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Fact #140005

When:

Short story:

In Aarhus Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark, Europe, Roger Daltrey of The Who punches out drummer Keith Moon and is almost thrown out of the band. Later that night, they play a second gig in Fredrikstorv, Aalborg. Also on the bill are The Ex-Checkers, The Beethovens, The Pitfires, The Snakes and Hanne.

Full article:

Roger Daltrey (vocalist, The Who) : There was a tour of Europe where they were doing speed more and more and more - I couldn't do speed, because it'll dry your throat up - but we did this tour and we were all so out of it and the music was going down the tubes, it was fucking dire.

Pete Townshend (guitarist, The Who) : In Denmark, they were really wild. In Aarhus, they got completely out of hand. That's a farming area and the hall was packed with 4 to 5000 young farmers, a rather rough audience…

Svante Borjesson (audience) : Violence lay in the air of Aarhus Hallen even long before The Who were to perform. They had to do their set rather early in the schedule, to be in time to do a show in Aalborg as well. The thousand strong audience were tearing their chairs apart, and throwing pieces, along with bottles and trash, at the supporting groups.

By the time The Who got on stage, the audience had turned into a riot mob. Again, kids tried to get up on stage. George Mitchew once more tried to push them back. Instead, he was pulled down into the audience where he was beaten and kicked. The Who only played half of one song before the situation got completely out of hand. The kids stormed the stage, took the instruments that were still there and began smashing them. The Who and their management had already escaped through the back exit, once they realised what was happening.

Keith Moon (drummer, The Who) : I was taking a lot of speed. Roger wasn't because it used to fuck his voice up. Roger was drinking and we were all speeding. … Roger blew up, 'You're all fucking junkies! The group's finished as far as I'm concerned.' And he took a swing at me.

Roger Daltrey : I was so fed up with it, I went in the dressing room and there was Moon's big bag of pills and I just threw them down the toilet.

Moon went absolutely apeshit and came at me with a tambourine … I was heartbroken. I didn't want to fall out with him.

Chris Stamp (co-manager, The Who) : Roger was not liked by Keith at all. They were bitter enemies. Roger got the close-ups on tv, Roger got the girls, Roger was the singer. He was in front of Keith most of the time.

John Entwistle (bassist, The Who) : We were sorting out the pecking order. Everyone wanted to be the most important member of the band. I decided to be the best musician in the band. Pete Townshend went his own way, wanted to do most of the writing. Roger and Keith were the ones the little girls screamed for, and they were fighting for that.

Pete Townshend : We were in the dressing room, yelling and hitting each other when a photographer called Bent Reg appeared and started taking pictures and writing things down. We all stood to attention and saluted, but he went back to England and told everyone what had happened.

Roger Daltrey : I was slung out of the band there and then. I calmed down and was apologising for what I'd done. I had a terrible temper. I'm embarassed to think about it now. I was horrible.

Svante Borjesson : The concert in Aalborg was something of an anti-climax. Still, The Who played a good concert to almost ecstatic kids.
(Source : not known)