The Who Woodstock Festival 1969: The Full Broadcast

They allegedly earned a pitiful (even for 1969) $6,250 for performing at Woodstock in 1969 - less than Canned Heat, Joan Baez and Jefferson Airplane, and a third of what Jimi Hendrix received - but the Who's set at the festival at least allowed the group an opportunity to promote their recently released Tommy album to over 500,000 people, in attendance at Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm over the long weekend of 15th - 18th August 1969. Bookended by a couple of oldies at the off, and two covers plus 'My Generation' concluding their set of just over an hour, Tommy dominated proceedings, with the 75 minute album condensed to ¾ of an hour. Interrupted only by political agitator and all round P.I.T.A Abbie Hoffman, who jumped on stage at the conclusion of 'Pinball Wizard' to wax lyrical about nothing much, he was met with Pete's well placed guitar butt in his back which swiftly saw Hoffman suitable ejected, and allowed Townsend's majestic rock-opera to continue unabashed. In all, what was a fine performance of the Who's new record (later to be a Ken Russell movie) was not quite premiered at Woodstock, but was aired to the greater hippie community and others who may have tuned into the TV broadcast of the entire event, which no doubt persuaded many to pick up a copy of the vinyl version, released just two months before this event. Released here on CD for the first time, complete with the mid-performance 'incident', this fine Who is now finally available for fans to add to their collections, no bad thing after 50 or so years of absence from such. Oh, and by the way, the then relatively unknown Santana, fey-songstress Melanie and ex-Lovin' Spoonful mainstay John B. Sebastian, each pocketed less than a grand a piece for showing up.