of “The News of The World” over their involvement in the Jagger/Richards arrests.

1967 – At 3am John receives a phone call aboard the QEII. Hearing the call is from London, he expects dire news about his family. Instead it is someone from Kit Lambert’s office asking if The Who have his permission to record an emergency single without him. An angry John says The Who have his permission to put drugs in London’s water supply if they want to and hangs up.

1968 – The Who play the Shrine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles, California

1970 – The Who play the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Columbia

1979 – The New York Times prints an interview with Pete where he admits he has reservations about touring but feels “fired up” about the new Who

1979 – The Kids Are Alright soundtrack is certified gold by the RIAA

1986 – Pete’s father Cliff Townshend dies of cancer at the age of 70

1989 – The Who play Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

1996 – Billed under their separate names, Pete, Roger and John perform the entirety of Quadrophenia live at the Masters of Music festival at Hyde Park on the 29th. It is the first time the work has been played live in its entirety since the first night of The Who’s 1973 U.K. tour. Phil Daniels of the movie version narrates, Gary Glitter plays the Godfather, Ade Edmondson is the Bell Boy, Trevor McDonald reads the news and Stephen Fry is the hotel manager.

Pete plays only acoustic guitar and piano leaving the electric guitar parts to Dave Gilmour. Zak Starkey takes the drummer’s seat for the first time for the group that will soon revert to the name The Who. Roger wears a Mod eyepatch to cover his injury. Quadrophenia is preceded by performances by Alanis Morrisette and Bob Dylan and followed by Eric Clapton. Highlights from the show are later broadcast on HBO in the U.S. The entire event raises money for the Prince’s Trust charity. Before the show all the performers meet backstage with Prince Charles.

2000 – The Who play the Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheater in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania

2000 – Pete writes another diary on his website talking about his problems writing new music for The Who, “that many musicians I admire don’t even like.”

2001 – Roger was supposed to perform at a tribute honoring songwriters Leiber and Stoller at the Hammersmith Apollo but cancels

2001 – “A Walk Down Abbey Road: A Tribute To The Beatles.” featuring John play at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mississippi

2004 – the DVD John Entwistle Band: Live, recorded Aug. 13, 1998, is released by Image Entertainment

2007 – The Who play Marley Park in Dublin

2009 – Roger, Sarah, the Duchess of York, and Kelly Jones, of the Stereophonics are at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales for the opening of the £3.3m specialist cancer unit for teenagers.

2012 – er is one of a host of stars that attend a party celebrating the 80th birthday of Sir Peter Blake. The British Pop Artist assembled The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover as well as The Who’s Face Dances.

1964 – The Who play the Florida Rooms in Brighton

1965 – The Who play the “Bluesville” club at the Manor House Ballroom in Ipswich, Suffolk. The Brian Auger Trinity opened.

1967 – Mick Jagger is found guilty of possession of four Benzedrine tablets he brought from Italy. They had been discovered in a police raid the previous February. He is remanded to jail for sentencing. Late that evening, Pete, Roger and Keith assemble at De Lane Lea Studios in London to record covers of “The Last Time” and “Under My Thumb.” Pete plays both fuzz-laden lead guitar and bass for the absent John. Manager Chris Stamp films them recording the songs for use as a video. The video has yet to surface

1968 – The Who play the Shrine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles, California

1969 – New Musical Express reports a phone call they placed to Pete where he screamed, “L.A. is crummy, L.A. is full of liars!” and said he stayed at a friend’s house during the recent L.A. shows and didn’t go out.

1970 – The James Gang hosts a barbeque party in Cleveland. Pete has such a good time that, the next day while he is homesick for both London and Cleveland, he writes the song “Sheraton Gibson”.

1977 – Roger is on the UCLA campus to shoot a “Battle of the Network Stars”-style program called US Against The World. Also on their team representing the U.K. are Marty Feldman, Susan George, Oliver Reed and Twiggy. The special airs on NBC Sept. 8th.

1980 – The Who play the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. Supporting them are The Only Ones,

1985 – Pete introduces a new book of poetry called Hard Lines 2 at a presentation run by Faber & Faber. Ian Dury is among those giving readings of the poetry.

1989 – Pete appears on NBC’s Late Night With David Letterman performing “A Friend Is A Friend” from his new solo album The Iron Man accompanied by Billy Nicholls and fellow singer Chyna.

1995 – Ringo’s All-Star Band featuring John and Zak play in Hamamatu at the Hamamatu Kyouiku Bunka Kaikan

1996 – Pete, Roger and John begin rehearsals for the upcoming live version of Quadrophenia. Those rehearsals come to an abrupt end after Gary Glitter spins a microphone stand and accidentally slams one of the prongs on the base right into Roger’s eye, smashing the bones of his eye socket. Incredibly, Roger agrees to go on the next day despite the severe injury. Pete, interviewed by the press before the show, is brimming with admiration for Roger for not cancelling.

1999 – Roger begins the British leg of the British Rock Symphony tour at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

2004 – McVicar is released in the U.K. on DVD.

2006 – The Who play the Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol

2010 – Roger opens for Eric Clapton at the Markus Amphitheatre Summerfest in Milwaukee

2013 – The Who play the LG Arena in Birmingham

2015 – The Who play the Glastonbury Festival

1963 – The Detours play in Greenford at the Oldfield Hotel

1965 – The Who play the Starlight Ballroom in Greenford

1966 – Pete and co-manager Chris Stamp fly to New York City, the first trip by any member of The Who to America. Shortly after his arrival, Pete attends a luncheon for Herman’s Hermits who are beginning their 1966 U.S. tour. A reporter from Datebook magazine gets an interview from an irritable Pete while he is photographed by Linda Eastman.”I don’t know why I’m here, at somebody else’s luncheon…Two of your lousy record companies haven’t been able to get us a hit in America. Without a hit record, we can’t get a visa to perform.” When a girl recognizes him and asks if Keith is there because her brother wanted Keith’s drumsticks, Pete snarls “He’s not here. And if he were, I’m quite sure he wouldn’t give you his drumsticks.”

1970 – The Who play the Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. The James Gang opens.

1970 – The second single from Thunderclap Newman’s Hollywood Dream LP, “Accidents”, hits the British charts. Pete produces the single and plays bass guitar. It peaks at #46

1979 – Pete is interviewed in Variety by Harlan Jacobson. Pete discusses the genesis of The Kids Are Alright movie and The Who’s financial holdings that include 25% to 33% of Shepperton Studios, “the prettiest piece of the tattiest studio in the world.”

1980 – The Who play the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. Supporting them are The Only Ones,

1981 – The Who’s “Don’t Let Go The Coat” backed with “You” hits the U.S. charts. It peaks at #84 in Billboard, #77 in Cash Box

1989 – The Who play the Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York

1989 – The Who attend a party in their honor at the Waldorf Astoria. Robert Plant, then scheduled to perform with The Who at the charity show in Los Angeles, also attends.

1989 – Pete discusses the current tour on NBC’s The Today Show

1995 – Ringo’s All-Star Band featuring John and Zak play in Tokyo at the Nippon Budokan Hall. The show is filmed for later broadcast

2000 – The Who play the The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Who sell 13,799 tickets (92% capacity) for $1,047,520

2001 – “A Walk Down Abbey Road: A Tribute To The Beatles.” featuring John play at The Saenger Theater Mobile in Mobile, Alabama

2002 – John Entwistle dies in Las Vegas of a heart attack

2007 – The Who play a second night at Wembley Arena in London

2011 – Roger is interviewed on rollingstone.com