" Overwhelming demand?....They barely sold out the first 2 through the fan club "
http://www.thewho.com/index.php" 29th October, 2008
THE WHO TO PERFORM AT 2009 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX "
" British rock legends The Who will perform a spectacular concert at the 2009 FORMULA 1 Australian Grand Prix.
The Who – arguably one of the greatest bands of all-time - will bring the curtain down on what is shaping up to be the biggest Grand Prix in Australia’s history.
With hits including ‘Who Are You’, ‘Substitute’, ‘My Generation’, ‘Pinball Wizard’ and ‘You Better You Bet’, The Who was the soundtrack for a generation. Next year they will provide the soundtrack to the Australian Grand Prix.
Performing in their only Melbourne show, The Who will take next year’s GP to a whole new level with a spectacular concert to herald the conclusion of the opening round of the Formula One world championship.
“Few bands can lay claim to being among rock royalty, but British rock gods The Who must surely feature on any list of the best bands of all-time,” said Zara Lawless, Acting CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. “Last year, an estimated 65,000 people stuck around after the big race to see a full, two-hour concert extravaganza from KISS. If you thought that was big, I urge you to get along to next year’s Grand Prix to be part of an event that people will talk about for years to come.”
Promoter Andrew McManus said, “After the tremendous success of last year I wanted to present a band that was just as exciting and dynamic on stage, so we can continue the momentum of the spectacular F1 race straight into one of the world’s leading acts. I had the opportunity of watching The Who headline the O2 festival in Ireland last year and was blown away by not only Roger Daltrey's vocals, but just the sheer magic coming off the stage from Pete Townshend and the rest of the band. The 2009 Australian Grand Prix can only get bigger and better with the inclusion of The Who!”
The Who is one of the most influential groups in rock music. Their progressive approach to the writing of albums and their exciting live shows are matched by few. The hard rock style they brought to England's music scene was one that set the stage for other bands ranging from Led Zeppelin to The Clash. The Who has sold over 100 million albums, won every major award including Grammies, Brit Awards and Lifetime Achievement honours and been inducted into both the US and UK Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame. Their charitable work is legendary, with millions of dollars being raised over the years for a variety of causes. This work was recognised by the award of a CBE to Roger Daltrey in 2005.
All three versions of the American forensic drama CSI (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY) feature songs written and performed by The Who as their theme songs – “Who Are You”, “Won't Get Fooled Again” and “Baba O'Riley” respectively.
Daltrey, 64, and guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend, 63, are the last two surviving members of the original foursome. The band is rounded out by long-time members Simon Townshend (guitar), Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass) and John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick (keys).
“This is a special occasion for us to come and be with you guys at the time of the Grand Prix,” said Townshend. “KISS did it last year and we hear they played to big crowds, but we hope to see an even bigger crowd when we hit Melbourne in March.”
“We can’t wait to get there,” added Daltrey. “We hope a load of you turn out to see us. It’s a bloody long way to go, but you’re worth coming to.”
Anyone with any valid ticket to the Grand Prix on Sunday, 29 March will be able to see The Who concert at no extra cost. A limited number of premium tickets will be available for an additional cost.
‘My Generation Platinum’ tickets will be sold for $225. This includes general admission entry to the Grand Prix on Sunday, 29 March as well as admission to an exclusive viewing area immediately in front of the stage.
‘Who Are You Gold’ tickets will be sold for $175. This includes general admission entry to the Grand Prix on Sunday, 29 March as well as admission to a premium viewing area, immediately behind the ‘My Generation Platinum’ viewing area and in front of the general patron viewing area.
Those who have 4-day general admission, grandstand or corporate tickets can also purchase a $76 upgrade which allows them access to the ‘Who Are You Gold’ area.
Tickets to the ‘My Generation Platinum’ and ‘Who Are You Gold’ viewing areas will be available to the general public on Monday, 3 November. "
http://www.thewho.com/index.php?module=news&news_item_id=221