Radio Australia Today Editorial

The F1 Grand Prix and the Who. I was there.

30 March 2009

The season-opening Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix has been run and won (and in the case of Mark Webber, lost).

After our broadcasts from the track last week, I went to Albert Park again yesterday in time to see Jenson Button do the improbable and win in a car that has only had a three week prep time. His Brawn GP teammate Rubins Barrichello did the even more improbable by coming second after a rally right at the end.

It’s part of the Australian way of thinking that we love the unlikely. This is a country of the underdog. If someone has no chance of winning, we Australians want them to win. In most cases this means that we are a perenially disappointed race. But once in a while, like when an unseeded Aussie diver won Olympic gold last year, we get our wish, and we smile for the next month. Button and Barrichello are not in the slightest Australian, but the spectators at Albert Park last seemed pleased as punch that they pulled off the big one-two.

Almost straight after the race the fun began. Local band Dallas Crane came on what must be close to the world’s biggest temporary stage to blast out a half-hour set before… The Who! The originators of grunge rock took over the stage with an ever-youthful Roger Daltry and the obstreperous Pete Townshend blasting through their back catalogue with aplomb (the only hiccup being Townshend doing a particularly nasty little solo that had the audience wondering whether it was a work of genius or a complete screw-up. The dilemma was resolved by the young Irish tourist next to me who said: “Here’s some rubbish guitar from our Pete”).

The drummer, by the way, was Zak Starkey, son of the Beatles Ringo Starr. I don’t envy anyone trying to fill in for the long-departed Keith Moon, but young Mr Starkey was as solid  and flourishing as the songs needed him to be. The most emotional moment came early on, with stage-wide images of Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle (who died in 2002).

I had to leave after about an hour, but forever now I can say that I have seen the Who on stage, and it was fab.

Kiss with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons last year. The Who this year. Wonder who they’ll get for next year. It’ll have to be loud and motorsporty. That rules out Paul McCartney eh?

                                                      – Phil