1981 who tour

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The Day the Who Kicked Off Their First Farewell Tour

A little more than three years after drummer  Keith Moon   died , the Who were feeling out of sorts with each other, musically and onstage.

That, along with Pete Townshend’s desire to focus more on his solo career, was the impetus for the band's 1982 farewell tour, which kicked off its North American leg on Sept. 22, 1982, with the first of two shows at the Capital Centre in Landover, Md.

“While I loved the new sound of the Who with Kenney [Jones] on drums and [John Bundrick] on keyboards, I knew in my heart that the Who had lost contact with our fan base,” Townshend wrote in his 2012 memoir,  Who I Am . “This was not so much to do with the sound we produced; but more to do with who we were, what we had become. I’m not sure that we knew exactly who we were playing for anymore.”

The two albums the Who made with Jones after Moon’s death – Face Dances (1981) and It’s Hard (1982) – had been met with some of the most mixed, and occasionally negative, reviews of the band’s career. Singer  Roger Daltrey has made no secret of his disdain for having Jones behind the kit, though to be fair, stepping into the shoes of one of rock’s greatest drummers wasn’t the most enviable task in the world.

Still, they soldiered on with him as long as possible before deciding to call it a day with the 1982 tour, balancing arena and stadium dates. Townshend, while happy to a degree with the gigs themselves, knew the end was near – at least for him it was – and intended to turn the Who into a studio-only act.

“The Who played pretty well on this tour, but it was being billed as our ‘farewell tour,’ and I wasn’t about to argue,” he said. “The tour was highly lucrative, achieving one of the highest grosses of our career. Long before it was over, everyone in our circle knew that I would announce that I was leaving the band. It also became clear that a peculiar crime had been perpetrated. The Who had gone down, but not in flames.”

The songs played at the Landover show was indicative of the tour's set list – opening with “Substitute” and covering most of the Who's most popular songs in the career-spanning show, from new songs like “Eminence Front” to “Sister Disco” from their last album with Moon, Who Are You . Epics like “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Love Reign O’er Me” were there, too. But as well as the band was playing and being received, would it really be the final run?

“I’m pretty sure that I won’t change my mind,” Townshend said in an interview before the two-night stand at Shea Stadium in October. “I don’t want to go downhill,” Daltrey said. "I think it’s great to end on top.” Bassist John Entwistle though, wasn’t happy about the proceedings, and was vocal about wanting to continue touring. “I get most of my satisfaction from playing onstage,” he pointed out.

The Who’s 1982 “farewell tour” was the most high-profile goodbye run at the time by any group. Since then, it’s become somewhat of a joke, since it wasn’t really a farewell at all. The band regrouped for two one-off performances afterward, at Live Aid in 1985 and then at the 1988 Brit Awards, where they were recipients of a lifetime-achievement award. Yet even when they returned for The Kids Are Alright 25th-anniversary tour in 1989, Townshend was adamant that the Who had not gotten back together.

“We did our farewell tour,” a straight-faced Townshend said at the press conference to announce the 1989 shows, much to the laughter of the press. “We said goodbye. We haven’t been on the road; we haven’t worked together in almost seven years. We’re not a group as such anymore. We’ve actually come together, especially, for a 25th birthday party. That’s what this tour represents.”

He was true to his word – for a while anyway. The Who would reform for good in 1996, and continue on even after Entwistle’s death in 2002. During their 2017 shows, Daltrey has said this will be the band's final tour. But no one seems to be buying it 35 years after they said the same thing.

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THE WHO'S 'FINAL' TOUR ARRIVES IN NEW YORK

By Robert Palmer

• Oct. 9, 1982

The Who, one of the most successful and widely admired groups in rock, arrives in New York today for three concert dates on a mammoth tour that its members insist will be their last.

Not a ticket is available. More than 180,000 were sold in four days for the three shows in the metropolitan area - at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., tomorrow night and at Shea Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The shows at Shea mark the first use of the facility for rock since a Jethro Tull concert in 1976 and the first time tickets have been sold for unreserved seating on the field.

20 Shows in First Leg

The entire tour has been sold out, a remarkable feat at a time when the rock-concert business is in a severe financial slump and fewer groups are finding it profitable enough to go on the road.

The tour began Sept. 22 in Largo, Md., and by the time its first leg of 20 shows is over, the band will have played to about one million fans at $15 to $17 each, grossing about $15 million from ticket sales alone.

After a brief vacation in England, the band will return to the United States at the end of next month for the second leg, which is being put together. By the time the entire tour is over, its entire success may rival that of the Rolling Stones' 1981 American tour, the largest-grossing tour in rock history.

In addition, there will be a number of profit-making spinoffs, including video cassette and disk versions of one of the concerts, a cable-television special and another special taped for commercial television. Using Beer as Underwriter

The tour is being underwritten by Schlitz beer, which does not share in proceeds but gives the band money in exchange for advertising. Although it is a new phenomenon, corporate sponsorship for rock tours is becoming increasingly common as inflation drives up the cost of mounting, promoting and maintaining tours and consumers show resistance to higher ticket prices.

The Stones are said to have received several million dollars from Jovan Fragrances in exchange for the use of Jovan's name on tickets and in promotion. The amount of Schlitz's support for the Who has not been announced, but it is thought to be even larger. Schlitz advertisements will be prominent at all concerts on the tour.

Reports that this would be the last Who tour were initially greeted with skepticism in the music industry. The band is at least as popular as at any time during its 18-year history, and a new album, ''It's Hard'' (Warner Bros.), is selling briskly. But reviews of the album have been mixed, the members of the Who have been involved in more and more outside projects during the last few years, and many critics believe the band has broken little new ground. Despite some fresh uses of synthesizer technology, the Who's music is still rooted in the mid-1960's. Sensitivity About Aging

It seems that the Who really is disbanding. Pete Townshend, the group's guitarist, principal songwriter and driving force, has announced that ''the Who will cease to exist'' after the group makes two more albums that it owes Warner's under its recording contract. He said that while the Who may follow its American tour with a few farewell concerts in Europe, ''This is the end.''

It was Mr. Townshend who wrote ''Hope I die before I get old,'' one of the most quoted lines in all of rock, in the Who's 1965 hit ''My Generation.'' For the last several years, the 37-year-old guitarist has seemed increasingly sensitive about his age and profession.

A number of recent Who songs have dealt with aging: ''I know you, middle age, same song, different page,'' Mr. Townshend wrote in ''It's Your Turn,'' and a song on the ''It's Hard'' album that seems to be about stepping down, passing on the torch to younger performers. When he was asked recently why the Who was quitting, he said, ''It's time for us to step aside, time for the new people to come in.'' 'The Wave of the Future'

Foremost among the ''new people'' are the Clash, the band that is opening most of the larger shows on the Who's tour, including the Shea Stadium performances. The Clash were one of the original spearheads of the British punk-rock movement and have remained a politically oriented band while expanding their musical range to include reggae, rapping and strains of American blues, soul and country music. They have won a substantial following in the United States, but not among the mainstream of rock fans that supports the Who. And they have never played to audiences as large as they are encountering on the Who tour, audiences that have been as big as 95,000.

''The Who believe that the Clash represent the wave of the future,'' a Who spokesman said recently. ''Pete and the other members of the Who were instrumental in getting the Clash on their biggest shows.''

The Who's show, which runs between two and a quarter and two and a half hours, covers every phase of the group's career. Although it includes a few special lighting effects, it is not an elaborate show. The emphasis is said to be on the music, and on the four members of the Who - Mr. Townshend, the vocalist Roger Daltry, the bassist John Entwistle and the drummer Kenney Jones, who replaced the original Who drummer, Keith Moon, after Mr. Moon's death in 1978.

On their last American tour two years ago, the Who brought along a brass section and a keyboard player, but this time they are using only a keyboard player, Tim Gorman, in addition to the basic quartet. The only disappointed note has been struck by fans who complained that ''My Generation,'' the Who's mid-60's youth anthem, is not being included in the shows.

• The Who Tour 1981

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The Who Tour 1981 was The Who 's third concert tour since the death of original drummer Keith Moon , with most dates performed in advance of the release of their recently recorded Face Dances album. Aside from a performance on the German TV program Rockpalast at the end of the tour, it was strictly a United Kingdom venture, with four shows in Scotland , one in Wales , and the rest in England. It was the group's first UK tour since 1975 .

• 2 Tour band
• 3.1 UK tour
• 4.1 Rockpalast TV appearance
• 5 Tour dates
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Although the Face Dances album was completed by the end of 1980 , it was not released until the 1981 tour had almost ended, meaning the new material played on the tour was entirely unfamiliar to audiences. Set lists from 1981 varied from one point of the tour to another, with the band experimenting with different song orders – for example, long-time show closer " Won't Get Fooled Again " appeared in the middle of the set early in the tour, with " Who Are You " serving as the closer. New songs performed each night were " You Better You Bet ", " Don't Let Go the Coat ", "The Quiet One", and " Another Tricky Day ", while "Did You Steal My Money" was played occasionally and a loose version of "How Can You Do It Alone" appeared in an encore during one show. A very obscure song-segment that has never appeared in any official release, "You Stand Naked", was also performed during the encore of the show of 31 January at St Austell . Additionally, early versions of "Communication" can be heard in improvisations during the first show in St Austell on 30 January; the final version of "Communication" was released on Pete Townshend's 1982 solo album All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes . This represented the most new material The Who had performed on a tour since they supported Quadrophenia in 1973 – 1974 .

The brass section the band carried for most of 1979 and all of 1980 was not retained in 1981, meaning John "Rabbit" Bundrick was the only extra musician in addition to the four official band members.

• Roger Daltrey  - lead vocals, harmonica
• Pete Townshend  - lead guitar, vocals
• John Entwistle  - bass guitar, vocals
• Kenney Jones  - drums
• John "Rabbit" Bundrick  - keyboards, piano, backing vocals

Typical set lists

The UK tour began on 25 January 1981 at Granby Halls in Leicester and ended on 16 March 1981 at the Poole Arts Centre in Poole . Here is a fairly typical set list (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

• " Substitute "
• " I Can't Explain "
• " Baba O'Riley "
• " The Quiet One " ( John Entwistle )
• " Don't Let Go the Coat "
• " Sister Disco "
• " Music Must Change " (frequently replaced with " Dreaming from the Waist " later in the tour)
• " You Better You Bet "
• " Drowned "
• " Another Tricky Day "
• " Behind Blue Eyes "
• " Pinball Wizard "
• " The Punk and the Godfather " (played regularly starting about halfway through the tour)
• " Who Are You " (closed the regular set at some earlier shows)
• " Long Live Rock " (not played every night)
• " My Generation " (usually including " Whatcha Gonna Do About It " ( Ian Samwell , Ronnie Lane , Steve Marriott ) starting 31 January)
• " Won't Get Fooled Again " (played earlier in the set at some earlier shows)

Encores (variations of the following list):

• Performed on 25, 26 and 31 January; and 3, 15, 19, 24, 25 and 28 February; and 2, 6, 10 and 15 March.
• Performed on 25 January (not as an encore); and 4, 9 and 14 February.
• Performed on 25 January and 24 February.
• Performed on 25, 26, 30 and 31 January; and 4, 9, 14, 19, 25 and 28 February; and 1, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15 and 16 March.
• Performed on 26, 30 and 31 January; and 4, 7, 14, 15, 19, 25 (not an encore) and 28 February; and 1, 7 and 14 March.
• Performed on 26 January.
• Performed on 30 and 31 January; and 20 February.
• Performed (loosely) on 30 January.
• Performed on 30 January.
• Performed (loosely) on 31 January.
• Performed on 31 January.
• Performed on 8 and 19 February (not as an encores) and 14 March.
• Performed on 9, 14, 25 and 28 February; and 6, 9, 15 and 16 March.
• Performed on 20 February.
• Performed on 24 February.
• Performed on 16 March.

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour. " Sister Disco " was the second song during the first concert in Leicester , which had an especially experimental set list. Some other songs were played which are not in the above lists:

• Performed on 25 January.
• Performed during " My Generation " on 26 January.
• Performed during "My Generation" on 19 February.

Live releases

Live material from the band's 28 March 1981 Rockpalast performance, recorded at the Grugahalle in Essen , West Germany appears on the 2009 reissue of Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live as a second disc.

Rockpalast TV appearance

On 28 March, shortly after the UK tour, the group appeared on the German TV program Rockpalast , playing a slightly abbreviated set. This performance later appeared on the reissue of Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live . All songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified.

• " Who Are You "
• " My Generation " (including " Whatcha Gonna Do About It " ( Ian Samwell , Ronnie Lane , Steve Marriott ))
• " Won't Get Fooled Again "
• " Summertime Blues " ( Eddie Cochran , Jerry Capehart )
• " Twist and Shout " ( Phil Medley , Bert Russell )
• " See Me, Feel Me "
• List of The Who tours and performances

External links

• The Who Online Concert Guide
• The Boy Who Heard Music
• The Who's Tommy
• Who's for Tennis?
• Rock Is Dead—Long Live Rock!
• The Roots of Tommy
• The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard
• Who Covers Who?
• " A Tale of Two Springfields "
• Awards and nominations
• Musical equipment
• Track Records
• Ramport Studios
• The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
• Kim McLagan
• Chapel House, Twickenham
• Ashdown House, Oxfordshire
• Tara, Chertsey
• Holmshurst Manor
• Compilation albums
• Live albums
• Soundtracks
• " Somebody Saved Me "
• " Face Dances, Pt. 2 "
• Empty Glass
• My Generation
• A Quick One
• The Who Sell Out
• Quadrophenia
• The Who by Numbers
• Who Are You
• Face Dances
• Endless Wire
• Use dmy dates from June 2014
• EngvarB from June 2014
• 1981 concert tours
• The Who concert tours
• Concert tours of the United Kingdom
• Pages with script errors

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Average setlist for year: 1981

• Substitute Play Video
• I Can't Explain Play Video
• Baba O'Riley Play Video
• The Quiet One Play Video
• Don't Let Go the Coat Play Video
• Sister Disco Play Video
• Music Must Change Play Video
• You Better You Bet Play Video
• Drowned Play Video
• Another Tricky Day Play Video
• Behind Blue Eyes Play Video
• Pinball Wizard Play Video
• The Punk and the Godfather Play Video
• Who Are You Play Video
• 5:15 Play Video
• Long Live Rock Play Video
• Won't Get Fooled Again Play Video
• My Generation Play Video
• Twist and Shout ( The Top Notes  cover) Play Video
• The Real Me Play Video

Show Openers

Main set closers, show closers, encores played.

This feature is not that experimental anymore. Nevertheless, please give feedback if the results don't make any sense to you.

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