The Who Tour 2008–2009

History

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend began performing again on 13 April 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, closing the week of Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concerts with a six-song acoustic set in a rare Who performance that did not include a full band. On 27 June, The Who took part in a concert at Hyde Park to honour former South African President Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday. On 12 July, The Who were honoured by the VH1 Rock Honors, where they played a brief set after tribute performances by several bands, namely the Foo Fighters, Incubus, the Flaming Lips, Tenacious D and Pearl Jam; four days later the group played a private show at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles for a party celebrating the launch of the music video game Rock Band 2. The group took part in a concert to celebrate London's Olympics handover at The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London on 24 August. The group returned to North America in October for another short tour, also playing a private event for a 50th birthday and a benefit gig for the Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research; five more shows in Japan immediately followed. They closed the year with three Christmas concerts at the indigO2 in London in December.

2009 saw the band's second short trip to Australia of the decade, preceded by their first appearance in New Zealand since 1968. Finally, in May, Townshend and Daltrey again did an acoustic performance for the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts, this time at Emirates Stadium in London.

Tour band

Additional Members

2008 Teenage Cancer Trust Benefit Concert

The band's short acoustic set on 13 April was the last performance of the 2008 Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Set list (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "Let's See Action"
2. "Behind Blue Eyes"
3. "Two Thousand Years"
4. "Mike Post Theme"
5. "Won't Get Fooled Again"
6. "Tea and Theatre"

This was the only time that "Let's See Action" was used to open a Who concert. "Two Thousand Years" from the album Endless Wire made its debut appearance here as well, with Simon Townshend on mandolin.

Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute

The Who played a set at the concert to honour former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday at Hyde Park on 27 June 2008. The songs that they performed were as follows.

1. "Baba O'Riley"
2. "My Generation"
3. "Pinball Wizard"
4. "Squeeze Box"
5. "Eminence Front"
6. "Love, Reign o'er Me"
7. "You Better You Bet"
8. "Who Are You"
9. "Won't Get Fooled Again"

VH1 Rock honors

The Who played a short set on 12 July 2008 at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles following tributes from several different bands and performers. Set list (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "Baba O'Riley"
2. "The Seeker"
3. "Who Are You"
4. "Behind Blue Eyes"
5. "Two Thousand Years"
6. "You Better You Bet"
7. "My Generation"
8. "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Encore:

1. "Tea and Theatre"

Rock Band 2 Launch Party

The band played a private show on 16 July 2008 at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles for the Rock Band 2 launch party. Set list (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "I Can't Explain"
2. "The Seeker"
3. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend)
4. "Fragments" (Lawrence Ball, Pete Townshend)
5. "Who Are You"
6. "Behind Blue Eyes"
7. "Baba O'Riley"
8. "The Relay"
9. "5.15"
10. "My Generation" (often including lyrics to "Cry If You Want")
11. "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Encore:

1. "The Kids Are Alright"
2. "Pinball Wizard"
3. "Amazing Journey"
4. "Sparks"
5. "See Me, Feel Me"
6. "Tea and Theatre"

London 2012 Party

The Who performed a set at the official Olympics handover to London concert at The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London on 24 August 2008. The songs that they performed were as follows.

1. "Baba O'Riley"
2. "My Generation"
3. "Pinball Wizard"
4. "Love, Reign o'er Me"
5. "Won't Get Fooled Again"

American leg

This leg started on 21 October 2008 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan and ended on 9 November at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. These shows saw the addition of "Sister Disco", which hadn't been played since the 1989 tour; "Getting in Tune" was also reintroduced after a fairly long absence. Here is a fairly typical set list for the tour (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "I Can't Explain"
2. "The Seeker"
3. "The Relay" or "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend)
4. "Fragments" (Lawrence Ball, Pete Townshend)
5. "Who Are You"
6. "Behind Blue Eyes"
7. "Real Good Looking Boy" (Pete Townshend, Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti, George David Weiss)
8. "Sister Disco"
9. "Baba O'Riley"
10. "Getting in Tune"
11. "Eminence Front"
12. "5.15"
13. "Love, Reign o'er Me
14. "My Generation" (often including lyrics to "Cry If You Want")
15. "Won't Get Fooled Again" (sometimes before "My Generation")

Encore

1. "Pinball Wizard"
2. "Amazing Journey"
3. "Sparks"
4. "See Me, Feel Me"
5. "Tea and Theatre"

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour. The third song slot rotated between "The Relay", "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", "Getting in Tune", "Substitute" and "The Kids Are Alright" throughout the leg, although the first two were played as the third song most often. The set lists were also very different at the two private shows. Other songs which were played on the tour and are not in the above list are:

Japanese Leg

This leg started on 13 November 2008 at the Castle Hall in Osaka and ended on 19 November at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Here is a fairly typical set list for the tour (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "I Can't Explain"
2. "The Seeker"
3. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend; replaced by "The Relay" on 13 November.)
4. "Fragments" (Lawrence Ball, Pete Townshend)
5. "Who Are You"
6. "Behind Blue Eyes"
7. "The Relay" (replaced by "Real Good Looking Boy" on 13 November.)
8. "Sister Disco"
9. "Baba O'Riley"
10. "Eminence Front"
11. "5.15"
12. "Love, Reign o'er Me
13. "My Generation" (often including lyrics to "Cry If You Want")
14. "Won't Get Fooled Again" (sometimes before "My Generation")

Encore

1. "Pinball Wizard"
2. "Amazing Journey"
3. "Sparks"
4. "See Me, Feel Me"
5. "Tea and Theatre"

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour. "Naked Eye" was sometimes played after "My Generation" as the set closer. Other songs which were played on the tour and are not in the above list are:

indigO2 Christmas Concerts

This short leg started on 14 December 2008 at the indigO2 in London and ended on 17 December at the same venue. The show on the 15th had the band leave the stage after "I Can't Explain" because of an inner ear problem suffered by Townshend, but they returned shortly afterwards and played it again, following with the rest of the set; a loose and problematic version of "Slip Kid" was performed by Townshend and Daltrey at the start of the encore during the same show, the first attempt at the song since 1976. Here is a fairly typical set list for the tour (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "I Can't Explain" (performed twice on the 15th)
2. "The Seeker"
3. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend)
4. "Fragments" (Lawrence Ball and Townshend)
5. "Who Are You"
6. "Behind Blue Eyes"
7. "Tattoo"
8. "Sister Disco" (sometimes including teases of "Drowned" during the guitar outro)
9. "Baba O'Riley"
10. "Eminence Front"
11. "5.15"
12. "Love, Reign o'er Me
13. "Won't Get Fooled Again"
14. "My Generation" (often including lyrics to "Cry If You Want")
15. "Naked Eye"

Encore

1. "Magic Bus" (not on 14 December.)
2. "Pinball Wizard"
3. "Amazing Journey"
4. "Sparks"
5. "See Me, Feel Me"
6. "Tea and Theatre"

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour. Other songs which were played on the tour and are not in the above list are:

Sound Relief

The Who performed at the Sound Relief concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia. The songs they performed were as follows.

1. "Baba O'Riley"
2. "My Generation"
3. "Pinball Wizard"
4. "Substitute"
5. "The Seeker"
6. "Love, Reign o'er Me"
7. "You Better You Bet"
8. "Who Are You"
9. "Won't Get Fooled Again"

New Zealand/Australian Leg

This leg started on 21 March 2009 at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand and ended on 4 April at Perth Oval in Perth, Australia. Here is a fairly typical set list for the tour (all songs written by Pete Townshend unless otherwise specified):

1. "I Can't Explain"
2. "The Seeker"
3. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend)
4. "Fragments" (Lawrence Ball and Townshend)
5. "Who Are You"
6. "Behind Blue Eyes"
7. "The Relay"
8. "Baba O'Riley"
9. "Eminence Front"
10. "5.15"
11. "Love, Reign o'er Me
12. "You Better You Bet"
13. "My Generation" (often including lyrics to "Cry If You Want")
14. "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Encore

1. "The Kids Are Alright" (not played on 21 March)
2. "Substitute" (not played on 21 March)
3. "Pinball Wizard"
4. "Amazing Journey"
5. "Sparks"
6. "See Me, Feel Me"
7. "Tea and Theatre"

There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour. Other songs which were played on the tour and are not in the above list are:

2009 Teenage Cancer Trust Benefit Concert

Townshend and Daltrey played another short acoustic set on 21 May for the 2009 Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concerts at Emirates Stadium in London. Set list (all songs written by Pete Townshend):

1. "The Kids Are Alright"
2. "Who Are You"
3. "Won't Get Fooled Again"