ROGER DALTREY DESTROYS THE AUSTRALIAN GOVT, COLONIAL STADIUM AND PETER FRAMPTONS GUITAR

Who lead singer Roger Daltrey used the podium of the Ultimate Rock Symphony to push a few fatcats off their pedistal. He also brought back the old Who tradition of smashing a guitar (to the horror of Peter Frampton).

Daltrey and the Ultimate Rock Symphony became the first act to play Colonial Stadium, Melbourne's new 45,000 seater venue.

The Stadium has been the subject of constant new bulletins over the last few months because of union trouble and the fact that it's just not finished.

One problem with the new stadium is that the automatic roof doesn't work. It has to be manually opened and closed, meaning days of preplanning.

Concert organizers had no choice but to let the Orchestra play under a closed roof for the first ever concert at the venue leading turning the site into one giant echo camber. Daltrey wasn't impressed, constantly complaining about that the echo was effecting his (and the other artists) performance.

Officials at the stadium used that old limp chestnut about noise pollution as the reason the roof could not be opened but as Daltrey pointed out to the crowd "what the fuck do they call what's going on down the road here" pointing in the general direction of the Australian Grand Prix.

Daltrey wished Barbra Streisand all the best for her performance at the same venue next weekend. "As a venue, it makes a great football stadium" he said.

The lead singer of The Who also took the opportunity to lash out at the Australian government. "Your Government is fucked ... but then again so is ours. That's why I like you Aussies" he chuckled.

The ongoing bad publicity for the venue kept the crowds away with only around 10,000 of the 30,000 tickets selling.

Punters who missed the show missed a once in a lifetime event, with Daltrey dishing up a constant diet of Who classics including You Better You Bet, My Generation, Pinball Wizard and Won't Get Fooled Again.

He even went as far as picking up Peter Frampton's guitar at the end of the gig and smashing it in front of a horrified Frampton.

Highlights of the show included Frampton's revival of his Frampton Comes Alive version of The Stones Jumpin' Jack Flash and his own Baby I Love Your Way.

Alice Cooper performed Start Me Up, Another Brick in The Wall and his signature tune School's Out.

Paul Rodgers of Bad Company and Free fame sang Can't Get Enough, All Right Now and his medley of John Lennon tunes.

Aussie fans got their own dose of classic Oz Rock from Jimmy Barnes (Working Class Man and Khe Sahn) and Billy Thorpe (Most People I Know Thing That I'm Crazy) but the true highlight of the time was Procul Harum's Gary Brooker sounding smoother than ever with Conquistador, A Salty Dog and A Whiter Shade of Pale.

Last night's show was the final Ultimate Rock Symphony performance in Australia.

From "Undercover - Your Daily News Music Fix"
http://www.undercover.net.au/