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Tommy Tour

The Tommy Tour was a concert tour by the English rock band the Who. It was in support of their fourth album, the rock opera Tommy (1969), and consisted of concerts split between North America and Europe. Following a press reception gig, the tour officially began on 9 May 1969 and ended on 20 December 1970. The set list featured the majority of the songs from Tommy, as well as originals and covers.

Tommy Tour
Tour by The Who
A tour book for the band's December 1969 English shows, featuring lyrics from "Welcome"
Location
  • Europe
  • North America
Associated albumTommy
Start date9 May 1969 (1969-05-09)[a]
End date20 December 1970 (1970-12-20)
Legs6
No. of shows
  • 91 in North America
  • 73 in Europe[a]
  • 187 in total
The Who concert chronology
  • The Who Sell Out Tour
    (1967–1968)
  • Tommy Tour
    (1969–1970)
  • Who's Next Tour
    (1971–1972)

After multiple rehearsals and warm-up gigs, the band played a private show at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London in early May 1969 intended to preview Tommy to the press. Subsequently, the band toured North America playing the new album, which was well received by audiences. Following a UK tour, the band played the Tanglewood Music Shed and the Woodstock festival. After Woodstock, the band headlined the second Isle of Wight festival and played Tommy at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the world's forefront opera houses. The band continued to tour North America, emphasized by eight shows done over the course of six days at the Fillmore East in New York City. The Who ended 1969 with tour of Europe that continued into 1970, including a show at the London Coliseum on 14 December, which was filmed for a possible future Tommy film.

The group began 1970 by bringing Tommy to various European opera houses. During their tour, the critically acclaimed live album Live at Leeds was recorded during a show at the University of Leeds Refectory, Leeds. After the European tour wrapped up, the band returned to the United States for a tour, starting with two shows at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City in June. Following the tour, the band played several concerts in Europe, including a headlining appearance at the third Isle of Wight festival in August. The band ended the Tommy Tour with a benefit concert at the Roundhouse in London.

History

The Who's live set changed with the introduction of Pete Townshend's rock opera Tommy, which they had begun recording the previous autumn.[2] After a series of rehearsals and warm-up gigs, the band gave a preview concert to the press at London's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club on 1 May.[3] Realising the opera's narrative was too difficult to comprehend, Townshend explained a synopsis of the story, before the Who played Tommy at roaring volume.[4] The next day, the band flew to New York to start the North American tour, commencing on 9 May at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit.[3] On 29 May, the band began a three-night residency at Chicago's Kinetic Playground. They noticed the audience would all stand up at the same time, and stay standing, indicating that live performances of Tommy had a positive reaction from audiences.[5] After finishing a series of tour dates in San Francisco during June,[5] the Who flew to London to do two shows for the Royal Albert Hall's Pop Proms concert series. The first show resulted into a fracas involving Teddy Boys who attempted to prevent the band from coming on stage, but the second show went smoothly as the Teds were satisfied with renditions of "Summertime Blues" and "Shakin' All Over".[6] On 10 August, the band suspended their UK tour to do two contracted appearances at the Tanglewood Music Shed and the Woodstock festival.[7]

Tommy's "world premiere" took place at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

After playing a show at Tanglewood on 12 August, the band flew to New York to play a set at Woodstock. Due to a fourteen-hour delay, the band became reluctant to play and demanded their $12,500 fee.[8] The Who were scheduled to perform the previous day, 16 August, but the festival ran late and they did not take to the stage until the early hours of the 17th. After playing "Pinball Wizard", Yippie founder Abbie Hoffman interrupted the show to protest the arrest of John Sinclair before getting kicked offstage by Townshend, and the sun rose almost as if on cue during "See Me, Feel Me".[9][10] After returning to England, the band headlined the second Isle of Wight festival on 30 August. Though most media attention focused on Bob Dylan making his first British appearance in three years, the Who stole the show. Townshend later said, "We know that the stage act we had, with Tommy in it, would work under any circumstances, because it had worked many times on tour."[11]

The "world premiere" of Tommy took place on 29 September at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. During the band's entrance, drummer Keith Moon suffered an injury after knocking down two speaker cabinets.[11] The show later became a bootleg recording.[12] The band started another North American tour on 10 October at the Commonwealth Armory in Boston, emphasized by a six-night stand at the Fillmore East in New York City. One show at the Fillmore was attended by Leonard Bernstein, who praised the band for their new music.[13] The Who ended 1969 with a tour of Europe that continued into 1970, including a show at the London Coliseum on 14 December, which was filmed for a possible future Tommy feature.[14]

1970 began with the group bringing Tommy to various European opera houses, a trend they had begun in December 1969 when they performed at the London Coliseum. Included were January stops at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, and three opera houses in West Germany.[15] The band then focused again on recording a live album. While performances on 14 February at the University of Leeds Refectory and 15 February at Hull City Hall were both recorded, only the Leeds recording was deemed suitable for release, as the bass track was inadvertently not captured during the first few songs at the Hull show. The result was the legendary Live at Leeds, which became a hallmark live rock album.[16]

After beginning recording sessions for a planned new album, the group returned to the United States for a 30-day tour in June and July to support Tommy. In the year since the release of Tommy, the group had become rock superstars and now commanded considerably larger venues than on previous stints in the country, when they played mostly in theatres and colleges. The tour began with the band's final opera house date, as they performed two shows at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House.[17] Following the American tour, the band was one of the headlining acts at the third Isle of Wight festival and embarked on a short European tour shortly afterward.[18] A series of concerts in the United Kingdom followed, the last being a Christmas benefit concert at the Roundhouse in London where they included what was intended to be the last complete performance of Tommy, although it would be played again a few times in 1989.[19] Townshend would lead the group into his Lifehouse vision when they began performing in 1971.

Personnel

Repertoire

The band performed the entirety of Tommy, with the exception of "Cousin Kevin", "Underture", "Sensation" and "Welcome" because they weren't considered suitable for live performance.[20] Aside from the new material, songs such as "Happy Jack", "A Quick One, While He's Away", "Young Man Blues", "Summertime Blues", "My Generation", and "Magic Bus" were featured heavily in the group's stage show, among others.[21] In the autumn, they elected to expand the stage presentation of Tommy further, adding songs like "Overture" and "Sally Simpson" that had been skipped in earlier performances;[22] additionally, show-ending performances of "My Generation" were stretched out to reprise certain parts of the rock opera along with other instrumental passages, such as the chord progression that eventually evolved into "Naked Eye".[21]

While the rock opera remained the focal point of the set into 1970, the band also featured their latest single, "The Seeker" on the 1970 U.S. tour, although it was dropped after two weeks. They also added some material from their in-progress album (eventually abandoned in favour of Townshend's Lifehouse project), performing "Water" and "I Don't Even Know Myself" regularly;[14][23] "Naked Eye", although unfinished in the studio, was performed in various arrangements on the tour as well, generally during the long show-ending jams during "My Generation".[21]

During the final leg, the set list was the same as on the previous leg, with the exception of "Shakin' All Over" now segueing into the rock standard "Twist and Shout";[24] the band also stopped including Tommy themes in their long versions of "My Generation" and often moved it into "Naked Eye" and "Magic Bus". They continued to play the same basic set as in August and September, occasionally adding loose versions of Free's "All Right Now" towards the end of the show.[25]

Films and albums

Over the years, several films and albums have been released of the band's concert performances during the Tommy Tour (all are albums, except where noted).

Additionally, songs recorded during the tour have been released along with other live and/or studio material:

Tour dates

Preview concert in the U.K. and North American leg (1 May – 19 June 1969)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue, references
DateCityCountryVenueRef(s)
1 May 1969[a]LondonEnglandRonnie Scott's Jazz Club[4]
9 May 1969DetroitUnited StatesGrande Ballroom[36]
10 May 1969[36]
11 May 1969[3]
13 May 1969BostonBoston Tea Party[37]
14 May 1969[3]
15 May 1969[3]
16 May 1969New York CityFillmore East[3]
17 May 1969[c][37]
18 May 1969[c][37]
19 May 1969[c]TorontoCanadaThe Rockpile[37]
23 May 1969PhiladelphiaUnited StatesElectric Factory[37]
24 May 1969[38]
25 May 1969ColumbiaMerriweather Post Pavilion[38]
29 May 1969ChicagoKinetic Playground[5]
30 May 1969[5]
31 May 1969[5]
1 June 1969St. LouisKiel Auditorium[5]
5 June 1969[c]New York CityFillmore East[38]
6 June 1969[c][38]
7 June 1969Lake GenevaMajestic Hills Theater[38]
8 June 1969[c]MinneapolisGuthrie Theater[38]
13 June 1969[d]Los AngelesHollywood Palladium[5]
17 June 1969[c]San FranciscoFillmore West[22]
18 June 1969[c][22]
19 June 1969[22]

U.K. leg, U.S. contracted appearances, and European tour (5 July – 29 September 1969)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue, references
DateCityCountryVenueRef(s)
5 July 1969[c][e]LondonEnglandRoyal Albert Hall[6]
19 July 1969BirminghamMothers[7]
20 July 1969HastingsPier Ballroom[22]
27 July 1969RedcarRedcar Jazz Club[22]
28 July 1969SunderlandFillmore North[7]
2 August 1969EastbourneWinter Garden[7]
3 August 1969CarlisleCosmopolitan[22]
4 August 1969BathBath Pavilion[7]
7 August 1969WorthingAssembly Hall[22]
9 August 1969[f]PlumptonPlumpton Racecourse[7]
12 August 1969LenoxUnited StatesTanglewood Music Shed[7]
17 August 1969[g]BethelYasgur Farms[10]
22 August 1969ShrewsburyEnglandMusic Hall[10]
29 August 1969BournemouthPavilion Theatre[11]
30 August 1969[h]Isle of WightWoodside Bay[11]
6 September 1969DunfermlineScotlandKinema Ballroom[11]
7 September 1969CarlisleEnglandCosmopolitan[11]
13 September 1969Sutton ColdfieldThe Belfry[11]
21 September 1969CroydonFairfield Halls[22]
29 September 1969AmsterdamNetherlandsConcertgebouw[11]

North American leg (10 October – 16 November 1969)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue, references
DateCityCountryVenueRef(s)
10 October 1969BostonUnited StatesCommonwealth Armory[11]
11 October 1969DetroitGrande Ballroom[11]
12 October 1969[11]
14 October 1969TorontoCanadaCNE Coliseum[13]
15 October 1969OttawaCapitol Theatre[39]
17 October 1969WorcesterUnited StatesHoly Cross Field House[39]
18 October 1969Stony BrookPritchard Gymnasium[13]
19 October 1969[c]PhiladelphiaElectric Factory[39]
20 October 1969New York CityFillmore East[13]
21 October 1969[40]
22 October 1969[40]
23 October 1969[40]
24 October 1969[c][40]
25 October 1969[c][40]
26 October 1969PittsburghSyria Mosque[40]
31 October 1969ChicagoKinetic Playground[13]
1 November 1969ColumbusVeterans Memorial Auditorium[41]
2 November 1969Washington, D.C.McDonough Gymnasium[41]
3 November 1969White PlainsWestchester County Center[41]
4 November 1969HartfordBushnell Memorial Hall[41]
6 November 1969[i]GranvilleLivingston Gymnasium Indoor Track[13]
7 November 1969AthensConvocation Center[41]
8 November 1969St. LouisKiel Opera House[41]
10 November 1969AlbanyPalace Theatre[41]
11 November 1969BostonBoston Tea Party[13]
12 November 1969[13]
13 November 1969New PaltzElting Gymnasium[41]
14 November 1969ClevelandMusic Hall[41]
15 November 1969BuffaloKleinhans Music Hall[26]
16 November 1969SyracuseOnondaga County War Memorial[26]

European leg (4 December 1969 – 16 May 1970)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue, references
DateCityCountryVenueRef(s)
4 December 1969BristolEnglandBristol Hippodrome[26]
5 December 1969ManchesterPalace Theatre[26]
12 December 1969LiverpoolLiverpool Empire Theatre[26]
14 December 1969LondonLondon Coliseum[14]
19 December 1969Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle City Hall[26]
16 January 1970ParisFranceThéâtre des Champs-Élysées[15]
17 January 1970[15]
24 January 1970CopenhagenDenmarkRoyal Danish Theatre[15]
26 January 1970CologneWest GermanyOpernhaus[15]
27 January 1970HamburgOpernhaus[15]
28 January 1970West BerlinDeutschland Stadt Opera House[15]
30 January 1970AmsterdamNetherlandsConcertgebouw[15]
14 February 1970LeedsEnglandUniversity of Leeds Refectory[42]
15 February 1970Kingston upon HullHull City Hall[42]
18 April 1970LeicesterUniversity of Leicester[43]
25 April 1970NottinghamPortland Building[43]
27 April 1970DunstableDunstable Civic Hall[43]
1 May 1970ExeterGreat Hall[43]
2 May 1970SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield[43]
8 May 1970KentEliot College[43]
9 May 1970ManchesterManchester University[43]
15 May 1970LancasterLancaster University[43]
16 May 1970YorkDerwent College[43]

U.S. leg (7 June – 7 July 1970)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue, references
DateCityCountryVenueRef(s)
7 June 1970[c]New York CityUnited StatesMetropolitan Opera House[17]
9 June 1970DenverMammoth Gardens[23]
10 June 1970[23]
13 June 1970San DiegoGolden Hall[23]
14 June 1970AnaheimAnaheim Stadium[23]
15 June 1970BerkeleyBerkeley Community Theatre[23]
16 June 1970[23]
19 June 1970DallasDallas Memorial Auditorium[23]
20 June 1970HoustonHofheinz Pavilion[23]
21 June 1970MemphisEllis Auditorium[23]
22 June 1970AtlantaMunicipal Auditorium[44]
24 June 1970PhiladelphiaSpectrum[44]
25 June 1970CincinnatiCincinnati Music Hall[44]
26 June 1970[44]
27 June 1970ClevelandPublic Auditorium[44]
29 June 1970ColumbiaMerriweather Post Pavilion[44]
1 July 1970ChicagoAuditorium Theatre[44]
2 July 1970Kansas CityFreedom Palace[44]
3 July 1970MinneapolisMinneapolis Auditorium[44]
4 July 1970ChicagoAuditorium Theatre[44]
5 July 1970DetroitCobo Arena[44]
7 July 1970LenoxTanglewood Music Shed[44]

European leg (25 July – 20 December 1970)

List of tour dates with date, city, country, venue, references
DateCityCountryVenueRef(s)
25 July 1970DunstableEnglandDunstable Civic Hall[44]
8 August 1970Sutton ColdfieldThe Belfry[44]
24 August 1970WolverhamptonWolverhampton Civic Hall[33]
29 August 1970[j]Isle of WightEast Afton Farm[33]
12 September 1970MünsterWest GermanyHalle Münsterland[33]
13 September 1970Offenbach am MainStadthalle Offenbach[33]
16 September 1970RotterdamNetherlandsDe Doelen[33]
17 September 1970AmsterdamConcertgebouw[33]
18 September 1970RotterdamDe Doelen[45]
20 August 1970CopenhagenDenmarkFalkoner Teatret[45]
21 August 1970AarhusVejlby-Risskov Hallen[45]
6 October 1970CardiffWalesSophia Gardens Pavilion[45]
7 October 1970ManchesterEnglandFree Trade Hall[46]
8 October 1970LondonOrchid Ballroom[46]
10 October 1970BrightonOld Refectory[46]
11 October 1970BirminghamBirmingham Odeon[46]
13 October 1970LeedsLocarno Ballroom[33]
18 October 1970LondonLewisham Odeon[47]
22 October 1970Stockton-on-TeesABC Cinemas[47]
23 October 1970GlasgowScotlandGreen's Playhouse[47]
24 October 1970SheffieldEnglandUniversity of Sheffield[47]
25 October 1970LiverpoolLiverpool Empire Theatre[47]
26 October 1970Stoke-on-TrentTrentham Ballroom[47]
27 October 1970NorwichUniversity of East Anglia[25]
29 October 1970LondonHammersmith Palais[47]
21 November 1970LeedsUniversity of Leeds Refectory[25]
28 November 1970CoventryLanchester Polytechnic[25]
5 December 1970NorwichLads' Club[48]
15 December 1970Newcastle upon TyneMayfair Ballroom[48]
16 December 1970ScarboroughFuturist Theatre[48]
20 December 1970LondonRoundhouse[19]

See also

Notes

Footnotes

References

  • Neill, Andy; Kent, Matt (2002). Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of The Who 1958–1978. Barnes & Noble. ISBN 978-1-40276-691-6.
  • Marsh, Dave (1983). Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who. Plexus. ISBN 978-0-8596-5083-0.
  • Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Live in Amsterdam – The Who". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  • McMichael, Joe; Lyons, "Irish" Jack (1997). The Who Concert File. Omnibus. ISBN 0-7119-6316-9.
  • Atkins, John (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0609-8.
  • Marshall, Ben; Townshend, Pete; Daltrey, Roger (2015). The Who: 50 Years: The Official History. Harper Design. ISBN 978-0-06-239636-5.
  • The Story of The Who (liner notes). The Who. Polydor. 1976.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • The Kids Are Alright (liner notes). The Who. Polydor. 1979.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Hooligans (liner notes). The Who. MCA. 1981.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Thirty Years of Maximum R&B (liner notes). The Who. 1994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • View from a Backstage Pass (liner notes). The Who. 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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