Updated Aug. 26, 2020
January 2000
New music releases: "Kryptonite" - 3 Doors Down; "All the Small Things" - Blink-182; Voodoo - D'Angelo; "Rise" - Gabrielle
On the 8th, Roger performs with the British Rock Symphony in a private concert at the Dobson Arena in Vail, Colorado as part of the Vail 2000 Sports International. Billy Preston also performs and Simon Townshend plays lead guitar.
The Picket in Liverpool officially renames their recording studio "Pinball Wizard" in Pete's honor due to his longtime support.
On the 17th, Vonda Shepherd sings "See Me Feel Me" on that night's episode of Ally McBeal.
On the 20th, Oasis records a cover version of "My Generation" at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios. They have to contact Matt Kent at Pete's website to get a copy of the lyrics.
February 2000
New music releases: The Better Life - 3 Doors Down; "Dancing in the Moonlight" - Toploader; "Pure Shores" - All Saints; Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants - Oasis
On the 2nd, Pete Townshend's commercial site www.eelpie.com comes on line shipping out orders for the boxsets Avatar and Lifehouse Chronicles.
On the 14th, Pete begins daily "cyberdiaries" featuring short talks and Life House practice sessions available on RealVideo.
On the 15th, BBC Sessions, the collection of live and studio Who tracks recorded for the BBC from 1965 to 1970, is released in the U.S. and Europe. European purchasers get the extra tracks "Man With Money" and the complete "Shakin' All Over/Spoonful" unavailable on the U.S. CD. However, U.S. purchasers have the option of getting a seven-track bonus disc unavailable in Europe if they buy BBC Sessions at Best Buy department stores. The CD peaks at #101 in the U.S., #24 in the U.K. and #50 in Japan. Arion Berger in Rolling Stone says it "highlights how mad, bad and dangerous the Who were in 1965." Billboard says "it's as good of an entry way as any into the Who's immense catalog." Gavin Martin in New Musical Express says "the contrasts they thrived on ensures freshness and excitement still springs with shocking directness from these recordings."
Also on the 15th, The Mighty Echoes release the CD A Cappella Doo Wop with a short vocal-only cover of "My Generation."
McFarland Press publishes John Atkins' overview of The Who's studio recording career The Who On Record, A Critical History 1963-1998.
On the 17th, Roger does a live chat on AOL to promote BBC Sessions. He says he has written "four or five songs" for the "next two Who albums" and that The Who will be touring that summer. Pete also says in his cyberdiary that he is heading over to John's house for some "final Who overdubs."
On the 20th, Roger goes down under performing with the British Rock Symphony at Melbourne Colonial Stadium in Australia. On the 23rd he performs at Perth Burswood Dome followed by the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on the 25th and the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on the 26th.
On the 22nd, The Band Of The Royal Netherlands Air Force releases a CD with a cover of the "Overture From Tommy" and "The Acid Queen."
On the 25th and 26th, Pete presents Lifehouse Live at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, the theatre whose management rejected a Tommy performance by The Who back in 1969. The show features John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards and some other members from the 1989-era Who. Roger is not present as he is in Australia at the time but John is a member of the audience. He spends most of the show hanging out at the bar signing autographs. The Life House songs are performed in the style of Pete's original demos rather than The Who's interpretations made famous on Who's Next. Pete also premieres a new song, "Can You Help The One You Really Love?" The concert is simulcast and recorded on audio and video for later release on CD, DVD and the Internet.
March 2000
New music releases: No Strings Attached - NSYNC; The Sickness - Disturbed; Classic Sinatra: His Great Performances 1953–1960 - Frank Sinatra; "Last Resort" - Papa Roach
On the 1st, the Daily Star reports that the Railway Hotel in Harrow, the mod hangout where Pete first smashed a guitar, has burned down. Housing developments called "Daltrey House" and "Moon House" will go up in its place and a plaque commemorating Pete's guitar destruction will be put on the building in 2009.
On the 2nd on the JAM! Showbiz website, Jimmy Page responds to reports that he and the Black Crowes will be touring that summer with The Who. "There has been a vicious, nasty rumor going around that I'm going to be supporting The Who or opening for The Who, which there could be nothing further from the truth."
Roger continues his tour down under with the British Rock Symphony appearing at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on his 56th birthday (1st). In the morning before his next show at the Sydney SuperDome (3rd), Roger is in a car accident. The effects of whiplash developing after that day force him to cancel a show on the 4th at the Canberra Bruce Stadium.
The tour picks up again on the 8th at the Brisbane Entertainment Center. On the 10th, Roger swims with dolphins at Seaworld at Gold Coast, Queensland. The next night the tour finishes at Colonial Stadium in Melbourne. Roger complains on stage about the quality of the sound as well as the quality of the Australian government. He ends the show by smashing fellow tourer Peter Frampton's guitar.
On the 23rd, Pete Townshend records an episode of VH1 Storytellers in London before an intimate audience of 215. He concentrates almost entirely on songs from Life House.
On the 24th, Roger, now back in London, and John Entwistle record their vocal performances for an appearance by The Who on an episode of the animated television comedy The Simpsons. Pete declines participation and is portrayed by his brother Paul.
April 2000
New music releases: "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem; "Oops!... I Did It Again" - Britney Spears; Infest - Papa Roach; "Big Pimpin'" - Jay-Z featuring UGK
On the 3rd, Roger is on the set of the TV movie Passions of Dracula: A True Story in Bucharest, Romania. He plays King Janos of Hungary. The movie is later retitled Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula.
A week later on the 10th, Pete, Roger and John hold a press conference at The Supper Club in New York City to announce their summer North American tour and the internet release of a live album from their 1999 shows.
That album, The Blues To The Bush, is sent out mostly as individually burned CD-R's by Musicmaker.com with the track listing decided by the customer. MP3 downloads are also available. In addition a four-track promo CD is sent to U.S. radio stations.
That evening, Roger appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show.
Also on the 10th, Variety reports that the Keith Moon bio-pic, now provisionally known as "Who's Next", will be directed by Brad Siberling. The next day Nicholas Cage tells imdb.com that he is "insisting" that he be allowed to play Pete. On the 20th, imdb.com also reports that executive producer Bill Gerber wants either Dougray Scott or Jared Leto to play Moon.
On the 11th, the ITV Classic Rock programme on Who's Next is released on DVD.
A pre-restoration version of The Kids Are Alright is released on DVD in Europe by BMG Entertainment. The Who will choose to keep it from the U.S. market.
Several interesting covers are released during the month. The band Chaotic Past put out a single with a cover of John's "My Size". On the 24th, Torque Records releases a single called "Maximum R&B." The A-side is the Sharpshooters covering "I'm The Face" while on the B-side Lickety Split covers "Leaving Here".
On the 19th, Pete releases remastered versions of Scoop and Another Scoop with redone artwork on his website. There is also a limited edition art print (500 copies), signed by Pete.
On the 21st, Sonic News reports that Roger says The Who will attempt to record a live album of new material, perhaps during the upcoming tours. This does not occur.
On the 23rd, Roger gives a private concert in Budapest for the cast and crew of the movie he has just finished acting in, The Dark Prince.
And on the 25th, the episode "Where The Wild Things Are" of the cult TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer airs. In one scene actor Anthony Stewart Head who plays Giles is seen in a coffee bar singing "Behind Blue Eyes".
On the 26th, Pete's VH1 Storytellers episode premiers on VH1 U.S. The U.K. broadcast follows on the 28th.
May 2000
New music releases: The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem; Oops!... I Did It Again - Britney Spears; Whitney: The Greatest Hits - Whitney Houston; "I Hope You Dance" - Lee Ann Womack
On the 1st is the world premiere of the football biopic Best at Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Roger co-stars as rowdy footballer Rodney Marsh and sings "House of the Rising Sun".
On the 6th, John Entwistle plays a benefit show for the Stow Surgery in his hometown of Stow-In-The-Wold, Gloucesterchire, England, with a bunch of other mid-50's rockers under the name "The Stowaways".
On the 10th, Pete opens an online auction to benefit Mozambique. The jewel of the auction is a 1957 Fender Stratocaster owned by Eric Clapton. Before the auction is over, the guitar is bought by Pete, Mick Jagger and David Bowie, who send it to Prime Minister Tony Blair as a gift. Blair returns it and the guitar returns to auction. Pete also auctions off his gold and silver album awards, autographed albums and posters, clothing, musical instruments and even bicycles.
Rolling Stone announces that The Who are going to participate in a Sun Records tribute CD. Although much discussed over the next few months, The Who ultimately withdraw from the project.
On the 19th, Justin Kreutzmann begins shooting a documentary about John at his house. The footage is released in 2006 as the DVD John Entwistle: An Ox's Tale.
On the 23rd, Redline Entertainment releases the CD Lifehouse Elements at Best Buy stores. The CD is a condensed version of Pete's recent 6-CD Lifehouse Chronicles set with one addition, Pete's demo for "New Song".
Also on the 23rd, Sherie Rene Scott releases her CD Men I've Had featuring covers of "Squeeze Box", "Let My Love Open The Door", and "Bargain". The Dropkick Murphy's Mob Mentality also comes out with a cover of "The Kids Are Alright".
On the 24th, Pete has an online chat through barnesandnoble.com. He says his favorite album is Frank Sinatra's Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
On the 25th, Roger and John are interviewed by Gary Graff for MusicDirect.com. John says he hopes the new Who album will be "a lot more up-tempo, up-front. I've said that before , and I usually end up with the only rock 'n' roll songs on the album."
On the 28th, The Los Angeles Times prints an interview with Pete in which he says that The Who reunited in 1999 because he was told by Roger that he and John needed the money.
June 2000
New music releases: Country Grammar - Nelly; "Yellow" - Coldplay; "Californication" - Red Hot Chili Peppers; 7 - S Club 7
On the 6th, The Who perform at a private function at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York to benefit The Robin Hood Foundation that combats poverty in that city. Since Zak Starkey is unavailable to drum, Simon Phillips from the 1989 tour sits in. Prices for a table range from $20,000 to $100,000. Robin Williams is the M.C.
On the 7th CNN's Showbiz Today carries a sound clip from Pete in which he says of the upcoming tour, "Yeah, it's for nostalgia, part of it is for nostalgia."
On the 12th Pete starts selling items from his Life House shows at Sadler's Wells and Scoop artwork at his merchandise site.
The Who Live, a collection of photographs of The Who compiled by Ross Halfin, is sold in a limited edition of 1500 for £159 ($264). An even more limited edition bound in leather and autographed by Pete is offered for £360 ($570).
On the 16th, John Entwistle, Zak and John "Rabbit" Bundrick perform at a concert at Abbey Road Studios, London for Tony Ashton "to celebrate his recovery from his recent illness."
Pete tells Gary Graff of MusicHound that he is developing a film project called The Boy Who Heard Music. He also calls his merchandise website the "Pete Townshend corner shop."
In Rolling Stone, John says that while The Who were "shit-hot" on Live At Leeds, he feels his playing is better on Blues To The Bush. He also says The Who quit in 1982 because they thought they'd go higher as solo artists. In Roger's interview, also with Richard Skanse, he attacks the idea of the 2000 tour as a nostalgia tour, "if you went to see a Beethoven concert tonight, is that nostalgia? If you go to a museum and look at a Renoir exhibition, is that nostalgia? How can it be nostalgia if it's our fucking music?" He also says Pete is this time the one most wanting to tour. Roger adds that playing Scrooge in A Christmas Carol on Broadway was harder work than any Who tour.
On the 20th, Bloodshot Records releases the compilation Down To The Promised Land: 5 Years Of Bloodshot Records featuring The Waco Brothers' cover of "Baba O'Riley."
On the 23rd, VH1.com prints an article with interview clips. In one of them Roger again discusses his hatred of computers.
Also on the 23rd, Pete writes a web diary from New York saying he is bringing a demo recorder in case he and Roger write any songs on the road and also a mini-cam with which he can take pictures from the stage for his video diaries.
On the same day, in an interview by Gary Graff and Lisa Taylor, Pete says that a new Who album wouldn't be a concept album because fans and music critics don't seem to want that.
On the 25th, The Who kick off their North American tour at the New World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, Illinois, their last North American tour with John.
On the 27th, at the Palace Of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan, The Who sell 13,799 tickets (92% capacity) for $1,047,520. On the 29th, they play the Post-Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.
Also on the 29th, Pete writes another diary on his website talking about his problems writing new music for The Who, "that many musicians I admire don't even like."
On the 30th, in an interview in the Boston Globe, Roger says "This is an ongoing band now. We're definitely back as a working band." He also says, in response to complaints about high ticket prices, "Many of our hard-core fans, the people who grew up with us, are now CEOs of companies and can afford it."
July 2000
New music releases: Parachutes - Coldplay; Ronan - Ronan Keating; In Blue - The Corrs; Who Let the Dogs Out? - The Baha Men
On the last day of June, at the Roskilde Music Festival in Denmark, nine music fans are trampled and crushed to death during a Pearl Jam show. On the 1st, right before The Who's concert at the P.N.C. Bank Arts Center at Holmdel, New Jersey, Pete talks on the phone to Pearl Jam's singer Eddie Vedder, consoling him and giving him pointers about how to handle the tragedy, so eerily similar to the one in Cincinnati over twenty years before.
On the 2nd and 3rd, American Movie Classics holds A Trip Through Rock Music History featuring rock 'n roll movies hosted by Roger.
Also on the 2nd, Pete is interviewed in the New York Post, where he says he will not be putting Life House on Broadway. He also says he avidly supports bootlegging. "I'd like to see it proliferate unchecked. If we don't, we may allow something wonderful to be nipped in the bud." At his website, Pete posts two downloadable MP3's of early demos of "Behind Blue Eyes."
On the 3rd, The Who tour continues at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts followed by the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia on the 5th, at the E Center in Camden , New Jersey on the 7th, and finishing the first leg at the Jones Beach Amphitheatre in Wantagh, New York on the 9th.
On the 6th, in a message on his website, Pete says that John is "visibly cheering up as the prospect recedes of going to jail for tax evasion." On the 8th, he talks at length about what The Who's songs mean when they're sung by older men. He says he always wrote for teenagers from an older perspective and that the music was "about the adjustments we were all having to make as adults, not what our younger audience was going through as teenagers. It surprises me when serious music journalists seem to miss this." On the 11th, Pete asks for people to send him copies of bootleg recordings and pictures from the recent tour. He also says he has spoken to Bill Curbishley about "doing a Grateful Dead" and releasing rare Who recordings and video to fans.
On the 9th, in an interview in Newsday, Pete says the new tour "[is] the kind of thing that people do when they're retired, isn't it -- they go on a cruise with their golf clubs or something."
On the 10th, Morgan's [Nicholls] CD Organized is released in the U.K. featuring Pete playing bass on one track and the entire album features a Hammond B3 organ once owned by Pete.
On the 15th, in an interview on the VH1 website, Roger says Pete broke his shoulder with a guitar during the fight they had in 1973. He also calls people on the Internet "insular" and "anti-social."
On the 17th, Thunder releases their live CD They Think It's All Over...It Is Now containing a live cover of "Pinball Wizard" and on the 22nd, Elena Powell & The Glitter Folk release their CD Left Of The Moon with an acoustic cover of "Tattoo."
On the 19th, Shel Talmy surprises everyone by putting the original three-track tapes he produced with The Who in 1965 on auction at ebay.com. The opening bid is $500,000 with a reserve price of $1 million. It fails to get any bids but begins the process that ultimately leads to the release of My Generation: Deluxe Edition, mixed from the tapes, in 2002.
August 2000
New music releases: Hotshot - Shaggy; Sing When You're Winning - Robbie Williams; Born to Do It - Craig David; Coyote Ugly - Various Artists
On the 2nd, Pete attends the wedding of The Who's manager, Bill Curbishley. Pete says he spends a long time talking to fellow Curbishley-managed act, Jimmy Page.
On the 6th, the Sunday Mirror reports that Robbie Williams is considering playing Keith Moon in Roger's planned biopic of the late Who drummer.
On the 14th, The Who kick off the second leg of their North American tour at the Hollywood Bowl after canceling a planned date at the Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, Arizona. Cary Elwes, Joe Walsh and Nicholas Cage are in the audience. Before the show Pete and The Who are the subject of a Pete "video diary".
On the 15th, the movie Chasing Destiny is released straight to video on DVD in Europe. Roger plays a hippie bass player in this romantic comedy originally titled "Romantic Moritz". Future teen star Drake Bell also stars.
The 16th finds The Who at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. Also that night, on the Bravo TV reality show Welcome to the Parker called "The Business of Pleasure" the staff of the Parker scrambles to find rooms at their overbooked hotel for The Who.
On the 17th, in an interview with the website Wall Of Sound, John says the new Who album will be recorded at his home studio. Pete meanwhile says Roger is planning to record it at his home studio.
That night The Who play the San Diego Sports Arena. This time then James Bond Pierce Brosnan comes backstage after the show.
On the 19th, the cult sci-fi cable show Farscape runs an episode entitled "Won't Get Fooled Again."
Also on the 19th, The Who tour continues to The Gorge in George, Washington (19th) followed by the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California (21st). After the Shoreline show, Pete writes an online diary about the terrible food he was served backstage.
During their stay In San Francisco, a Who fan tapes a "proposed set list" to the hotel room doors of each member of the band.
On the 21st, a letter from Roger concerning the football team Arsenal appears in the Evening Standard. On the same day Ron & The Splinters release the mini-album Go Ron Go featuring a cover of the rare Pete song "Things Have Changed."
On the 20th, Roger tells a reporter for the Sacramento Bee that they are still trying to get a good script for the Moon movie and have approached Alex Cox (Repo Man, Sid and Nancy) to direct. Cox will write a script with Tod Davies called "Keith Moon Was Here" that Roger will reject. Cox will later post the script on his website.
The Who continues to Sacramento Valley Amphitheatre in Marysville, California (22nd), The Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado (24th), Mesa del Sol Amphitheatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico (25th), Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas (27th) and the C. W. Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas outside Houston (29th).
On the 23rd, The John Entwistle Band's long-delayed Music From Van-Pires goes on sale at John's website. The CD is also sold at souvenir kiosks at Who shows. It will be John's last solo studio album.
On the 25th, The Evening Standard reports that Roger is one of the celebrities that has written letters asking for "compassionate parole" for the dying British gangster Reggie Kray.
On the 26th, Channel 4 (U.K.) airs This Is Keith Moon, an hour-long documentary narrated by John Peel. Keith's girlfriend Anette Walter-Lax appears but none of the surviving members of The Who or his ex-wife Kim participate in the program.
September 2000
New music releases: Music - Madonna; Greatest Hits - Kenny Chesney; Aaron's Party (Come and Get It) - Aaron Carter; "If You're Gone" - Matchbox 20
On the 1st, a news report claims The Who were horrified after having been drawn as they currently look for the forthcoming U.S. cartoon show The Simpsons. They ask to be redrawn as they appeared in the mid 1970's.
On the 5th, John Entwistle tapes a guest appearance on the U.K. TV comedy-game show programme Never Mind The Buzzcocks. The episode airs on the 15th.
On the 13th, Who fan Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical movie Almost Famous premieres. It features a scene where the hero discovers rock music when he listens to "Sparks" from the Tommy album. The song is featured on the movie's soundtrack CD.
The SAS Band releases their CD The Show featuring a cover of "My Generation" sung by Leo Sayer.
On the 17th, the Showtime cable channel premieres the biopic Hendrix. Mark Holmes plays Pete and Nigel Graham plays Roger.
On the 18th, eelpie.com begins selling Pete's live CD's Live > The Empire 1998 and Live > Sadler's Wells 2000.
On the 19th, Roger attends the 2000 PETA Awards in Los Angeles.
On the 23rd, Gary Hall, U.S. swimming relay team member, wins the Gold at the Summer Olympics in Sydney. He tells NBC-TV that listening to Pete and The Who before the race pumps him up.
On the 24th, after a week in the sun in Florida, Pete begins writing a radio play called The Boy Who Heard Music. The story climaxes at a benefit rock concert after New York City is attacked by terrorists.
On the 24th, The Who begin the third leg of their North American tour at Mars Music Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida. It is followed by the Ice Palace in Tampa, Florida (26th), the Philips Arena in Atlanta (28th) and the Gund Arena in Cleveland (30th).
On the 27th, Pete writes a long diary entry called "Dampa Tampa." Towards the end he levels a stinging attack on Rolling Stone for publishing an article listing all the times Pete had said he would never tour again with The Who: "Between 1982 when I left The Who (with Roger's uneasy blessing) and last year, there have been two reunions. Count them. Two. That is, one every nine years. Hardly a cynical exercise in comebacks whenever we needed to make money."
At the Atlanta show, Pete, while banging on his guitar, upsets the metal plate in his wrist from his 1991 bicycle accident. He sees a specialist in Atlanta the next day before heading to Cleveland.
On the 30th, Music365 reports that Roger will star in an upcoming film called Chemical Wedding based on an album by Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson and produced by Terry Jones of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Simon Callow takes Roger's role by the time the film is finally made and released in 2008.
October 2000
New music releases: Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park; Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water - Limp Bizkit; All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2; The Greatest Hits - Texas
After the cancellation of a concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on the 2nd, The Who begin a four night stand at Madison Square Garden on the 3rd. The Wallflowers open after Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes cancel, rumor has it because Page did not want to appear to be opening for The Who. The other dates are the 4th, 6th and 7th. 58,433 tickets are sold for the four shows with the Garden at 93% capacity for a gross of $4,080,814. The shows will be John Entwistle's last full-length concert appearances with The Who in the U.S.
Pete goes on the attack after a reviewer in New Musical Express criticizes him for "rambling pontifications" on his children during a Who show. "I will not apologise for loving my kids. If the NME critic has any balls at all, and sperm, he will come to know how it feels to love one's kids, and be prepared to bore all comers with the fact."
On the 6th, CBS-TV premiers a new crime show, C.S.I., that has licensed "Who Are You" as the theme song. The show will become for some time the most popular on the planet spawning three Who theme song laden spinoffs, exposing people to The Who who had never heard them before and providing Pete with a shelf full of awards.
On the 10th, an episode of the already cancelled NBC-TV series Freaks and Geeks has its long-delayed premiere on the Fox Family channel. Written by Judd Apatow, Paul Feig and Bob Nickman and entitled "Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers", the episode involves the characters trying to talk their parents into letting them attend a Who concert and the parents freaking out when they hear the song "Squeeze Box".
In Vanity Fair, Elvis Costello picks his 500 favorite albums. Two of them are My Generation and Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy. He cites "Substitute" and "The Kids Are Alright" as personal favorites.
On the 18th, MCY.com begins selling limited access to Pete's Sadler Wells concert over the internet.
On the 24th, British Rock Symphony featuring Roger is released on a DVD in the U.S.
On the 30th, Pete's Live > Fillmore 1996 double CD goes on sale at eelpie.com. That evening The Who begin their U.K. tour performing at Birmingham N.E.C.
On the 31st, USA Network broadcasts Dark Prince: The True Story Of Dracula featuring Roger as King Janos of Hungary.
Also on the 31st, Roger's 1983 TV appearance in The Beggar's Opera is released on DVD in the U.S.
November 2000
New music releases: 1 - The Beatles; A Day Without Rain - Enya; Black & Blue - Backstreet Boys; "Stan" - Eminem featuring Dido
The Who continue their tour of the U.K. on the 2nd, heading up to Manchester Arena, then spending the 3rd at the Glasgow SECC Arena with another night on the 5th. Following that is a concert at Newcastle Arena on the 5th.
On the 5th, The Simpsons airs their 250th episode "A Tale of Two Springfields" in which Homer tries to restore his divided hometown by getting The Who to perform. Roger and John voice themselves while Pete's brother Paul provides his sibling's voice. Excerpts of "The Seeker" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" are used in the program.
"Won't Get Fooled Again" stays in the spotlight as, on the 7th, Election Day in the U.S., Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush uses the song during a political rally. Word gets back to Pete who, on stage at Birmingham NEC on the 8th, states, "He didn't ask my permission, I don't know if he asked Roger's, so the new President of the United States is what I would call a c**t". Roger replies, "He'll hang you for that" referring to the former Texas Governor's record for executions. It is the first but not the last time the paths of The Who and the new U.S. President cross.
On the 9th, Time magazine prints a letter by Pete stating, "I don't really give two shits who uses it. Even some Who fans get its intention wrong don't they?" He goes on to note that for him, a big political issue would be the lack of state-supported health care for the poor making America seem "a much more brutal country than it really is."
The Who continue on to Sheffield Arena (10th), the London Arena (13th) and Wembley Arena (15th and 16th). Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros open for all these dates.
On the 15th, Pete announces on his website that there will be no European Who tour in 2001 and that plans for a new Who album have been put on hold.
On the 16th, Rolling Stone declares "My Generation" the 33rd best pop song of all time. On the same day, Keith Moon's former "handler," Dougal Butler, tries to sell off tons of Moon memorabilia at the Fleetwood-Owen website. Very little of it matches his minimum bids.
On the 21st, Down By Law release a cover of "The Kids Are Alright" on their album Down By Law/Pseudo Heroes: Split.
On the 22nd, Pete reports on his website that Roger got upset when he had announced that there would be no Who album recorded anytime soon. He had to telephone him and calm him down.
On the 23rd, Pete revises a poem "There is Something in My Food" for publication.
On the 27th, The Who headline the first Teenage Cancer Trust concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The concerts will become a yearly event at the Hall, usually in March, and will be run by Roger until 2024. Special guests joining The Who on stage are Eddie Vedder, Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, Bryan Adams, Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics and violinist Kennedy. The show is broadcast in a truncated version on OnDigital TV in the U.K. and later released in DVD and CD formats.
December 2000
New music releases: O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Various Artists; "Man in the Box" - Alice in Chains; Music from the Motion Picture Save the Last Dance - Various Artists; Tha Last Meal - Snoop Dogg
On the 5th, the first edition of 30 Years Of Maximum R&B DVD is released in the U.S. On the same day, Alice Cooper releases the CD/DVD Brutally Live featuring a cover of "My Generation."
On the 6th, U2 plays at a club in New York at Irving Plaza and performs "Won't Get Fooled Again" as their encore.
On the 13th, the Recording Academy announces that The Who are to receive a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2001.
Irregular Records releases Who Cares - A Tribute To The Who, another tribute CD with indie bands covering The Who.