The Who debut new songs and team up with orchestra at epic Wembley Stadium show

8 July 2019, 11:49 | Updated: 6 October 2023, 10:26

The Who Perform At Wembley Stadium. Picture: Getty

The Who put on an amazing show backed by a full orchestra at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday night (July 6).

The legendary rock band - who last played at the venue for Live Aid in 1985 - played over two and a half hours.

They performed a number of classic hits, plus two brand new songs from their forthcoming new album 'Still Waiting For The Big Cigar’ and ‘Hero Ground Zero’.

Hear the latter below:

Here’s The Who playing new track ‘Hero Ground Zero’ @wembleystadium pic.twitter.com/HL0YoY5AEq
— Damian Jones (@damianjones1) July 7, 2019

There were a number of empty seats in the stadium, following complaints from some fans about the high ticket prices.

Acknowledging the issues, guitarist Pete Townshend said to the crowd: “Thank you so much for working so hard to pay for the tickets. It means a lot to us.”

He also paid tribute to his former guitar techie Alan Rogan, who sadly passed away days before the concert.

“Some of you may already know that Alan Rogan passed away two days ago” he said, before ‘Substitute’.

“He was my guitar tech for over 40 years. He battled cancer and he finally lost his battle. He was a great guy and he was chipper and in high spirits until the end.”

The Who - Wont Get Fooled Again - Live at Wembley Stadium 06.07.19

Townshend added: “When you’re in a family and people say you’ve only got days or months to live, it’s so weird. You take life for granted. It really does mean a lot to be alive and it’s great that you’re all here tonight.”

The Who also performed a stripped back acoustic version of ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, seeing Roger Daltrey and Townshend perform the track together on their own.

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder had supported the band earlier in the evening, and joined The Who onstage for a section dedicated to their 1973 album Quadrophenia.