She still carries a scar on her face...
bria...@bellsouth.net
http://tinyurl.com/gq697
WHO STAR PETE BUST MY NOSE (BUT I STILL CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM AGAIN IN
BRISTOL)
Music lover Jean O'Brien has a lasting reminder of going to see legend rock
group The Who - a scar on her nose.
Jean, 54, from Staple Hill, was only a teenager when she went to see the
band, known for their wild shows, at the Locarno Club in July 1966.
She was having the time of her life until guitarist Pete Townshend's
on-stage antics led to her ending up in hospital. During a particularly
energetic bit of playing, one of Pete's guitar strings snapped, whipping out
across the audience. It hit Jean across the nose, causing blood to flow
everywhere.
She was plucked from the audience by security and even got to meet the band
backstage, before being whisked off to hospital.
Jean, now a married mum of two, was at the gig with one of her girlfriends.
She said: "Pete used to thrash his guitar around, and because it was a
fairly small venue, we were quite near the front.
"All of a sudden his guitar string snapped and hit me across the nose. There
was blood everywhere. I didn't know what had hit me.
"I was taken backstage by the security, where I got to meet the band. "Keith
Moon was really concerned and he put his arm around me. I had to have
plastic stitches in my nose and I still have the scar." As a teenager, Jean
was a regular on the gig circuit in Bristol and The Who were one of her
favourite bands. The incident may have served as an inspiration for a song
called Sally Simpson, which appeared three years later on The Who's classic
Tommy album.
In the song teenager Sally goes to see Tommy at a public appearance, where
she suffers an injury in the crowd, and needs to have stitches. The song
finishes: "Tommy always talks about the day the disciples all went wild!
Sally still carries a scar on her cheek to remind her of his smile."
On June 28, The Who will be back in Bristol almost exactly 40 years after
Jean saw them at the Locarno. She said: "I would love to go and see The Who
again, but I have not got a ticket yet."
Just under 10,000 tickets have been sold for the gig at Bristol City's
Ashton Gate Stadium, where up to 23,000 fans are expected.
Bristol City chief executive Colin Sexstone said: "It has been a fantastic
response - the best we have enjoyed for any concert staged here over the
past four years. Such is the demand, we would advise anyone who wants to get
hold of a ticket to do so sooner rather than later." Since the 1960s, the
band has lost original drummer Keith Moon, who died from a drug overdose in
1978 and bassist John Entwistle who died of a drug-induced heart attack in
Las Vegas in 2002.
They have split and reformed on a number of occasions, but have remained one
of the most celebrated rock bands of all time, responsible for classics such
as My Generation, I Can See For Miles and Won't Get Fooled Again.
They are the latest in a long line of top acts to perform at Bristol City's
ground. Rod Stewart, Elton John and Neil Diamond have all played at Ashton
Gate in recent years.
Tickets cost between £35 and £50. Call 0870 1432 205 (See Tickets 24-hour
hotline) or 0870 4000 703 (Ticketmaster 24-hour hotline). Or visit
www.seetickets.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk
by Kirsty Pugh
keifspoon
> called Sally Simpson, which appeared three years later on The Who's classic
> Tommy album.
>
> In the song teenager Sally goes to see Tommy at a public appearance, where
> she suffers an injury in the crowd, and needs to have stitches. The song
> finishes: "Tommy always talks about the day the disciples all went wild!
> Sally still carries a scar on her cheek to remind her of his smile."
>
Nice story....but as most fans know this wasn't the case. I know Brian
you know your Who inside and out, but for those who might not....Sally
Simpson was inspired by an incident that happened when The Who opened
up for The Doors in 1968. Pete wrote it after watching Jim Morrison's
antics incite an already restless crowd to riot. During the melee, a
girl was badly injured, falling head first from the stage.
Interestingly, I've read that this was a "good" show, but not a great
Who performance. On the other side of the spectrum, Ray Manzarek
(keyboardist of The Doors) list this show as among his top 5 Door gigs
of all time.
And despite it being a low point in England for them at this time, The
Who were currently the 4th biggest American draw behind Cream, Hendrix,
and The Doors.
Mike C.
news:1140970389....@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
I'd also be interested in how a guitar string could break someone's nose.
I've been changing strings for years and have yet to see one even "ping"
more than an inch or so.
Clive
"Mike C." <Funki...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:xfOdnWWmM4_...@comcast.com...