Raucous Facts About The Who, Kings Of Rock
Forming in London in 1964 as a skiffle band comprised of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon, The Who is widely considered to be one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Coming into prominence for their loud and energetic performances, the band also garnered a reputation for their on-stage antics, such as destroying everything in sight. Also known for the progressive nature of their music, including incorporating Marshall stack PA systems and synthesizers, the group shook the UK and the US, literally. Get the inside scoop on what made the band so unique.
Daltrey Was Briefly Kicked Out Of The Band
In 1965, just as the band was beginning to really grow in popularity, there was some palpable tension occurring between members. One night in Denmark, things spiraled out of control after Roger Daltrey flushed Keith Moon's illegal substances down the toilet.
This was after discovering that Moon had been supplying them to both John Entwistle and Pete Townshend. A fight ensued, resulting in Daltrey beating up Moon and being forced out of the band. He was allowed back in once they all agreed to run the group like a democracy.
Tommy Launched The Band Into Stardom
Although many of The Who's albums are regarded as iconic, the one that helped shoot them to stardom was the band's 1969 release, Tommy. The group's fourth album, it was also a rock opera, which separated it from their other work and that of other artists. It reached No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart and No.4 in the UK.
Its success brought around a 1971 stage adaptation, a 1975 movie starring the band, and a 1992 Broadway show. The album was mostly composed by Pete Townshend and follows a boy named Tommy Walker who's "deaf, dumb, and blind" as he makes his way through life.
They Didn't Always Go By 'The Who'
Before landing on The Who, the band went through several different names on their musical journey. Beginning as a skiffle band in 1961, they called themselves The Detours, until vocalist Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend were added to the group, changing the band's musical style.
In 1964, after a suggestion from Townshend's friend, the band became The Who after adding drummer Kieth Moon. However, the name didn't last, and their publicist insisted that they use the name The High Numbers. After their debut album achieved little success, they went back to The Who for good.
They Started Smashing Their Instruments Because Of An Accident
If you've ever seen The Who perform, especially during their early career, you'll know that they have a knack for destroying almost everything on stage toward the end of a show. However, this tradition came out of an accident when they were still known as The High Numbers.
While playing at the Railway Hotel in London, Townshend accidentally broke the head of his guitar on the low ceiling. When he saw the crowd's reaction, he continued to smash his guitar before retrieving a new one. The next week, Moon took it upon himself to destroy his drum set, and the tradition was born.
Townshend Has Tinnitus Thanks To Moon
In the late 1960s, The Who appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where they performed a selection of songs. Ever the trickster, Moon decided it was a bright idea to put explosives in his drum kit at the end of the show, which proved disastrous.
When the pyrotechnics went off, Townshend was too close to the drum set and the explosion ended up causing permanent damage to his hearing. To this day, the tinnitus he suffered during the show affects his ability to play.
Keith Moon Had An Expensive 21st Birthday
On August 23, 1967, Moon celebrated his supposed 21st birthday (although it was thought to be his 20th) at a Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan. Upon arriving in Flint, Moon began to drink heavily while visiting local radio stations and was already intoxicated upon performing at Altwood Stadium.
Returning to the hotel, Moon instigated a food fight in his room, purposefully knocked out part of his front tooth and went to the hospital to have the rest of it removed. Back at the hotel, Moon began destroying everything in sight, including a piano, and throwing things into the pool. The chaos only ended when the police arrived. For the "party," the band was presented with a bill for $24,000.
Robert Daltrey Didn't Want To Replace Keith Moon
After Moon's untimely death from an overdose of clomethiazole, he was eventually replaced by drummer Kenney Jones. While Pete Townshend admitted that he preferred playing with Jones because of his reliability and lack of party antics, Daltrey felt completely opposite.
He was entirely against anyone permanently replacing Moon for good and wanted to change their drummer on a project-to-project basis. However, he was out-voted by Townshend and Entwistle and Jones became an official member of the band. Of course, Daltrey wasn't afraid to be open about his criticism of Jones.
The Band Accidentally Beat Up A Police Officer
During an otherwise-typical concert on May 16, 1969, at New York City's Fillmore East, an average-looking man stormed the stage and tried to grab a hold of the microphone. Not sure what was going on, Roger Daltrey punched him in the face, and Pete Townshend kicked him in the crotch while he was done.
It was soon discovered that the man was a policeman in street clothes trying to warn the venue that the grocery store across the street was completely on fire. Townshend was then arrested for assault.
Deaths At A Cincinnati Show
On December 3, 1979, The Who were gearing up for a performance in Cincinnati. During a soundcheck, the fans waiting outside mistakenly thought that the concert had started and forced their way inside to get as close to the stage as possible.
Unfortunately, during all of the chaos of the stampede, eleven people lost their lives. Nobody told the band what had happened for fear that it would affect their performance. Once they were informed afterward, they were deeply shaken by the event.
Townshend Is A Follower Of Meher Baba
In 1968, Townshend became particularly interested in the teachings of Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual leader. Paying attention to his teachings and philosophies, Townshend was inspired, which resulted in him writing some of The Who's greatest hits as well as the title for "Baba O'Riley."
The rock album Tommy was also greatly influenced by Baba's teachings, exploring some of his key tenents. So, in essence, the band has Meher Baba to thank for their sudden boost in popularity.
They Set Numerous Records
On December 6, 1975, the group set the record for the largest indoor concert ever held, which was performed at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit. The concert was attended by over 78,000 individuals. They went on to set another record on May 31, 1976, when they performed a show that was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's loudest concert at over 120 decibels.
Although Townshend had become bored with touring, Entwistle insisted that the concert was at the peak of their live performances.
Connection With The Beatles
It's no surprise that The Who were friendly with the Beatles, even after the iconic group had split up. in fact, Keith Moon had been partying with Paul and Linda McCartney the night before he died. However, the band has an even deeper connection with the former group.
Although not an official member of the group, Zak Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen, has been the band's go-to drummer since 1996. He was offered a full-time spot but declined in order to stay a free agent.
A Fan Played The Drums For A Show After Moon Passed Out From Intoxication
By the early to mid-1970s, Keith Moon's party lifestyle began taking a serious toll on both his health and his ability to perform. By that time, it was not unusual for him to pass out on his drum set during the middle of a show, only to be woken up so he could keep playing.
During a show in Daly City, in 1973, Moon ingested a number of substances, resulting in him passing out several times. After playing multiple songs without him, Townshend finally asked the crowd, "Can anyone play the drums? – I mean somebody good?" 19-year old Scot Halpin volunteered and played out the remainder of the show.
Woodstock Was One Of Their Least Favorite Performances
Incredibly, the band's consensus at the time was that Woodstock was one of their worst performances as a group. According to John Entwistle, it was "probably the worst festival experience we ever had," with Daltrey adding that it was "the worst gig."
Although they were scheduled to play on Saturday night, unsurprisingly, things didn't go as planned, and they didn't end up going on until Sunday morning at 5 am. On top of that, activist Abbie Hoffman burst onto the stage to give a political speech and had to be thrown off.
A Muppet Character Is Based On Keith Moon
If you've ever seen The Muppets, you might remember the character Animal, who plays the drums for the Muppets' house band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Appropriately named, the character is based on Keith Moon's drumming style as well as out-of-control personality.
Frank Oz, who first performed the character, stated that Animal's character can be summed up in a few key words including "sleep, food, drums, and pain." Although the character is based on a combination of multiple rock and roll drummers, Moon is the most apparent.
One Of Their First Performances In The US Caught The Audience Off-Guard
The band's first big performance in the United States was at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, the festival that marked the beginning of the Summer of Love. However, The Who did not come in peace. They came in full force during their show, giving a performance that not only shocked but excited the otherwise laid-back audience.
They were loud, set off smoke bombs, and of course, smashed their instruments. Jimi Hendrix would go on later to smash his own guitar and light it on fire, with Townshend approaching him and claiming that he stole his act.
Daltrey Made Guitars For The Band
Early in the band's carer, while performing as the Detours, Roger Daltrey would not only make guitars for himself but for the rest of the band as well. He notes, "I made several that were quite good except that the necks used to fold up. The last one I made was actually a good guitar because my uncle, who was a carpenter, made the neck for me."
When their skiffle band began to take off, they couldn't afford another guitar, so Daltrey bought some wood and guitar strings, which he described felt like playing "cheesewire." Although it wasn't the best, he claims it got the job done.
Pete Townshend's Windmill Move Isn't Exactly Original
Although Townshend's style of windmilling his arm to strum the strings of his guitar is considered to be his signature move, he didn't come up with it on his own. Actuality, Townshend was inspired by the Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
The Who had been opening up for the Stones and Townshend saw Richards swinging his arm in the windmill motion as a type of warm-up. Taking note that Richards wasn't performing the maneuver on stage, Townshend decided to incorporate it into his own act.
John Entwistle Died Young
John Entwistle was discovered dead in Room 658 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada on June 27, 2002, just one day before the start of the band's 2002 United States tour. After he went to bed with a lady, she woke up to find him cold and unresponsive.
The Clark County medical examiner declared that his death was the result of a heart attack induced by an overdose. Entwistle already had heart disease related to smoking about a pack of cigarettes a day. He was 57 years old at the time of his death.
"Sister Disco" Is Pete Townshend's Least Favorite Song To Play
After the release of The Who's 1978 album Who Are You?, the track "Sister Disco" became a classic song in the group's performance tracklist. The only problem, as that it was also Townshend's least favorite of the band's songs to play.
According to Townshend, "Every time we've done it, there’s a point when Roger comes up to me and makes some kind of soppy smile that’s supposed to communicate some kind of Everly Brothers-type relationship to the audience which isn’t actually there." That smile let Townshend know what he was about to be in for.
