The Who
Live @ Arena Di Verona, 11-06-2007

The Who have been talked about quite a bit lately. Many argue that the latest album is just a pathetic commercial operation, while others think the band is still capable of amazing even after 30 years with two members less... Honestly, I don't have a precise opinion on this, but I'm certain that the concert I attended last night was something real, like the air I was breathing, the images I was seeing, and the music I was hearing.

I must say that I really struggled immensely to reach Verona, given that my leg was in a cast... in return, I managed to end up in the stalls despite having a non-numbered tier ticket.

Around 8 PM, the Rose Hill Drive start playing, providing us a breathtaking performance for such a young group of three guys... I highly recommend listening to the self-titled album.

The arena fills up more and more, and around nine, the feeling is that of a complete sell-out. The girl managing the lights sits half a meter away from me under the gazebo set up to protect her instruments.

The concert begins. 

"I Can't Explain", "The Seeker", "Substitute"... almost perfect performances of immense power. Pete’s guitar sounded more electric than usual, and Roger was in great shape.
Then comes "Fragments", and the clouds in the sky become increasingly threatening... the song from the new album doesn't leave the audience indifferent. Girls are dancing, some idiot in front of me stands up on the chair, completely blocking my view, but it doesn’t matter... the air is fantastic.
A powerful guitar strum announces the arrival of "Who Are You"... and the divine response is immediate... the rain comes, stronger than ever, as if the Almighty felt involved by such goodness.

It's pure spectacle... I swear I've seen lightning strike more than once in perfect sync with the explosive power of the drums... the spotlights move through the rain, highlighting the looming storm. Even before the end of the song, the situation becomes terrible, with water pouring at an angle, making it impossible to continue the concert... everything suddenly falls silent. I crawl under the lighting technician’s booth, where I sit right on a container for equipment branded The Who London.

What happened for an entire hour was just boredom... me trying not to get the cast wet, and people trying in every possible way to shield themselves from the numerous tears of the sky.

The show resumes once the situation stabilizes. The notes of "Behind Blue Eyes" stir the arena, which sings in chorus. The audience was still all there... amazing. And then the unexpected happens... at the first high note, Roger can't manage, his voice disappears and doesn't return... and everything stops again; after a fitful gesture with Pete, the group retreats backstage. Meanwhile, it’s still raining.

The anger took several minutes to arrive, only with the announcement of the concert's interruption. But the crowd does not accept it, the crowd wants The Who... they call them, encourage them: “Roger Roger!” And when no one expected it anymore, after about half an hour, there they are, returning to the stage amidst the crowd's frenzy.

It's really them.

The concert picks up again with less demanding pieces, in which Roger offers timid back vocals. Pete is truly an "alien", throughout the continuation he plays divinely, sings, jumps, twirls his arm, does breathtaking solos. "Let's See Action", "Eminence Front", "Relay", stretched and wrung unconceivably, improvised in every way.
And then comes the fantastic "Magic Bus", “Live At Leeds” version, with Roger showing us what it means to play the harmonica at 60 without a voice... divine!
With "Baba O'Riley" it’s another frenzy of the crowd... at moments, I can hardly hear Pete over the din of so many people singing.
The gem of "The Real Me" is formidable. Pino Paladino raises the volume of his bass and lets the whole world know he's not just a replacement, but a great musician. 
Not a very positive note for "Pinball Wizard", which is a bit bungled by the backing band. Even so, it’s always emotional.
Here Townshend makes yet another great move and pulls out a "The Kids Are Alright" that’s incredible, with an improvised and profoundly changed ending. Zak on the drums shows us whose son he is.

The ending is unexpected, with a fantastic "My Generation" and a powerful "Won't Get Fooled Again" with a wheaty taste... oh yes, because if Townshend were a mill, he would have fed an entire nation with all the times he spun that damn arm on his Strat!

There’s a bit of a bitter taste from not hearing a typical “See Me, Feel Me” finale or a classic "Love Reign' Or Me" (perfect for the occasion, by the way)... or a recent "Tea & Theatre"... but after all, it's past midnight and we are definitely over the maximum time limit.

Many may object... that I am a damn fan who describes everything positively, that in reality, they should have refunded the tickets, etc., etc... but I’ll tell you one thing... This was a real concert, made by musicians who don't feel like betraying everyone and keep going, made up of a wonderful audience standing outside, taking the rain, made up of real people, made from the heart... the heart of The Who.