The Who Hits 50!
| Tour by The Who | |
 | |
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Associated album | The Who Hits 50! |
| Start date | 23 November 2014 |
| End date | 29 May 2016 |
| Legs | 5 |
| No. of shows |
|
| The Who concert chronology | |
Billed as The Who Hits 50!, The Who's 2014–16 tour was a tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band. Roger Daltrey has referred to this tour as the band's "long goodbye" hinting that it will be the final tour for The Who.[1] The tour consisted of 70 dates with the band performing in Asia, Europe and North America.
An announcement about the tour came through the band's website and social media networks on 30 June 2014.[2][3] Pete Townshend described the show as "Hits, Picks, Mixes and Misses", for the band would play all their classic anthems as well as tackling deeper cuts from their catalog;[4][5]
In addition to longtime veterans Zak Starkey, Pino Palladino, and Simon Townshend, the same backing musicians from the group's previous tour were retained, minus the horn section.
In September 2015 the band announced that the fall 2015 North American leg was being postponed due to Daltrey contracting viral meningitis and told by doctors to rest. The tour resumed in February 2016 and ended on 29 May 2016.[6]
History
[edit]The tour kicked off with the group's first ever show in the United Arab Emirates, followed by a UK leg. The band included several numbers not included in any recent tours, including the first full performance of "A Quick One (While He's Away)" since 1970 and the first full band appearances of "So Sad About Us" (Townshend and special guest Paul Weller performed it acoustically at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000) since 1967; "Pictures of Lily" and "Join Together" had not been played since 1989. The North American leg, with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts featured as the opening act, kicked off in April 2015. Eddie Vedder joined the band for a performance of "The Real Me" in Chicago. Daltrey suffered a throat infection in September 2015 forcing the band to postpone the 2015 fall North American dates until February 2016. Tal Wilkenfeld was featured as the opening act when the North American tour resumed on 27 February 2016. Pete Townshend was suffering from his own ailments when the band hit Washington, D.C., on 24 March 2016. Townshend was suffering from a cold and losing his voice, so his brother Simon took over his backing vocals. However, he was able to make it through "Pinball Wizard" and "I'm One" despite his rough sounding voice. "Eminence Front", which had been featured in all of the shows, was dropped in favor of the unrehearsed and rarely played "Slip Kid" due to Townshend's hoarse voice. For most of the 2016 tour dates in North America, British band Slydigs performed a four-song opener for The Who, though the band's final North American concert in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace did not feature an opening act.
Tour band
[edit]Original members
[edit]- Roger Daltrey – lead vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, tambourine
- Pete Townshend – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- John Entwistle – bass solo on "5:15" (via video and audio recording from Live at the Royal Albert Hall)
- Keith Moon – drums, vocals on "Bell Boy" (via audio recording from Quadrophenia)
Backing musicians
[edit]- Zak Starkey – drums, percussion
- Pino Palladino – bass guitar
- Simon Townshend – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Loren Gold – keyboards, backing vocals, percussion, jaw harp
- Frank Simes - keyboards, backing vocals, percussion, banjo, mandolin
- John Corey - keyboards, backing vocals, percussion, bass harmonica
Set list
[edit]This set list is representative of the performance on 26 May 2016 in Brooklyn, New York. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.
- "I Can't Explain"
- "The Seeker"
- "Who Are You"
- "The Kids Are Alright"
- "I Can See For Miles"
- "My Generation"
- "Behind Blue Eyes"
- "Slip Kid"
- "Bargain"
- "Join Together"
- "You Better You Bet"
- "I'm One"
- "Love, Reign O'er Me"
- "Eminence Front"
- "A Quick One (While He's Away)"
- "Amazing Journey"
- "Sparks"
- "Pinball Wizard"
- "See Me, Feel Me"
- "Baba O'Riley"
- "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Tour dates
[edit]| Date | City | Country | Venue | Tickets Sold/Available | Box Office | Opening Act |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg 1 — Middle East | ||||||
| 23 November 2014 | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | du Arena | — | — | |
| Leg 2 — Europe | ||||||
| 30 November 2014 | Glasgow | Scotland | SSE Hydro | 11,356 / 11,356 | $1,214,320 | |
| 2 December 2014 | Leeds | England | First Direct Arena | — | — | |
| 5 December 2014 | Nottingham | Capital FM Arena | — | — | ||
| 7 December 2014 | Birmingham | Barclaycard Arena | — | — | ||
| 9 December 2014 | Newcastle upon Tyne | Metro Radio Arena | — | — | ||
| 11 December 2014 | Liverpool | Echo Arena Liverpool | — | — | ||
| 13 December 2014 | Manchester | Phones 4u Arena | 10,961 / 12,389 | $1,185,690 | ||
| 15 December 2014 | Cardiff | Wales | Motorpoint Arena Cardiff | — | — | |
| 22 March 2015 | London | England | The O2 Arena | 29,416 / 32,631 | $3,160,040 | |
| 23 March 2015 | ||||||
| 26 March 2015 | Royal Albert Hall | — | — | |||
| Leg 3 — North America | ||||||
| 15 April 2015 | Tampa | United States | Amalie Arena | 9,389 / 11,489 | $905,569 | Joan Jett & the Blackhearts |
| 17 April 2015 | Miami | American Airlines Arena | — | — | ||
| 19 April 2015 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena | — | — | ||
| 21 April 2015 | Raleigh | PNC Arena | — | — | ||
| 23 April 2015 | Duluth | Arena at Gwinnett Center | 8,609 / 9,605 | $823,017 | ||
| 25 April 2015 | New Orleans | Fair Grounds Race Course | —[a] | |||
| 27 April 2015 | Austin | Frank Erwin Center | — | — | ||
| 29 April 2015 | Houston | Toyota Center | 7,671 / 9,343 | $860,080 | ||
| 2 May 2015 | Dallas | American Airlines Center | — | — | ||
| 5 May 2015 | Kansas City | Sprint Center | — | — | ||
| 7 May 2015 | St. Louis | Scottrade Center | — | — | ||
| 9 May 2015 | Louisville | KFC Yum! Center | — | — | ||
| 11 May 2015 | Nashville | Bridgestone Arena | 8,914 / 8,914 | $626,547 | ||
| 13 May 2015 | Rosemont | Allstate Arena | — | — | ||
| 15 May 2015 | Columbus | Nationwide Arena | — | — | ||
| 17 May 2015 | Philadelphia | Wells Fargo Center | 12,383 / 12,383 | $1,192,337 | ||
| 20 May 2015 | Uniondale | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | — | — | ||
| 22 May 2015 | Atlantic City | Boardwalk Hall | — | — | ||
| 24 May 2015 | Uncasville | Mohegan Sun Arena | 7,327 / 7,359 | $1,023,826 | ||
| 26 May 2015 | Brooklyn | Barclays Center | 11,800 / 13,536 | $1,131,705 | ||
| 30 May 2015 | Forest Hills, Queens | Forest Hills Stadium | — | — | ||
| Leg 4 — Europe | ||||||
| 21 June 2015 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | Odyssey Arena | — | — | |
| 23 June 2015 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Arena | — | — | |
| 26 June 2015 | London | England | Hyde Park | —[b] | ||
| 28 June 2015 | Pilton | Worthy Farm | 135,000 | —[c] | ||
| 30 June 2015 | Paris | France | Zénith de Paris | — | — | |
| 2 July 2015 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Ziggo Dome | — | — | |
| 13 February 2016 | London | England | The SSE Arena, Wembley | — | — | |
| Leg 5 — North America | ||||||
| 27 February 2016 | Detroit | United States | Joe Louis Arena | 13,468 / 13,468 | $1,170,833 | Tal Wilkenfeld |
| 1 March 2016 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre | 9,514 / 10,636 | $675,954 | |
| 3 March 2016 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | 14,863 / 14,863 | $1,597,504 | |
| 7 March 2016 | Boston | TD Garden | 13,054 / 13,054 | $1,289,318 | ||
| 10 March 2016 | Chicago | United Center | 12,104 / 12,104 | $1,254,813 | ||
| 12 March 2016 | Louisville | KFC Yum! Center | 9,326 / 10,002 | $747,946 | ||
| 14 March 2016 | Philadelphia | Wells Fargo Center | 10,375 / 11,220 | $969,884 | ||
| 16 March 2016 | Pittsburgh | Consol Energy Center | 10,272 / 11,216 | $829,134 | ||
| 19 March 2016 | Newark | Prudential Center | 12,648 / 12,648 | $1,282,646 | ||
| 21 March 2016 | Milwaukee | BMO Harris Bradley Center | 10,212 / 10,689 | $820,162 | ||
| 24 March 2016 | Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center | 11,119 / 12,277 | $1,143,938 | ||
| 26 March 2016 | St. Louis | Scottrade Center | 9,515 / 10,316 | $800,976 | ||
| 29 March 2016 | Denver | Pepsi Center | 9,508 / 10,562 | $732,862 | ||
| 27 April 2016 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre | 7,716 / 9,042 | $694,197 | Slydigs |
| 29 April 2016 | Kansas City | United States | Sprint Center | 9,823 / 10,160 | $881,221 | |
| 1 May 2016 | Minneapolis | Target Center | 8,212 / 10,031 | $743,692 | ||
| 4 May 2016 | Winnipeg | Canada | MTS Centre | 6,822 / 7,853 | $539,576 | |
| 6 May 2016 | Saskatoon | SaskTel Centre | 7,308 / 8,138 | $632,002 | ||
| 8 May 2016 | Edmonton | Rexall Place | 8,382 / 8,941 | $789,407 | ||
| 10 May 2016 | Calgary | Scotiabank Saddledome | 9,472 / 10,630 | $805,816 | ||
| 13 May 2016 | Vancouver | Rogers Arena | 11,484 / 12,021 | $927,124 | ||
| 15 May 2016 | Seattle | United States | KeyArena | 11,863 / 12,099 | $1,132,069 | |
| 17 May 2016 | Portland | Moda Center | 8,777 / 9,208 | $837,408 | ||
| 19 May 2016 | Oakland | Oracle Arena | 9,842 / 12,119 | $1,055,206 | ||
| 22 May 2016 | Anaheim | Honda Center | 7,971 / 9,017 | $866,201 | ||
| 25 May 2016 | Los Angeles | Staples Center | 10,882 / 11,951 | $1,184,472 | ||
| 27 May 2016 | San Diego | Valley View Casino Center | 9,709 / 9,876 | $848,331 | ||
| 29 May 2016 | Las Vegas | The Colosseum at Caesars Palace | 4,103 / 4,103 | $1,092,885 | N/A | |
| TOTAL | 267,907 / 286,163 (94%) | $26,531,986 | ||||
Cancellations and rescheduled shows
[edit]| 26 November 2014 | Dublin, Ireland | 3Arena | Postponed to 23 June 2015 due to unforeseen logistical difficulties.[7] |
| 17 & 18 December 2014 | London, England | The O2 Arena | Postponed to 22 & 23 March 2015 due to Daltrey's illness[8] |
| 28 & 29 June 2015 | Paris, France | Zénith de Paris | Cancelled in order for the band to appear at Glastonbury Festival. |
Notes
[edit]- ^ The 25 April 2015 concert in New Orleans is a part of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
- ^ The 26 June 2015 concert in London is a part of British Summer Time.
- ^ The 28 June 2015 concert in Pilton is a part of the Glastonbury Festival.
References
[edit]- ^ Masters, Tim (30 June 2014). "The Who announce 'long goodbye'". Bbc.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ thewho.com / Blog / Story / The Who 50th anniversary British and Irish tour this autumn (first access date = 1 July 2014).
- ^ "F1: Pharrell Williams, The Who in Abu Dhabi". Gulfnews.com. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ^ "The Who Hits 50!". Thegarden.com. 2014. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ "The Who, Glasgow SECC, review: 'too polite' (by Matthew Magee)". Telegraph.co.uk. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (18 September 2015). "The Who Postpone Entire 'Who Hits 50' Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ "The Who @ 3Arena – Rescheduled". Dublinconcerts.ie. July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "The Who shows postponed due to Roger Daltrey illness". BBC. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
