Adam Bychawsky
The Who, Blondie's Debbie Harry, Jeff Beck, Richard Ashcroft and Bryan Adams joined forces last night (January 13) for a Killing Cancer charity gig at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo.
The star-studded show was introduced by co-organiser Harvey Goldsmith, who explained how proceeds from ticket sales (priced at £120) would fund Oasis filmmaker says Noel and Liam 'were asking after each...
The Verve man Ashcroft then kicked off the gig, playing 'Sonnet', 'Space And Time', 'Lucky Man' and'History'.
The Who's Roger Daltrey then took to the stage with a stripped back folk band, covering two songs - 'Freedom Ride' and 'Gimme A Stone' from 'Largo': an obscure song cycle by members of the The Hooters, based on Dvorak's 'New World' symphony, a record which the singer encouraged the audience to track down.
Bryan Adams played a four-song solo acoustic set, including 'When You're Gone', for which he was joined by a patient successfully treated by PDT to duet with him.
Following the interval the show restarted with a set of instrumentals from Jeff Beck (Beck's Bolero', 'Hammerhead'), backed by the touring members of The Who minus Pete Townshend and Daltrey.
Concluding with a version of The Beatles' 'A Day In The Life', Beck then remained on lead guitar as Debbie Harry walked onstage to the opening bars of 'Heart Of Glass'. The Blondie singer continued with 'Call Me' and 'One Way Or Another' (the latter minus Beck on guitar).
The Who then played their set, which included 'Baba O'Riley', 'Who Are You' and 'Won't Get Fooled Again'. Beck came on to replace Townsend for a version of Bo Diddley's 'I'm A Man' in tribute to, according to Daltrey, "all the Chicago blues musicians who showed me the way".
Townshend then returned to the stage as well as Harry and Adams, bringing the night to a close with a rousing version of The Who's 1972 single 'Join Together'.
