21 Mar 2025
Brian Kehew’s Backstage Blog is back!
20 March 2025
As I write this, a reminder on my calendar says “one year since last Who show.”
And I’ve just landed in London to prepare for the upcoming shows next week. So the timing is oddly perfect for this blog to resurrect itself . . .
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had the thought “IS this the last one, the final show?” I remember something in Vegas, another at the Hollywood Bowl, Sandringham Estate, a Teen Cancer America show in 2019. Even sometimes when we’re just on a break, you never know; someone could break a leg or fall off a cliff – and it’s done. Without much fanfare or planning.
And even if somehow it WAS determined that someday “this is the last Who tour/show”, I’m certain there will always be an opening, an opportunity – if Rog and Pete are still available – to get onstage and make some noise. That is often mentioned, even this last week – there are smaller opportunities beyond full shows and big tours. Most of us would welcome a short acoustic set or anything, even if there weren’t big Who shows anymore.
Nobody planned the “final show” of Keith or John, and yet those latter times they were seen do seem SO precious now. Having Pete and Rog still able to come out and Do Their Who Thing is indeed as precious, and maybe even more so now, as we all grasp these fewer chances to see them onstage. Luckily for us, they are both pretty damn good, objectively. Longtime fans don’t expect 1970 leaps or huge screams anymore, the guys are mature and welcome it, for what it’s worth. Roger’s still singing in the original keys, and they still have the fire to take off and experiment each night; the show does take risks even within the usual setlist material.
Speaking of which, there are only two shows coming this month: Teenage Cancer Trust events at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s definitely “home territory” besides being central London. An ideal Who venue and location for the lucky few who are able to get tickets. It will also be a test-bed to see how we all do without that big orchestra that’s been following us around for half a decade now! It began with Roger’s solo Tommy tour in America in 2018. The Who followed with a 2019 tour (and a pandemic break) that has lasted since then. five years of the orchestral Who, but now we’re going stripped-back and leaner. The band will be:
Pete Townshend
Roger Daltrey
Zak Starkey (his 29th year with The Who, I believe!)
Simon Townshend
Loren Gold
Jon Button
John Hogg
This is quite a reduction in size, although we certainly will miss our dear friends Billy Nicholls, Keith Levenson, Katie Jacoby, Audrey Snyder, and Emily Marshall. There is talk of what to play – much discussion going on, because certain things are easier done with orchestra (Tommy‘s ‘Overture’, Quadrophenia‘s ‘The Rock’) but since there are approximately 200 songs, there are many options.
With this reduced size, there is also more opportunity for the looseness of earlier years (the orchestra required everyone to be on-the-page for setlist and structure/timing). There could be more jamming or improvisation, different acoustic material maybe. Both Roger and Peter have suggested trying out some interesting ideas – a few we’ve never before seen or heard onstage, and maybe a few unexpected older ones. Of course, the basic hits will always be in the set, and those milestones must be played, and will. But everyone’s really looking forward to a few days of rehearsal to see what works and what doesn’t.
We’ll have a few great things to look forward to –
1) A lot more room onstage, that will be nice.
2) Less setup time (approximately four hours less work each day for the crew)
3) A return to the large video screen behind the stage, where the big curtain was behind the orchestra.
4) The concert mix will be less-complicated for Robert Collins, who had to expertly blend the orchestra and band.
These shows may tell us what works in 2025, and if there’s a good future for other shows/tours or not. It’s that way all the time – there are always many offers on the table, but touring is not as attractive as it once was. Maybe some of these proposed changes, and the smaller, looser version of the band will bring some new optimism and potential that we haven’t seen in the last five years. We’re hoping so, but the coming rehearsals will tell us. I’ll shoot some video and photos at the coming rehearsals, post them when that’s complete, and then any actual surprises will be held until they walk onstage at the Albert Hall!
Onward! . . .