The Who: The Kids Are Alright

- Over here? - Yeah, there.

- Where do you want it? - Right there.

We want to make sure...

They look after us on this show.

You know, you guys are really too much,

and I want to introduce you to the guys individually in the Who

because you never get to know their names.

You know them as The Who. Everybody says "Who?"

And you say, you know. So what's your name?

Pete. Pete Townshend.

- And where are you from, Pete? - London.

- From London? - Yeah.

- London where? - London, England.

Where did you learn to play?

You know, that's a wild style of play.

Where did you learn to play the guitar like that?

That was bowling.

Bowling. Yeah, I could tell.

Now we move right along...

right over here.

- And you're... - John.

You're John? And you're from?

- London, too. - From London, too?

And you must be Roger.

I must be.

- Are you? - Yeah.

- You're Roger? - I'm Roger.

- And where you from? - Oz.

Here's Roger from Oz.

And over here, the guy that plays the sloppy drums.

Follow the yellow brick road.

- What's your name? - Keith.

- Keith? - My friends call me Keith.

- You can call me John. - Okay, John.

I'd just as soon call you Roger.

Roger from Oz, what's the next song you're going to play?

"My Generation."

- Your generation? - Yeah.

I can really identify with that

because I can really identify with these guys.

I dig them. And this is...

You got sloppy stage hands around here.

Okay, that's enough!

They're going to sing "My Generation."

This song really goes--

And you're going to be surprised what happens

because this is excitement. And hit it.

"My Generation."

"THE WHO"

"THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT"

"A FILM BY JEFF STEIN"

' Hey, Dick! ' Yes?

I'd like to borrow your bass for a minute.

And now here is your Shindig host...

Jimmy O'Neil.

Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.

How are you all, Shindiggers?

Tonight is our very last Shindig, and were going out with a bang.

We got a bang-up cast for you,

starring Billy Jay Kramer and the Dakotas,

The Who,

Dave Berry, Ian Watkins, Sandy Shaw,

The Kinks, The Barren Knights, Twinkle,

and of course our own Blossoms and Wellingtons.

What do you say we get ready to live it up?

Because here we go with our kick-off tune tonight,

called "I Can't Explain."

Here to sing it are The Who.

Terribly sorry, Russell.

Does this stuff belong to you?

Have a seat, old love.

You sit down, then.

Drake, this is all over the upholstery.

Who does that machinery belong to? Does it belong to you or to us?

- I mean, who has to pay for it? - It's mortgaged.

It's all right.

- It looks all right. - Doesn't matter to them.

A lot of people like what were doing.

We've got 83...

- Stop interrupting! - ...deposed Pakistanis to visit.

Do go on.

It's no good. I've lost my nerve now.

All right, let me take over now.

Now, you have been together now as a group

for how many years? 10 years?

Yeah I'm leaving

Wait a minute, hold on, hold on.

Was it that long? Christ Almighty.

It's known as Decay of The Who.

- What's it, then? - The Decline of The Who

The Decade of The Who.

Oh, the decade.

Who decayed?

Everybody, you will be all right.

Sure, sure.

Everybody, focus. You'll be all right.

Yeah, yeah, we know.

You'll be all... yeah, you'll be all right.

Everybody, clap your hands!

I can't hear you!

It has to be loud!

Come on!

A little louder!

Shout!

That's good.

Let's bring our souls together.

You've been together for 10 years.

A decade. You haven't yet decayed.

Apart from the Rolling Stones,

You are the longest surviving together group, are you not?

Well, not together.

What strains that you have suffered together, if at all?

Seems it's just beginning.

It's such a long story. Should I start...

Start at the beginning.

We started off as...

I must admit that the fantastic thing about The Who

is that we are all incredibly nasty.

You are or were?

Were. I mean, we still were.

His feet are nasty as well.

Christ.

Don't mind me.

We were nasty...

God.

Carry on, Russell.

I don't want it.

You just carry on, Russell. Go on.

Be sure it's going to be worth seeing.

There's a thing here,

an account of one week exactly ten years ago,

when you had played in that week in the Social Club In Goldhawk Road

and the California Ballroom In Dunstable

And the Railway Arms Neasden.

And what you had made that week was £370.

And what you had spent was £1946.17.6,

and including £785

on replacement of guitars, drum kits, and microphones.

Who covered that gap in money,

that £400 gap

which left £1,300 to find every week?

It's hard to say.

I used to rush into Marshall's Music Shop

and steal guitars off the wall.

I'd say, "Just taking a guitar. Pay you Tuesday," and rush out.

"ENTERTAINMENT-- THE WHO-- RICHEST VANDALS IN THE WORLD!"

Kit Lampert, our manager... It frustrates me.

"Photographer from the Daily Mail in the audience.

Smash your guitar."

So I smashed the guitar around the stage.

He'd come back

"Pete, Pete. Sorry. He missed it.

Smash another one. I'll give you the money."

And as soon as I started...

"A BEAST INVADES THE HIGH SCHOOL HOP"

smashing something up, Keith, who is a great joiner-inner,

used to smash up his drum kit.

Well, I suppose all his friends have been on here

because, you know, I'm only one of several.

I've told you about all the mad things he's done in life,

such as, you know, breaking up rooms,

driving his car into swimming pools,

driving his car into foyers.

Well, I'm not going to tell you about any of that.

You know, I'm just here to tell you

about the Keith I know and love, you know?

Keith, what's your opinion of your public image?

I think it sort of varies with every record I put out.

I think sometimes...

Could you get on with it? Will you keep it together?

No, I think I'm very reliant on my management

and my public relations people.

This country is in a weird, feeble, grotesque state,

and it's about time it got out of it,

And the on... the reason it could get out of it is rock music.

And I think The Towns... and The Who, Roger Daltrey,

Entwistle, Moon,

could rise this country out of its decadent, ambient state

more than Wilson and those crappy people

could ever hope to achieve!

What about the little singer? What's your opinion of him?

Well, I think he does a damn good job out there.

Personally, I mean, I wouldn't go out there

up front with nothing to protect me but a small microphone,

but he manages to revolve it so fast

that when people do throw things,

he gets sort of desiccated eggs and sliced tomato.

I turn my cymbals up this way

So that at the end of the night I have a salad mixed.

I just sprinkle some salt

and some Italian seasoning on it,'

and that sort of ends up my evening here.

There are some elements in the story line...

the image in the mirror,

the pinball,

and the sensibility in general.

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.

Which reflect in a certain sense

the phenomenon of youth subculture.

There is narcissism.