The Who at RNR Book Club
+ Author Richard Houghton
+ Q and A + Wardour Street perform as THE WHO
+ DJ Baba O'Really
This afternoon’s special matinee RocknRoll Book Club welcomes back Mr Spenwood Books himself, hardest working author/publisher in showbiz, Mr Richard Houghton…and today Shepherds Bush comes to Camden Town, coz it’s all about The Who… This Guitar Has Seconds To Live: A People’s History Of The Who, is an oral history of the band who were the first and original Mod guitar group, and who evolved into the kickingest of kick ass arena filling rock phenomena. They smashed Rickenbackers, hotel rooms and occasionally each other. Never before had a band caused such wanton destruction on stage. Never before had a band smashed their instruments into pieces, or used feedback as a weapon to manipulate their audiences. But there had never been a band like The Who before, and no other band has ever brought the same level of danger, excitement, chaos and sheer volume to live performance. From singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle starting out as The Deetours in 1962, until the untimely death of their legendary drummer Keith Moon in 1978, this is the story of over 300 explosive who concerts told through more than 500 eyewitness accounts. It charts their rise from their West London roots to become one of Britain’s top chart acts (with 14 top ten hits) and a gig schedule that saw them play virtually everywhere in the UK before conquering North America and the world via mammoth concert tours and attention-grabbing appearances at the Monterey, Woodstock and Isle of Wight festivals. The Who’s albums Tommy, Who’s Next and Quadrophenia all rank in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. Their legacy is undiminished by time, and the sound of feedback runs through this book, as fans and admirers of the band recount seeing them in action through a series of fascinating and heartwarming anecdotes and photographs. More than 290 different Who gigs are recalled by fans, from their mod roots through to the 2000s… Tony Gleed talks to Richard Houghton about all things Who on stage, with a Q and A to follow and books to be bought and signed. Buy one, buy three. Soon be Christmas. We then complete this Whofest the best way possible…with a long set of ‘60s /‘70s classics performed by confirmed Who enthusiasts’ the excellent Wardour Street. From the igniting spark of The Who, straight through the ’60s mod explosion (Small Faces, The Kinks, Spencer Davis), and into the mod revival (Jam, Secret Affair, Purple Hearts, Chords, Lambrettas), plus a sprinkling of new wave and 2-tone. Wardour Street are the real deal Mod covers band…pure Fred Perry-adorned modernist joy!