The Who in The Netherlands

[RobertArthur]

It’s not the first time we’ve gone back to the sixties. Let’s go to the Marquee Club for a moment. Quite a few neighbourhoods in London had a couple of ‘local’ bands with fans, not many, friends, teenagers living in the same neighbourhood, but very loyal. Did these musicians think this could last forever and enable them to make a living? Actually, I don’t think so. The same thing was happening on the other side of the North Sea, in the Netherlands, in The Hague. Helping to organise concerts and building my own amplifiers and speaker cabinets – and even a couple of bass guitars – was far more interesting to me than anything secondary school had to offer.

Speaking of that bass guitar, no matter how I look at it (only one picture left), it immediately takes me back to The Who and a few of their gigs in the Netherlands. I could try to piece together how it all unfolded back then using a few diaries, but before you know it, you’d be spending days on it.

I once came across a story somewhere by someone who, from what I can gather, was also a first-hand witness to a few of those performances. I remember being asked at the time if I’d be willing to lend my PA equipment. In hindsight, it was just as well that I chose not to part with that kit. Even if it had only been temporary, it would probably have been a permanent farewell. About their first performance, in the Marathon. It used to be a roller-skating rink, and later it became a venue for pop bands. When interest in small-scale gigs began to wane, it turned into a nightclub: Friday on my MInd, not to forget, no vaccines available, applause from the other side of the Atlantic, Saturday Night Fever.

Author unknown, a copy somewhere on one of my hard disks, and translated.

[Loup-garou]

My sister was at Leeds University late late '60s - early '70s. Early in 1970 she invited me down to see the Who play there.

In November that year, I moved to London and the choice of live music was huge. Early on, I remember nights in Bumpers Club near Piccadilly where they occasionally just had jamming sessions. One memorable night, probably early 1971, there were four drummers on stage including Keith Moon (yes there was a point to my post) - the musicians were essentially The Keef Hartley Band, Ashton Gardner & Dyke, Geoff Beck and a number of other lead and bass guitars.

Great nights and not too expensive. We used to get the "paper train" home. These were unscheduled trains that left the station around 4.00 am (in our case Waterloo) and dropped off the days newspapers to each station they passed through.

[hughnique]

Out of the mists of time comes a recollection of the who playing in a grotty little community centre, in Wrotham Road, Welling Kent, the next night, 11th March 1965, they made their first appearance on TOTP. I was amazed to see them on the tele after seeing them live the night before. I don't know if I was in the building or looking through the window as I wouldn't have had any dosh to pay for entry at 15. I have looked at the archives and they were somewhere else on the night in question. Perhaps I have the dates wrong but definitely recollect seeing them at that venue.

[Blaze]

I saw The Who at the Oval in 1971 before returning to Germany. I remember being pushed against some gates and I've been wary of large crowds ever since. The concert was good though !