Quadrophenia and more from The Who

THE WHO, one of rock’s legendary and defining bands, has announced an Irish and UK arena tour where they’ll perform their iconic 1973 double album Quadrophenia in its entirety, along with a selection of Who classics.

The tour follows on from a hugely successful North American, tour, praised by press and fans alike as probably the definitive interpretation of Quadrophenia.

The critically acclaimed Quadrophenia marked the British band’s second rock opera (after Tommy), raised the bar for rock albums as an art form, hit #2 on the UK album chart and massively influenced the future of UK style, fashion and culture – from Paul Weller to Bradley Wiggins, from Paul Smith to Noel Gallagher.

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The band, founded in 1964, brought together four different personalities and in effect produced a musical hurricane. Each of them was a pioneer. Wildman drummer Keith Moon beat his kit with a chaotic elegance; stoic bassist John Entwistle held down the center with the melodic virtuosity of a solo guitarist; raging intellectual Pete Townshend punctuated the epic universality of his songs with the windmill slamming of his fingers across his guitar strings; and Roger Daltrey roared above it all with an impossibly virile macho swagger. They exploded conventional rhythm and blues structures, challenged pop music conventions, and redefined what was possible on stage, in the recording studio, and on vinyl.

This new concert version of Quadrophenia, personally directed by Roger Daltrey, focuses on the original album and replaces the narrative used in previous stage versions with powerful imagery projected on an array of massive screens, designed to support, complement and propel the musical content of the work by setting it in the context of the history of the band. This is achieved to startling effect.

The tour will be stopping off in Belfast on June 10 and tickets are on sale now from all usual outlets.