The Who

In 1962 two men by the names of Townshend and Entwistle formed their own Dixieland Jazz band with Townshend on banjo an Entwistle on french Horne they called themselves The Confederates. Later on, Entwistle would met a bass player while walking down the street. his name, Roger Daltrey, asks Entwistle to join his band the Detours. Entwistle, one week later, asks Townshend to try out as a guitarist. Together, the band members were now Daltrey at lead Guitar, Townshend on Rhythm guitar, Entwistle on bass, Doug Sandom, drums, and Colin Dawson as the band vocalist. Daltrey would later replace Dawson as vocalist after leaving the band. They now sought a recording contract but were told to find a better drummer. Sandom, in 1964 leaves the bands drumming position, and was replaced by Kieth Moon after destroying the drum kit provided to him. In February of 1964 they change their name to The Who. During the performance on September 1964 at the Railway Tavern in Harrow and Weadston London, Townshend accidentally busted the top of his guitar through the ceiling. Outraged by the audiences snickers and giggles Townshend slams his guitar against the ground, he then grabs a second guitar he had at hand and continued the show. At their next concert the audience began to beg at Townshend to repeat what he had done during his last gig. He refused, instead Moon accepted to destroy his own drums. For years to come the who became famous for their entertaining instrumental destruction. Rolling stone made the incident at the Railway Tavern one of "50 moments That Changed The History of Rock and Roll". The Who would go on to write a song that had the very first bass solo, "My Generation". and their single "I Can See For Miles" was their first song to reach #1 in the United States. During the filming of "The Kids Are Alright" Kieth Moon bribed the band's stage hand to load his drum set with explosives. VH1 made the incident one of the top 10 on their "100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Moments on Television"

In 1968 a man by the name of Abbie Hoffman attended the 1968 Woodstock Festival as a staff member at the medical tent. By the time The Who, who were playing at the event, ended a song, Hoffman, while under the influence of LSD, preceded immediately by jumping up on stage, grabbing the mike, and saying "I think this is a pile of s*** while John Sinclair rots in prison !". Townshend whipped around and screamed "F*** off ! F*** off my F****** stage !" he then grabbed his guitar and stuck him. What Hoffman was doing was protesting the case of a famous poet, John Sinclair, who was given a 10 year prison sentence for offering a Marijuana cigarette to a narcotics officer. These type of occasion were perfect examples to how great The Who actually were. Waiting to protest until the who arrive onstage was just that of stupidity, but it made me realize if you were going to protest something, you had to do it in front of one of the greatest bands of all time. The Who went on to inspire Brian May of the band Queen, and Geddy Lee of the band Rush.