The Who just played London’s iconic Wembley Stadium for the first time since Live Aid in 1985! Their return was a grand affair, complete with a full orchestra and some very noteworthy surprises.
First of all, the band debuted a brand new song, “Hero Ground Zero,” reportedly the title track of an upcoming album! Hero Ground Zero will be the Who’s first album since 2006’s Endless Wire. They also gave Pete Townshend’s song “Guantanamo” its live debut!
There were also some stripped back performances during the night. Townshend and Daltrey performed an acoustic rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” together, and Townshend played an acoustic version of “Drowned” as well.
The orchestra was utilized for many songs in the setlist, but not all. In the middle of the show, the orchestra took a break, letting The Who channel a more punk rock energy for “The Seeker” and “Substitute.”
Another unexpected moment in the show that thrilled the audience was Eddie Vedder’s surprise appearance! Vedder joined the Who onstage for a performance of “Punk and the Godfather” from Quadrophenia.
Check out The Who's entire setlist here!
Vedder also served as the show’s opener, playing a set that included Pearl Jam hits such as “Black," "Alive," and “Porch.” Even his set had surprise guests—Vedder and Simon Townshend performed Townshend’s song “I’m The Answer,” and Glen Hansard joined Vedder for a cover of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
Kaiser Chiefs also played a short opening set that included older songs such as “I Predict A Riot,” as well as new songs such as “People Know How To Love One Another,” from their upcoming album.
The night was certainly one to remember, and there will be many more coming up soon because The Who will resume their North American tour this fall! Check out their tour dates below!
Sept 6 Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Sept 8 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, Alpine Valley, WI
Sept 10 Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Sept 13 Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Sept 15 Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
Sept 18 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Sept 20 BB&T Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Sept 22 Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
Sept 25 Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Sept 27 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Sept 29 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Oct 11 Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 13 Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 16 Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Oct 19 T-Mobile Park, Home of the Seattle Mariners, Seattle, WA
Oct 21 Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Oct 23 Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
