The Limelight, Crewe, 9th Feb 2008.....

Hello,

If it's Saturday, it's a converted Church in lovely Crewe to see and hear five Who fans put on the most enjoyable show you'll ever hear this side of PT's front door!

Their emphasis is all about recreating the sounds, with the visuals quite correctly down the pecking-order. So accurately is this accomplished at times it is impossible not to be swept along.

These guys play the most thorough, inventive and fresh set of 'Oo songs you'll ever hear again.

Aside from the still jaw-dropping drumming of Paul Kemp (I know it's always trotted-out but if he's good enough for Kitty Moon etc.) I think the Man-Of-The-Match award goes to their Entwistle (take a bow Terry!) who aside from nailing the background harmonies plays the bass guitar like the offspring of Ents himself! Fast, fluid and doing so much that it lets PT slash and burn and pick away. A lot like you-know-who, really.

Obviously an honourable mention too for their 'Rabbit' on keyboards and backing vocals (Matt) and leading the line is Gary, who on occasion looked as though he was trying to destroy his mic, a la Rog; not by flinging it around lasso-styli (which he did plenty of), but by singing as though his pet's life depended upon it!
Nice banter too in between songs to gee-up the crowd: it's gotta be difficult fronting a great band who play some fantastic songs that you can't dance to, he-he!

Highlights were an incandescent 'Dreaming from the Waist, 'Summertime Blues' and even the old warhorse 'Won't Get Fooled Again' was stunning at times.

Si

(courtesy of the Who Forum. www.whochat.proboards35.com)

The Sun Online, 2007 I.O.W. festival review.

WHO'S WHO - Why go to Glastonbury to see The Who headline, when "the ultimate tribute act" were in the Isle Of Wight's Hipshaker tent?

Close your eyes and you can imagine Roger, Pete, John and Keith on stage knocking out the classics.

Open them again and you'll see four guys who look nothing like the greats they are covering.

But with songs so good, who cares?

Killer tune: Pinball Wizard
Bizarre rating: 6/10

Mr Kyps, Poole

So, here we are, Tris and Josh, drunk as skunks, on a high from listening to 2 hours 20 minutes of pure, unadulterated Great British Rock ‘n’ Roll! To say Who’s Who were awesome would be an understatement……they were…….SUPER awesome! Live At Leeds? Rubbish! Live at Kyps is what it bloody should be! The boys played to a T, starting strong with Heaven and Hell (like last time!), continuing strong with Tommy, and ending strong with – Tristan’s favourite Who song – the Seeker.

In between was the usual Who-ish mayhem; Moon doing his best to contain Kyps’ pest problem with some assistance from Pete, windmills, broken drumsticks, microphone twirling, and John…uhhh…..doing nothing! Very authentic indeed! Like last time, they played a tremendous set, this time replicating that of the Leeds show we all know and love – including all of Tommy and my favourite, A Quick One! “My name is Ivor, I’m an engine driver…..” And of course, the usual favourites, My Generation, Magic Bus, and of course, Summertime Blues!

There was no guitar smashing this time, but did they need it? Hell no! They came, they saw, they ROCKED, and I guarantee the real ‘Orrible ‘Oo would be bloody proud! I’m glad to say I got a drum stick this time, and it shall be cherished forever…but does it make up for not having free entry for my last review, as stated by the band?…yes….you got lucky this time Mr Kyps! Cheers lads, come back again soon, maybe do all of Quadrophenia next time?! On a final note, is it just me, or has the phone been ringing non stop for the last 3 hours…Many thanks again lads, I shall see you in October!

Review by: Joshua Keir

Fleece and Firkin, Bristol

I wish I’d been at Leeds University Refectory on February 14 1970, as an eleven old, but as luck would have it, I was able to experience something of the power, dynamics and bonhomie on offer that evening, when Who’s Who came to Bristol recently.
Gary (vcls), Terry (bs), Paul (drums), Pete (gtr) and Matt (kybs) tore through (most of) the Live at Leeds lp in animated yet reverent fashion. Despite several of the band recovering from colds, their performances were uniformly excellent and the backing vocals were especially sweet, like those of John and PT (always an underrated element in the Who’s sound.)
Heaven and Hell (Terry’s chance to shine on vocals) and a sharp I Can’t Explain set us up nicely for a delightful Fortune Teller (with group/audience asides like ‘Benny Spellman’, ‘Wayne Fontana’ and ‘The Merseybeats’) which segued into the wonderful Tattoo (great vocal from Gary) which always induces smiles of amazement in this household, a 22 year old writing a nostalgic pop song about tattoos and members of his family.
There then followed the hit singles of Substitute, Happy Jack and I’m A Boy (‘the three easiest to play’) and Paul and Terry continued to excite and impress as a rhythm section . Pete’s performance was the best we’d ever seen from him, Gary appeared very confident and in good voice, and Matt seemed to enjoy himself, filling out the sounds with aplomb. (What is aplomb?)
Despite having seen the Who many times over the past 29 years (including Charlton ’76, the 81 Tour, Tommy at the RFH in ’89, Hollywood Bowl 2000, the Forum x3 last year and others) I’d never seen them perform the mini opera. And I have to say that the band’s rendition of A Quick One While He’s Away (with this Pete’s edited introduction) was highly entertaining in both its humorous delivery and powerful execution.
Gary then announced that the next part of the show would be dedicated to the recently departed Tommy Vance who also had an influence on all our musical journeys. I will miss Tommy’s special vocal qualities promising us ‘a session by Anthrax later in the show’.
Who’s Who then performed the ‘bleedin’ opera’ Tommy and it was fabulous. All five musicians were focused and really enjoying themselves and we loved it so much. And it’s not easy to play and play well, I’m sure. The Overture and Amazing Journey were terrific as were all the songs obviously but as always with Who’s Who, Sparks was a major highlight, with Pete getting off on some great guitar. (Surely one of the highlights of PT’s writing career).
Paul’s lecherous contributions Fiddle About and Tommy’s Holiday Camp were well received and a storming I’m Free led us into the We’re Not Gonna Take It finale.
Grown men wept and their wives possibly squirmed. Penny wasn’t one of them , she’s always said that one of the things she’s always loved about me is my London geezerish love for the Who (and to that, now add Who’s Who’s performances)
After a brief composure time, the band hammered on with Summertime, Shakin’ and Mose Allison’s (‘a jazz sage) Young Man Blues, culminating with an anthemic My Generation with Terry spot on with the Danelecto bass solos.
Then a singalong Magic Bus which gave Paul a chance to stand out front with his bit of wood and trousers rolled up.
So, if this group come to your town, get yourself down there and see one of the best live acts around performing the back catalogue of the greatest rock n roll band we’ve ever had the privilege to witness. I’m not prepared to even discuss it.
Howlin’ Pete Wyatt -Burnham On Sea – March 2005

The Rayners, Rayners Lane

Your Gig at the Rayners in March was superb, no one could do justice to Tommy like you guys did that night - worth flying 11000 miles for!

Odds and Sods!!

“Professional attitude….Indiscernible from the real thing..” The Stage

“No wonder Keith Moon’s Mum asked the drummer to tea!!” via e-mail

“The band ended with My Generation and the 1000 strong crowd went absolutely mental” Scootering

“It must have been the way that people felt when they saw the real Who for the first time, that feeling of witnessing something grand that left them so fulfilled yet wanting so much more- now! … We really hope to catch you very soon, cos we are definitely hooked!” Finchley 2004 review

“Tricky songs like The Real Me, Dr. Jimmy and Love Reign O'er Me proved they'd done their homework. The set climaxed with Baba O'Reilly and Won't Get Fooled Again, complete with Roger Daltrey-style scream. I rushed home and put on my Who albums. For a tribute act, there's no higher praise.” The Daily Record, Glasgow

“After seeing quite a few tribute bands, I was literally blown away, Who’s Who managed to recreate the power and vibrance of The Who’s famous wall of sound…a full Firkin was screaming for more and wow - did they deliver” Redcar review

"Goodness Gracious!!" Jimmy Saville

"Sensational!" Tony Blackburn

“I have heard so much about this band that I had to leave my house and brave the wet and cold to see them for myself. I don’t go for tribute bands much, but it is safe to say that this is no ordinary tribute…. I just couldn’t believe the power that was coming from the stage…. Fantastic musicians, fantastic night. A message to everyone..this band you must see!” Review, York

“I wasn’t around in the sixties, but if a Who concert generated as much energy as this I really did miss out” via e-mail

"It's all done in the best possible taste." Kenny Everett

“Every time I see you guys you just get better and better! Unbelievable” via e-mail

“I thought I had seen good live bands until I saw Who’s Who… I have only heard Young Man Blues on Live at Leeds. I didn’t think anyone was brave enough to attempt it, but when Pete (Dixon) let rip on the guitar solo it was note for note perfection. Windmills, jumps, feedback, the bloody lot! Brilliant” via e-mail.

“Ever wanted to see The Who at their best? Wished you had been around to see Keith Moon? Well all you have to do is visit your nearest Music Venue and wait for Who’s Who to turn up. Just like the 3000 did at Camber Sands. It was the closest you will ever get to The Who circa 1971, when they were at their absolute best. It seems to me that Who’s Who have taken over from there. You just won’t see or hear anything better. Gary’s vocal work is pitch perfect, the whole band is just awesome. If you want Rock’n’Roll look no further, the power and attitude of The Who lives on!” Scootering

“Don’t just expect your usual, familiar My Generation or Pictures of Lily, which, of course, are there on the set list, but throw yourself into excerpts from the superb Quadrophenia album, with the manual dexterity of Matt Fowler on keyboards” Review via e-mail

"Cobblers!!!" Albert Steptoe.

“I was in awe watching the rhythm section (Terry Wyatt and Paul(Moonie) Kemp) at work… How do they do it?? I thought only Entwhistle and Keith Moon knew how” via e-mail (Sheffield)

“… you were amazing on Friday night…enjoyed seeing you play more than the real Who because the venue was smaller and more intimate and the sound, obviously, more raw. I still can’t believe my Dad was at the front jumping around….” via e-mail (Bristol)

“Thanks to Moonie for probably the best drum solo I have ever seen - I've seen plenty of Keith Moon footage over the years - that was equal to the man himself at his best.” Via e-mail (Worthing)

Mr Kyps, Poole

First off, I'd just like to say I am without a doubt the biggest Who fan on earth. Okay, so maybe that isn't true, but I'd give anyone a run for their money! Being such a big fan, I was hoping to see something special, and I'm thankful to say, I did! Straight off, the first thing that hit me when I walked in was "crikey...they've stolen one of Moons actual drum kits!” The authenticity of that double bass, chromed Premier drum kit, stretching half way across the stage, made me realise one thing - these guys meant business! This realisation was quickly backed up when they ripped into Heaven and Hell, frenetic drumming, blistering bass lines, microphone spinning and windmilled power chords included! All of it was topped off in true Who style...being ear splittingly loud! What followed was a display of just why the Who are one of the greatest bands of all time, with hits from the early 60's, like I Can't Explain and Substitute, right the way through to Quadrophenia numbers, Bell Boy being particularly good with Moon the Loon's comical vocal passage. It's worth a mention that the Who did classic rock n roll covers, accurately covered here again by Who's Who. These included Summertime Blues, with the deep rumbling vocals supplied by the Entwistle of the band as the authority figure in the song, and Mose Allison's Young Man Blues. The latter was a perfect example of what these lads had down to a T, the ability to musically bounce off of each other, and pull the song in a different direction at the drop of a hat, the real Who would be bloody proud! The most amazing thing about the Who which they captured perfectly however, was the ability of having so much fun on stage! The constant running commentary from Moon the Loon, all the while making faces and spinning sticks was uncanny - if I didn't know better, I'd guess these boys built a time machine, went back to 1970 and kidnapped that lunatic! The Roger of the band's vocals were stunning, and were particularly effective when the John and the Pete added delicate harmonies to his masculine growl. To finish it all off, they let rip with a barrage of classics, Won't Get Fooled Again, Baba O'riley and My Generation, guitar smashing included! Get these lads back soon Mr Kyps, I'm begging you! Nice one fellas, keep on rocking! Review by: Joshua Keir Thanks Joshua, see you next year!

The Daily Record, Glasgow

Tricky Songs Like like The Real Me, Doctor Jimmy and Love Reign O'er Me proved they had done their homework. The set climaxed with Baba O'Riley and Won't Get Fooled Again, complete with Roger Daltrey scream. I rushed home to put on my Who albums. For a Tribute act, there is no higher praise.